Page 150 of Cry For Mercy

The one called Seb made a rude gesture at Adam, but he laughed as well.

“So… do you really want to know about our business, love? I mean… only family get to know this shit.”

I glanced around at the other faces at the table. “Family?”

Marco groaned, tossing something at Seb. “Will you stop being a prick, maybe just for the duration of our meal?”

Seb tossed back whatever it was. “You wanna start a food fight, bruv, you better be ready to clean it the fuck up after.”

Samuel elbowed his brother. “Julie, as far as we’re concerned you’re family. I mean, we let Adam in, and if we’ll let his pathetic ass in, then you might think we’d let anyone, but it’s not like that. You’re very important to Cass, and that means you’re important to the family. So yeah… maybe we are ‘crime lords’.” He made quote marks with his fingers, and then continued.

“But we look after our own. So as far as we’re concerned, you’re family. Doesn’t mean we expect anything of you. Just means you’re never going to be in danger again.”

He shot a glare at Adam then. “Even from another person on the inside.”

Adam flipped a rude gesture at him. “I’m the last person she needs to fear. I’m the only other normal person at this fucking table.”

I swatted his arm. “We are so grateful to all of you for your support, and everything you’ve done for us since it happened.”

‘It’ being the thing I still couldn’t put into words.

Everyone looked solemn for a moment, then Seb groaned.

“Fuck this. I’m getting some booze.” He looked uncomfortable with being thanked, but I could see that they were all used to this kind of reaction from him.

“Did I say something wrong?” I asked Cass, leaning closer, to try and keep my question from the others.

She shook her head. “Nah, he’s just a bit of a pussy, when it comes to emotional stuff.”

“Is that right?” He asked from behind her, since he’d clearly decided to pour her drink first. She gasped, and started giggling.

“How do you always do that?”

“It’s a gift, baby.” He slid a glass in front of each of us, and poured a measure. I stared at it. Hard liquor at lunchtime?

“Some of us are driving, you dickhead.” Adam muttered. Seb poured a miniscule amount into a glass, and slammed it in front of him.

“See? All that bitching, and now you get bugger all. Enjoy it.”

I giggled. These guys were all kinds of messed up, but somehow, I felt safe with them. They were the most dangerous people I’d ever been around. And yet somehow, I knew I was around people who would always put themselves between danger and me.

Isn’t that all you can ask for from the people around you?

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