Page 79 of Flame
He doesn’t answer.
The sound of a door opening makes him stiffen, and another man enters the room, his shape recognizable instantly. He looms against the narrow doorway, casting a shadow that seems to encompass everything in its path. But he isn’t alone. Someone stands beside him, only his outline visible in the darkness.
Even Branden seems to shrink, whirling to face the newcomers. “I did what you said,” he stammers, displaying an unease that shakes me to my core. “Everything. Now—”
“I didn’t think you would be this foolish,” Shen says, his voice a deep, unsettling rasp. “First, you get sloppy. Then careless, and now you seem determined to amplify your fucking mess.”
Branden stiffens. “No! You don’t understand—”
“I understand that you stepped right into a trap,” Shen says. “And you brought a viper right into our midst—” He nods to me. “She’s wearing a wire.”
“N-No…” Branden turns to me, his gaze flashing. He grabs my hand, eyeing me with a ruthless flick of his gaze. “I took her bag. She wouldn’t…”
“Search her,” Shen commands.
I stagger back, but I’m not anywhere near quick enough. Branden snatches my wrist, tugging at my sweater with his free hand. “I don’t feel anything,” he declares after a moment.
But Shen steps forward, his head cocked. “Then you didn’t search hard enough,” he growls. “Luckily, I was alerted to your stupidity beforehand.”
The man behind him enters the room fully, allowing the dim lighting to cast him in faint relief. At the sight of a familiar pair of dark eyes, I suck in a breath.
“Rafe?”
His gaze is fixed straight ahead, his expression unreadable.
“You can consider our arrangement over,” Shen says to Branden, his upper lip curled in disgust.
“What the hell do you mean?” Branden demands. “I did everything you fucking asked!”
“You were sloppy,” Shen snarls. “And now I’m forced to clean up your mess. Rafael.”
On cue, Rafe steps forward, withdrawing something from his coat pocket. It’s small enough to fit the curve of his palm, aimed straight ahead—and its purpose is undeniable.
Branden pales, backing up so clumsily he nearly trips over his own feet. “What the fuck?”
“To clean up your mess with the Wen girl, I have to take matters into my own hands.”
“You told me to do it!” Branden shouts, clenching his hands at his sides.
“I told you to toy with the merchandise?” Shen growls. “I told you to run your mouth to that little bitch? Enough of this. Now you have another girl’s death to answer for.” His dark eyes cut toward me, devoid of any emotion.
“No,” Branden growls. “Leave her out of this—”
“You don’t have a say anymore,” Shen says with a cold laugh. “As far as the police will know, you killed her to cover your tracks. Overcome with guilt, you then turned the gun on yourself. Rafael.” He inclines his head toward Branden before turning on his heel to exit the room. “Clean this mess.”
Rafe raises the gun, and the world slows to a crawl. I see his face. Those beautiful, unfathomable eyes narrowed with focus. Suddenly, he pivots, aiming in an entirely different direction.
“Don’t move,” he warns.
Shen stops short, glancing over his shoulder. It seems to take him a full second to realize just where Rafe is aiming. Anger colors his cheeks, his eyes narrowing. “What the hell are you doing?”
“Don’t move,” Rafe repeats, his voice steady. “I won’t ask again.”
Shen laughs, an eyebrow cocked in amusement more than alarm. “Don’t tell me you’ve grown a pair, boy?” he taunts. “Put that toy away before you hurt yourself—”
“You really think I’m that dumb, don’t you?” I can’t even begin to classify Rafe’s tone. My stomach clenches at the low, harsh notes roughening his baritone, even as his face remains expressionless. “Thatstupid,” he adds. “That afraid of you that I wouldn’t catch on. What the fuck was I to you, huh? A patsy? A fall guy?”
“Family,” Shen growls, his eyes flashing. “But I suppose I should have known from the time you were a goddamn child how little that means to you. My brother may have shacked up with a worthless whore, but you are his real failure.”
