Page 41 of The Best of Us

Tell me about it.

“Will you leave with us, though?” he asked her, and loud music or not, I could hear the desperation and love in his voice. “Lennon?” The hitch of pain in his voice when he said her name, as if worried she might reject him, gutted me on his behalf.

This was going to be a problem.

“Like hell is she going with you. Jamie just called,” an Irish guy I’d clocked at Jamie’s VIP table earlier said, joining in on the conversation while keeping a phone to his ear.

“Time to go.” I tugged Colin’s arm. If I had to embarrass him and drag him out of there over my shoulder, I would. Either way, he was leaving with me.

The girl glanced nervously between Colin and the Irishman, who was old enough to be her father.

Fuck, I’m apparently old enough to be her father.

“I don’t want you getting in any more trouble.” Her shoulders fell, and with it, common sense took over. Thank God. “Go without me. I’ll call you later.” At least she cared about him enough to know she’d be risking Colin’s safety if she were to leave with us. “Just go. Please,” she begged. “You know I’ll be safe here with these guys.” She reached out and hugged him, forcing me to let go of him.

I looked around, checking for the Sicilians. A few of them were still hanging back at the top of the stairs, waiting for us to leave. They wouldn’t come down as long as I was in the building.

At least Colin had mixed it up with them and not the Bratva or Triad, who didn’t have enough sense to bow down at hearing my name alone.

Of course, I wasn’t all that confident Jamie, and his low-level punk Irish gang, gave a damn who I was, either.

I reached for his arm, needing to break up the lovefest. “Come on.”

“Who is this dude?” she asked when he pulled away from her.

“Just a guy I know,” he answered, which was all he really could give her.

He hugged her one more time, and when they kissed, I lifted my gaze toward the DJ booth to give them two seconds of privacy. “Come on,” I repeated as I secured hold of his forearm again and tugged.

“Love you,” he told her, then shirked free of my touch.

At least he was finally moving in the direction I needed him to go.

The second we were outside, he spun around and hit me with, “You killed people up there.”

“Maybe say that a little louder.” I rolled my eyes. At least no one was in our immediate vicinity, and it was the middle of the night. “And no, I didn’t. The only one never getting up again was shot by his own people.” The others had a chance of survival if they made it to the ER in time.Please, any ER but the hospital where Juliette works.

“You used the man as a shield. That was . . .” He pressed his fingertips into the back of his skull. “What are you even doing here? Did my mom send you?”

I gave him a few seconds to spiral, assuming he needed to as much as I did. One of us had to keep it together. I supposed it had to be me.

“Is she tracking my phone? Why would she trust you to come after me? None of this makes sense.” He finally looked up and faced me, arms stiff at his sides like they were weighted down by concrete.

How was any of this possible? That’s what I wanted to ask him. I wanted to know how my target’s sister was his girlfriend. And what would have happened had Daniel not attempted to mug my intern? It was a horrible thought, but then I’d never have hunted Daniel down Wednesday night. I’d never have been running late to my date with Leah and been in the parking garage at the exact time when Colin was trying to boost a car with his buddies. I’d never have been at the rave to go after Jamie, winding up protecting a son I didn’t know I had.

“Hello? You there?” He waved his hand in front of my face. Apparently, I’d gone ahead and spiraled anyway.

“Your mom didn’t send me, no. You were lucky I happened to be there. You have no idea just how much luck was involved, in fact.”

He ignored my warning, which was for the best. “Butwhywere you here?” His brows shot up. “In a raaaaave?”

So, you drag words out like your aunt. Got it.“Why were you?” If my blood pressure rose any higher, I’d be heading to the hospital myself. Juliette’s, of course. “Are you in a gang?”

I had a dozen questions and a feeling he’d never answer any. He still had no clue who I was other than the guy he stole from. Mr. Monopoly to him. I was going to have a coronary along with shit blood pressure.

“Why was that Italian-sounding dude so afraid of you? Are you part of some scary crime family?”

Nice deflection, kid.I wasn’t amafioso. My mom’s side of the family was mafia, but that was a story for . . . well, never. He didn’t need to know that.

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