Page 63 of Waging War
“Don’t throw up,” I whisper as saliva pools in my mouth. Bile tickles the back of my tongue as I try to get a hold of myself.
Sasha’s smart. She wouldn’t have fucked this up. Bruce has called on me before, and it wasn’t serious. He probably just wants to brief me on our new manufacturing equipment.
A cool wave of nausea resurfaces. Lucky’s has become a home base of sorts for us; maybe he just wants me to keep a close eye on the operation.
Releasing a sigh, I turn to head back inside, only to stop when I see Hazel standing in the doorway.
Her hair is mussed from air drying, and the way she leans against the frame with her legs crossed at the ankles gives her a deceivingly docile appearance.
It’s a clever guise for a woman who embodies hell’s flame.
“Everything okay?”
Avoiding her gaze, I rub the back of my neck. “Actually, I need to go.”
“Oh.” A careful hardness cuts her tone. “Why?”
I’m close enough now that her body heat teases me. I’d love nothing more than to throw her down in front of the fire and run my hands and mouth along every dip and curve she has to offer.
“I just got a call from Bruce, and I’m needed elsewhere.”
Guiding her back inside, I step around her to gather what few things I brought with me.
“Bruce, huh?”
I close my eyes and pull a long breath through my nose before releasing it painfully slowly. “Don’t do that.”
Her arms fold beneath her perfect tits, giving my eyes one last parting feast. “Do what, exactly?”
“You knew what this was from the beginning, Hazel.”
I grit my teeth when she barks a laugh. “That you’re Bruce’s dog to heel when he calls?”
“That’s not what this is.”
“Then what is it, Ben?”
“You know I can’t just walk away from this job. Bruce holds the key to my freedom, my family’s safety, your—” I pause, glaring at the stubborn tilt of her chin. “Your safety.”
“Don’t pretend to care about my well-being when you’re seconds from leaving me here alone.”
I whirl on her. “What you’re wanting from me, I can’t give you.”
“Oh, that’s rich coming from the man who could hardly keep away from his little prisoner.” She crosses the expanse of the small room in a rush. “So this is it? You enjoy your fill like I’m just a piece of ass, and then you run right back to Diablo?”
I want to grip her chin and slam my mouth over hers, kissing that ugly disdain from her tongue.
“He’s threatening everyone I love, Hazel, and like it or not, I’m going to abide by his rules until we can see our plan through and end him.”
“God, I’m so sick of hearing that.Everyonewants to end him, Ben. But you’re the only one who’s close enough to fight! How long have you been hurting people and keeping your head down?” She crams her finger into my chest. “You could tell Bruce to eat shitright now, and you and I could figure something out together.”
“It’s not that simple. He’ll send his men after me—after Jack and Cassidy and anyone else who stands in his way. I’m the buffer keeping this from turning in to an all-out war.”
“Is that the truth, or is it just easier to turn back to what you’ve known for so long?”
I turn away from her, gripping my hair.
“Something’s got to give,” she says.
