Page 129 of Killer Kiss

“I’ll take care of you,” he promised. “And when you have my children, you’ll take care of them.”

Nothing had ever sounded quite so reprehensible.

And yet one look at Banjo with his damn hands knifed to the fucking table, and the memory of his little girl in the back of my mind, had me nodding like wiping asses and snotty noses was all I’d ever wanted.

With Augie, the idea of kids seemed kind of fun and sweet. I might have even been persuaded to have one, with time.

With Riddick, even the idea felt like a life sentence.

“Whatever you want.” I was willing to agree to anything. “Just let him go.”

Riddick shrugged. “Fine. He can go.”

I wasn’t waiting for him to change his mind. I rushed to Banjo’s side, my back to Riddick, trying to keep his eyes off Augie’s brother.

He lifted his head. “What are you doing?” he whispered, more coherent than he’d led Riddick to believe though his voice was still laced with pain.

I wrapped my fingers around the first blade. “This is going to hurt.” I yanked the knife out from his skin, his scream of pain echoing around the room.

Riddick whistled. “Hurry up, Ophelia. If we’re getting married tomorrow, I have a lot to do.”

Banjo stared up at me with huge eyes. “You can’t marry him.”

I swallowed hard, gripping the handle on the other knife.

Banjo braced himself.

I yanked it out.

Under the cover of his screams, I whispered a final plea.

“Tell your brother I’m sorry.” I swallowed hard. “And that I’ll always love him.”

Banjo got up and staggered toward the door, his fingertips dripping with crimson blood. But at least his legs seemed unaffected. He would be able to make it back to the main road.

But this was the end of one for me.

When Riddick put his hand to the back of my neck and steered me toward the door, I let him.

36

AUGIE

Police swarmed around Banjo’s home, their lights flashing red and blue through the windows, while Colt, Rafe, Lacey, and I all sat in the living room, none of us speaking.

Lacey seemed tiny, squished onto the couch between two of her men, her eyes red from crying. “Do you think Luna’s okay with my mom?” she asked Rafe.

He rubbed her hand briskly. “She didn’t even stir when I dropped her over there. When she wakes up in the morning, April is going to take her out for pancakes.”

“She’ll love that. Sugar and ice cream and syrup for breakfast,” Colt added, but his voice was devoid of emotion.

I listened. It was impossible not to. But I didn’t dare say a word.

After Ophelia had dropped her bomb of truth, Lacey and Colt had allowed me to come back here with them, since for once, this entire thing wasn’t my fault.

But all I could think was that there was a hit on me and my brother.

And I had no idea who had ordered it.

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