Page 29 of The Sinner and the Gunslinger
“She’s technically black haired, and her visions give her unpredictable migraines. Besides, Madam Mina is our best.”
Raven’s bleak eyes soften on Leila. “I don’t trust myself on a mission at the moment.”
“Fine,” Leila concedes but then points at me. “But I’m not working with him.”
Thea doesn’t miss a beat. “Zeke is needed because he has connections with the arms dealer running a private high roller poker game where this collector will be. He can swindle you a couple of invitations.”
“I can?” Wait. What? My old... My eyes widen. “But I haven’t been in touch with those men for decades. And as these poker games are usually organized weeks in advance, I don’t see how I’ll get an invitation. We didn’t leave on good terms. And wait just a goddamned minute—” I gesture at Leila but keep my eyes on Thea. “What do you mean he has a thing for being domineered by brunettes with long legs? And who is Madam Mina?”
“Madam Mina is Leila’s BDSM persona,” Raven states tiredly, rubbing her temples.
“What do you expect Leila to do?”
The Sinners look at me like I’m stupid.
“I’ll do what needs to be done, Zeke.” Leila stands up straighter. “I don’t run from my responsibilities.”
Her words are a punch in the gut. The thought of Leila sexually dominating a disgusting, morally obtuse man makes my blood curdle. Surely that’s not what she intends to do. Surely they’re just talking about other ways Leila can domineer. But as I take in my surroundings, I remember who we’re dealing with and why Team Saint was sent to dismantle them. I run out of excuses.
My gaze flicks to Leila, and I start to sweat.
“Love,” Wes pleads quietly with Thea.
“Wes, I said my body is yours. But if this mission requires a brunette with long legs who can seduce a man into revealing his dirty laundry, would you rather it be Leila or me?”
His jaw clicks shut. They stare at each other momentarily, then he replies, “You know my feelings about that.”
“I could always torture this collector,” Leila offers. “It would save us time.”
Her steady gaze makes my heart palpitate. She said the word torture like one speaks about Tuesday. It’s nothing to her but another day of the week. I refuse to let her fall further into this shell of a person when she’s only like this because of my mistake.
So I’ll have to go with her every step of the way. If I’m to walk back into that city, I’ll likely have to get my hands dirty and return to being the godless man I longed to leave behind.
If I’m to walk back into that city, denying my itchy trigger finger will no longer be a problem.
“I’ll go. I’ll do what needs to be done.” I level my stare at them.
I’ll keep Leila safe.
Fourteen
Somewhere Off The Interstate
Mary Sue pulled another glass from the rack beneath the bar and cursed under her breath. Dirty. Again. This one had a raspberry-colored lipstick mark. Being a dive bar in the middle of nowhere shouldn’t mean they couldn’t clean their dishes.
“Goddamned busboy needs to do his job properly,” she mumbled, using her apron to remove the stain.
“Today, sugar!”
She scowled at the line of sweaty, beefcake bikers waiting to be served down the bar. The glare of the backlit window light made it hard to see their faces. The smell of sour hops and cigarette smoke made her feel sick. Music and conversation made her feel deaf. One of these days, one winning Powerball, and she was out of here. She dropped her scowl and smiled tightly at the line, then finished pouring her beer from the tap.
“Here you go, Joe.” She handed the old regular his beer.
Joe had a long beard and patchy hair. He was the logger down at Old Grogan’s Mill and there from sunup to sundown but was now retired. His back ached as much as Mary Sue’s.
“Now, darlin’.” Joe smacked his gummy mouth as he dropped cash onto the bar. “Don’t you be paying them no mind, you hear? They’re just fixin’ to drink since they been out ridin’ all night.”
“Used to be a time they’d be fixin’ to drink cos of a hard day’s work. I don’t think these fellas know how to tie their own damn bootstraps. Don’t you worry about me, Joe. I can handle myself.”
