Page 26 of Pretty Threats

“Good.”

Once she’s in my room, I say, “Stay in here.”

She glances around. “Jamie still has my phone. There’s no television or tablet in here. What am I supposed to do while you’re gone?”

I lick my lips. “The media room is next door. You can go in there, but close the door. If he shows up, you come back to this room.”

Raine sighs. “This is because you think he’ll be tempted to hurt me? Or because you don’t like me talking to other people?”

I contemplate lying, but I doubt she’d believe it. She knows I’d never leave her behind with him if I thought he would try to force her to have sex with him.

It’s the same old thing, but more intense. I don’t want anyone close to her, but Jamie in particular could be a problem.

When the three of us go out to a bar, Jamie can’t hit the restroom without four or five women putting themselves in his path. They all try to talk to him. And if he brings a girl home, no matter what he tells her is in store for her, she dives into his bed without a second thought. If the assignment were to charm women out of their fortunes, Jamie would come out on top of not just me and War, but probably the whole fucking male population of Massachusetts.

“Old rules,” I finally admit.

Her lips push out, forming a pout that makes me want to bite them. “I think being friendly would be better, Killian, considering they don’t trust me. Wouldn’t that make more sense if the goal is to keep me alive?”

She doesn’t understand how cold-blooded these guys are. Friendly or not, they’ll kill her if they think it’s necessary. But since we’ve got hours left until anyone will miss Raine, War and Jamie won’t make a move without provocation.

“Just stay in the room, Raine.”

She sighs, sounding harassed.

“We’ll talk strategy when I get back,” I say, walking to the door. I’m not sure that’s true, but I want her to believe it so she stays put.

Too bad Jamie’s not coming with us. But he wasn’t invited to this meeting, and someone needs to stay behind to ensure Raine doesn’t take off.

Jamie says nothing as War and I leave. I don’t care, but it feels strange. He’s the talker, and he often gets us talking, too. The fact that we can communicate when it comes to work is part of the reason we’re a good team. As soon as the bosses saw us eating together and separating ourselves from the older Boston guys, they put us in the same house and started training us as a trio. Apparently, that’s how the bosses came up the ranks in the first crime family they worked for.

Two of my older half brothers are in organized crime, and they have the same rapport I see in the bosses. I’ve always been a loner. Never thought I’d have roommates. When this arrangement started, I expected to hang out in my room alone most of the time. But that’s not the way things have gone. Until now.

Raine always shifts my orbit. I don’t even try to resist because I prefer her over everyone.

My feelings aren’t conventional or romantic. I’m not suited for that. But there’s an unconquerable physical, and probably chemical, attraction between us. I’d bet money she’s got some super sweet, irresistible pheromones. Because whenever anyone else tries to get near her, I want to fight. Or more precisely, I want to kill them.

Sure, my instincts are selfish, pure and unadulterated. But there’s an entire world of people who can have each other. They can leave one girl alone.

Outside, the smell of the river is oily this afternoon as we cross the parking area. I prefer diesel to fish. I glance out at the water, thinking about the old gangster expression, “he sleeps with the fishes.”

I’ve chosen a deadly life, which suits me. But not her.

Possibly a fatal error on my part.

14

KILLIAN

War and I both like to drive, so we alternate. Today, it’s his turn, so I’ve got the burn phone where we’ve got the map to the meeting spot. We roll out, both wearing sunglasses and serious expressions.

Once we’re close to the rendezvous, we find ourselves on a dirt road, heading into the woods. The message said to leave the truck and walk east until we saw a marker on a tree, then take the path.

As we’re tromping across uneven ground for fifteen minutes, I start to doubt we’re gonna find the marker, but finally War spots it. A strip of yellow fabric tied around a branch. Right next to it, there’s a trail.

Another ten minutes pass before we hear anything but insects. As we draw closer, there’s laughter. It’s C, the leader of C Crue. He’s a monster when it comes to muscles, but at five-foot-eleven, he’s the shortest of the bosses.

Connor McCann, nickname C, is War’s uncle. They hadn’t seen each other in person for years when War was growing up in Europe while living with his mother, C’s sister. Then, War came over to the U.S., and C recruited him to work for the business.

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