Page 18 of Wild Devil

“Yeah.” She looks at me and shrugs. “I guess you could say that. Warriors or fucking nutcases.”

“Either way, we stick it out,” I say. “We stay together. It’s always been the two of us against the world. That won’t change any time soon.”

“Yeah, until the world blows up with us in it. Then that doesn’t sound so nice, does it?”

I shrug off the comeback and pay attention to the obvious signs underneath. All my life, Lyra has been the strong one. The sole unbreakable force in our fucked-up family, forced to shoulder even my responsibilities when my world went to shit. I never even thanked her for all she’s done, but I can see the toll it’s taken on her. She’s hunched over the counter as if it’s the only thing holding her up. Her hair is a mess, her outfit wrinkled. I can note the purple bags under her eyes, even from across the room.

“You look wrecked, Ly.”

She scoffs. “Gee, thanks, Daze. It wasn’t like I was up all night, worried sick about your silly ass, or anything.” She pivots to face me, her expression stern. “Tell me that you understand the mess you’ve gotten yourself in, because I sure as hell don’t.”

“It’s my fault,” I say. “I take full responsibility. Sam never should have been involved in this shit.”

“That’s uncharacteristically noble of you,” Lyra points out. “But it wasn’t entirely your fault either. You were right. Those were the people Silas was involved with.”

I nod.

She hisses through clenched teeth and punches the counter. “Fuck! Ow!” Cradling her arm against her chest, she leans against the nearest wall and sighs again. “Damn him. You’d think that when his nephew’s life is on the line, he’d at least show some restraint. The fucking cocky son of a bitch. I will never forgive him for that.”

“I don’t think he thought Sam was ever at risk,” I admit, not that I enjoy coming to the bastard’s defense. “He knew I wouldn’t take the chance.”

“I don’t give a shit what he thought.” Lyra stands tall, and I’ve never seen her look so damn tired. “I’ve protected that bastard for long enough, and this is how he repays me? No more. I’m done.”

“Protected…” My guard instantly goes up at the careful way she said that word. “What do you mean?”

She bites her lip and shrugs. After raking a hand through her hair, she turns her attention toward the back window overlooking the small yard and a garage.

“I mean that when you asked me about what Silas was into, I lied,” she says.

I grit my teeth to remain silent. I fucking knew it. She let that bastard into her home, but just how bad was the extent of her cooperation? Trust Silas to put not only his own life at risk but everyone he claims to love as well.

“Oh, don’t look at me like that,” Lyra snaps. “I’m not as stupid as you think. I told him no illegal shit—he promised. But he said that any little way I could help would be helping Sam, and he’s done so much for him while you were locked up?—”

“Don’t blame me,” I snap, unable to control myself. “I warned you about that bastard. I warned you.”

“I know.” She looks so young standing there that I drop the anger—for now.

“Just tell me what he had you do. All of it.”

“It’s not like he had me drawing up heist schematics, Day. Jesus, I’m not that much of a fucking idiot.”

“Then what? Just tell me now.”

“He had me store some stuff for him,” she admits. “Before you panic, it’s not fucking drugs. I made sure of that. But otherwise, I have no idea, and I wanted to keep it that way.”

“Store stuff. Lyra…” I form a fist, and it takes all the restraint I have to keep from slamming it into the wall. “What the fuck do you mean, store stuff? Don’t you realize that’s the oldest trick in the fucking book? Jesus Christ! If your name is tied up in any of his mess, don’t you understand how that’s going to look? Fuck, you could have just put your entire life on the line for that piece of shit?—”

“Don’t lecture me about the risks of trusting a gangbanger, alright?” she snarls. “I trusted you once, remember? And we both know how that turned out. Silas promised me that he had shit under control, and for what he paid me, I wasn’t about to ask. My hours were getting cut, and the bills won’t pay themselves. Not to mention that putting a kid through private preschool is fucking expensive.”

“I gave you money. Whatever I could spare. Don’t put this on me.”

“I’m not, and I know you tried. But it wasn’t enough,” she shakes her head sadly. “It wasn’t enough, and Silas offered to fill the gap. Besides, when he showed up with just a few boxes it didn’t seem like such a bad deal to make. Don’t blame me for taking him at his word. Besides, it seemed harmless enough, and he hasn’t asked about it again. I bet he probably forgot he left them with me.”

“Left boxes of what? Come on, Lyra, tell me you weren’t that fucking stupid.”

“As I said I never looked in them. I just had a friend I know in the police department do me a favor and bring a drug-sniffing dog around. It didn’t so much as twitch, so whatever it is, it isn’t drugs.”

“But it could be weapons,” I snap. “Or fucking body parts, for all you know!”

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