Page 22 of Freeing Denver
He ignores me, taking my good hand and pulling me to my feet. I glare at him, and he brushes off the back of my dress, adjusting it. I fold my arms.
“Are you done?”
“Listen to me,” Alistair says. “Shit was bad before. Spider showing up just opened a whole new can of worms.”
“‘A can of worms’? You do realize you’re a gangster, right?”
He ignores me. “You’re always a target, but this is rapidly barreling toward worst-case scenario.” My shoulders dip, because his voice is different. It’s still curt, but there’s an edge of concern, too. It isn’t for me, I’m not foolish enough to think that, but for the business and how quickly our plan could deteriorate if I’m gone. “Charlie is great at his job, but even he admits that Spider has resources we don’t. You know how many men we had watching that church? He still got away.”
“He did? How?”
Alistair shakes his head, his frustration evident. “I don’t know.”
I play with my necklace. “We need more men.”
“No, we need better men,” he says and looks away. “I know someone who can help us, but he isn’t here. He’s in California. And we don’t … we don’t exactly have the best relationship.”
I arch a brow. “You want me to speak to him.”
“I want us both to meet with him,” he says. “I can get us in the door, but he’ll only work with us if he meets you.”
“Why?”
Alistair’s eyebrows lower in annoyance. “You really want me to say it?”
“Yes.” I put my hands on my hips. “I’ve had a crappy day. Tell me why you need me.”
His honey eyes are raging, but I don’t care. I need to get one up on this motherfucker, and this is how I’ll do it.
“Because you’re charming, and your story will appeal to him.”
I smirk and lift my chin. “And?”
“And what?” he snaps.
“Say you need me.”
He grips my jaw, but I still manage to grin. “Don’t push your fucking luck. We fly tomorrow.”
Alistair storms toward the door and wrenches it open.
“Al?” I call out sweetly.
He looks close to exploding. “What?”
“You know, if I wasn’t so in love with your best friend, I’d think this angst between us was pretty hot.”
He looks so disgusted that I bark out a laugh.
Chapter 5
Denver
Inarrow my eyes at JJ, and he tuts. “For the last time, I said I was sorry.”
The scoff that leaves my throat says everything. I fold my arms and lean back in my seat on the private jet. There’s only a table between us, and I slam my palm against it when something occurs to me.
“You’re the reason Wilder got away that night he broke into my house!”
