Page 83 of With This Kiss
I took in a deep breath when I accidentally moved the wrong way, pulling at the injured muscles. Even if the bullet had only grazed my skin, the split was big enough that I was sure I would need stitches.
I wanted to kill the fucker who had shot at me again. If I could bring him back from the dead, I fucking would. I was going to have to go back to see Jamie like this.
She had been careful not to ask me questions about my job so far, but hell if she would be able to control herself once she got a good look at my wound.
Footsteps came from my right at the mouth of the alley, and I tensed, tightening my grip on my gun.
I aimed at the shadow of a large fucker standing there, waiting for him to make his move first.
He calmly walked into the alleyway.
“Put the gun away,” he said, not really looking at me. I doubt he could see me in the dark.
I didn’t put the gun away.
He let out a small sigh. “I know you’re in here. I saw you come in.”
My finger twitched to just pull the trigger and kill the fucker. How easy it would be too. I didn’t trust him, but Kingston did. And I knew Jamie would be sad if I killed her brother.
I let my arm fall to the side and stepped out into the light, coming face-to-face with Caine.
“Sure you should be out here talking to me like this?” I asked. “You risk being caught.”
He shrugged. “No one is around. Most of the Caparelli men are scrambling, either to hide away from the Bratva or from the FBI. I can’t believe you fuckers brought the cops into this.”
I smiled. “Why not? It would do the world some good to have fewer of those men out in the street.”
“You say that as if the Bratva is any better.”
I shrugged. He was right about that. The Caparelli Famiglia and Mahankov Bratva weren’t different. Not at all. We were the same, struggling for power on this useless piece of land.
Caine didn’t say anything. If I thought Kingston pulled off the indifferent look well, he had nothing on Caine Caparelli. The fucker was cold as ice, and even I could feel a sliver of coldness running down my spine from looking at him too long.
Footsteps came from behind, and we both tensed until Kingston showed up.
“Don’t just stand around. Get moving. We need to act fast and move the goods before the FBI gets its hands on them.”
“Already taken care of,” I said. “Makar, Baran, and Fabian should already have loaded it into the trucks.”
Kingston shook his head, showing his annoyance for the first time. He didn’t approve of involving the FBI, but I thought that was the best course of action.
Caine turned to Kingston. “Consider the goods as a little goodwill from me to show my willingness to work with you bastards.”
“It might sound more convincing if you didn’t call us names,” I said. “It hurts our feelings.”
“I think you’ll live.”
I smiled and winked at him. The fucker still didn’t show any reaction.
Like a fucking ghost.
“This is where we part ways. For now,” Caine said. “And remember the deal.”
Kingston nodded.
I waited until Caine was gone before turning to Kingston. “What deal?”
He didn’t say anything right away, as if he were debating whether to tell me. Then, “We help him get rid of the current head and put him in power over the Caparelli men. And then the Bratva would be working with the Italians.”
