Page 43 of Retaliation

Her whole body still smoldered from his touch, and her mind spun. He had ordered food for them and then joined her in the shower. She had half expected another round of mind-blowing sex, but he had been so tender. He had helped wash her hair, gave her toe-curling kisses, but never tried to do more. They had eaten and then fallen asleep on her bed while watching a movie—content just being in each other’s presence.

She glanced at her phone, momentarily confused by the persistent ringing. She forgot it was still vibrating in her hand.

“Skel,” she muttered as she answered, irritation in her voice. “This better be good if you’re calling at two in the morning.”

His response was immediate, urgent. “It is, but not over the phone.”

The tone in his voice sent a jolt through her, wiping away the remnants of sleep. She sat up straight, all traces of fatigue gone. “I’m on my way.”

Without hesitation, she switched on the bedside lamp. The cold reality of Scorpion’s absence struck her again. She cursed under her breath—at him for leaving, at herself for letting him in so easily—and scrambled out of bed.

Rushing to the closet, she tossed her phone onto the bed behind her as she yanked open the door. Her mind raced as she grabbed clothes, though frustration simmered beneath her skin. She cursed again as she pulled on gray sweatpants and a black hoodie, her fingers moving quickly despite the tension in her body.

After slipping on her sneakers and tying her hair into a messy bun, she turned to grab her phone—only to freeze.

A small piece of paper rested on the pillow next to hers. Its edges were crumpled like it had been hurriedly shoved beneath the pillowcase. Her heart skipped a beat as she stared at it. For a moment, she didn’t move, a strange dread crawling up her spine.

She hesitated, her mind swirling with questions. Her fingers trembled slightly as she reached for the note, half-afraid of what it might say.

Little Viper,

I hate to leave, but the boss needs me. I’ll pick you

up at 7 pm for a proper date. Wear something sexy.

I want every man to envy me for having you on my

arm.

Stay safe

S

So he might not be as much of an asshole as she initially thought. She smiled, slipped the letter into her dresser drawer, and headed for the door.

Poison burst through the door to Skel’s gym and their regular hangout when they weren’t at the ring—or needed to have a crew meeting.

Her whole crew was waiting for her—each of her soldiers waiting for her in a dimmed atmosphere. She greeted each one by making eye contact and called out, “Evening, everyone.”

They greeted her in unison and stepped closer, forming a circle when Skel approached her.

“Do you have any news on Reaper?” Her heart tried to beat out of her chest.

On her way to the gym, every possible scenario had run through her mind—from Reaper finally challenging her to a death match to losing a member of her family—because that was what her crew was to her. After Jonathan, it was the only family she knew, and she would go to the end of the world to protect every last one of them. Even if she kept them at arm’s length.

“Unfortunately not.” It was Cat who answered, her voice tight.

“Then what is so important that we had to have an emergency meeting?” she asked, scanning the faces of her crew. Each one of them shifted uncomfortably, avoiding her gaze. A cold knot of unease formed in her gut. They knew something—something bad. And she was the last to be brought into the loop.

“It’s the Don,” Skel finally spoke, as if saying the words too loudly would make the situation worse. “Poison, it’s serious.”

“The Don and I have an understanding,” she said, narrowing her eyes. Her mind raced through the possible scenarios, but nothing made sense. “What aren’t you telling me?”

Skel hesitated, his mouth opening and closing as if he was struggling to find the right words. “You remember your open challenger from Friday?”

Her stomach dropped like a stone, dread slamming into her chest. She kept her voice steady, but it was a struggle. “Spit it out,” she snapped, the tension in the room pressing down on her like a vise. She hated how Skel was dragging this out, making her wait for whatever disaster he was about to lay at her feet.

“He wasn’t just a nomad,” Skel said, his voice dropping to a near whisper. “He was the Don’s newest recruit.” He paused, taking a deep breath like he was about to dive into icy water.

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