Page 54 of Marked

“You ready, Romeo?” Dallas sidled up, a grin dancing on his lips.

“Fuck off.” Cole breezed past his brothers and into the woods. The pink-and-gray mouse sticking out from his side would be comical if their situation weren’t so dire.

Dare saluted her and Dallas and Nash waved. She lifted her fingers. “Thank you. Be careful.”

They disappeared through the trees.

Lexi came up beside her and hooked her arm through hers. “Well, we’ve got a good hour at least of waiting. I brought snacks if you want to take shelter from the mosquitos.”

Sophia stared at the swaying branches as the men disappeared. Tearing her feet from the ground, she nodded and let Lexi lead her to the waiting vehicle.

It’d be the longest hour of her life.

CHAPTER 14

“I just think you’re being stupid,” Dare said, now trudging in the lead. He swatted a branch away, flinging it back into Cole’s face.

Cole snapped off the branch. It was all he could do not to whack his idiot brother over the head. Getting into a brawl with Dare would only slow down their mission.

“I didn’t ask you for your fucking opinion,” Cole clapped back, brushing past Dare to be in front.

Dallas fell into step beside him. “He’s not wrong, you know.”

Cole jerked his attention to his twin’s face. Dallas, a helluva lot smarter than Dare, held up his hands in surrender.

“Hey, I don’t think you’re stupid. Just wondering how this is going to play out, you know? I mean, she’s a cop, bro.”

“I know what she is.”

“Her focus other than Lionsgate has been to get you behind bars. This could even be a ruse just to—”

“It’s not.”

“How do you know?”

He sent Dallas an exasperated glare. “Because she’s had ample time to secure a warrant and hold me as a suspect for the murder of that dumb fuck Arson.”

“I probably would have avoided that one.”

“Travis needed a favor. He’s a good guy to keep in your back pocket.” Cole ducked under another low-lying branch and ducked away from the swarm of mosquitos that surrounded his face like a cloud. Dare swore next to him as he did the same.

Travis wasn’t one Cole got too close to. As one of the biggest drug dealers in Washington, the dude was someone you wanted on your side but didn’t want to rub shoulders with.

Nash approached and moved ahead of them a few paces. “Have you thought about what you’re going to do when all this ends? I know you said you and Sophia have an agreement, but man. She’s still a cop.”

“And she’s pushed the boundaries of the law looking for her daughter.”

“Right. But she’s not an assassin.”

Cole slid his gaze toward his youngest brother. “Is there a reason you assholes are up my fucking ass?”

“Just looking out for you,” Dallas said.

Cole snorted. He didn’t need anyone to look out for him. He was the oldest brother. He was the one who’d run from foster homes, with Dallas. He was the one who’d found a way to get a roof over his and his twin’s heads. He’d also gotten custody of Dare once Cole had turned eighteen.

No one needed to worry about him. Period.

At the same time, their comments registered. Making a clean break from Sophia would be easier said than done. While she’d probably hold up her end of the bargain, it’d only be so long before the department came after him. She simply wouldn’t be leading the pack.

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