Page 42 of Thor
“Bad to the bone!”He grinned.“Wanna see my boner?”
“Damn right.”
I completely forgot to ask him if they’d figured out who wanted him dead and why.
* * *
Thor
I leaned down to brush a stray lock of hair off Janet’s face.She’d fallen asleep snuggled up against me after we made love.We’d had a fucking hell of a time lately and exhaustion had finally caught up with her.I liked to think it was because she felt safe surrounded by the Riptide family.She looked adorable, curled up against me with her new cut still on.I’d pulled off her boots while we were making love.They were sexy as hell to look at but kind of tough on my hide.
My phone chirped, and I glanced over at the screen.Shadow.
The kidnapper we’d brought back for questioning hadn’t known much.Basically a gun for hire, he’d followed orders and had no idea who was paying him.He didn’t care as long as he got paid.
Too bad for him, that wasn’t going to happen.Beast made sure he’d never hurt anyone again.No one fucks with our women and walks away.
His phone had proven a whole lot more helpful.It unlocked with facial recognition and luckily Beast hadn’t worked his face over so bad that the phone didn’t recognize him.Shadow found a whole string of text messages between the asshole and the guy who’d hired him.Went by the name of “Joe Smith” according to his text handle.It might as well have screamedalias.
Asshole was supposed to send “Joe Smith” a picture to prove I was dead and then he’d be paid by cash drop in a storage locker on the far side of town.
Shadow worked his magic and traced the fucking idiot back to his home base.Joe Smith my ass.Turns out the guy was a financial manager who had a lot of very rich clients.None of that made sense of him wanting me dead, but Rattler and Ghost were on their way up to Atlanta to invite him down for a visit.He could explain the connection when he got here -- the easy way or the hard way.
I was hoping he chose the hard way.He’d fucked with my woman, and that was a killing offense.
I texted Shadow to let me know when our guest arrived.In the meantime, I’d catch a few z’s with my woman.Setting the phone back down on the bedside table, I wrapped myself around Janet and closed my eyes.
* * *
We had one peaceful day before Rattler and Ghost returned.Randolph Amundsen -- alias Joe Smith -- hadn’t come willingly.I left Janet with the rest of the old ladies having a gab fest and admiring her new cut while I headed down to the interrogation shack.
Ace opened the door to let me in.“Glad you could tear yourself away from your old lady.”
Beast snorted from across the room where he was busy arranging assorted supplies on a table in front of the captive.“Took him long enough to win her over.”
“Fuck off,” I said calmly.“Some things are worth waiting for.”
“That she is.”Beast nodded.
I grinned.“I meant me.”
I stalked into the center of the room and raked my gaze over the man who’d ordered my death.Not much to look at.Probably mid-fifties, with a pudgy face and the start of a beer belly.The torn and dirt-streaked suit he had on must have cost him more than most people made in a month.
“What the hell?”I turned to Ace.“I’ve never seen this asshole before in my life.Why is he trying to kill me?”
“That’s what we’re about to find out.”Beast picked up one of the knives on the table.The look on his face was enough to scare a serial killer.
“How’s he supposed to answer questions if he’s gagged?”
Beast shrugged.“Not my problem.”
Ace walked over and yanked the cloth out of the man’s mouth.
The asshole struggled against his bonds, not managing to do much more than rub his wrists raw.“Who are you people?I want a lawyer!”
Ace raised a brow.“Does this look like a police station?That’s not how this works.You see, you tried to kill one of us, and we don’t take kindly to that.We already took care of your little team of assassins who, by the way, upped the game by threatening one of our women.Not cool.”
I could see the moment the fucker realized how much shit he was in.“That’s not my fault.I never told them to take the woman.They did that on their own.”
