Page 131 of A Dirty Business
I nodded, my whole body suddenly feeling heavy. “I get it. I do.”
I was choosing him. Be damned or not, I couldn’t hide anymore.
Let the cards fall where they fall.
CHAPTER FIFTY-NINE
TRACE
Penn and Crispin Worthing.
Both major dickheads.
Ashton saw me coming, so he stepped back. I moved forward, taking point. “Gentlemen.”
Crispin was the leader of the two, and he stepped forward, cracking his knuckles slowly. “West. This ain’t your club.”
“No, but unlike your family, my family has an understanding with the owners.”
They shared a look at that information.
Justin stepped ahead, one arm held out toward his cousins and the other toward me. “We’re just here having fun. That’s all.”
I ignored him, staring at Crispin. “Leave, Worthing. Now.”
He started to tilt his chin up, but then his eyes went to the side of me.
I knew Jess was there, felt her. They were taking her in, but they were also noting my other men who had come with me. I’d added to my detail by another fifteen guys.
“You are here alone.”
He bounced his chin up. “How do you know that?”
All bravado. A typical fucking Worthing—I was starting to notice their trademarks. They were hotheads, led by a hothead uncle who’d come over from Sicily thinking he could make a name for his family here and not respecting that the territories had been drawn up decades ago.
“Leave, Worthing, and we won’t kill you tonight.”
I felt Jess’s instant tension.
She chose. I’d asked her to leave, but she’d made her choice. She was at my side.
Crispin smirked. “You got a copper next to you, unless she’s on your take.”
I didn’t comment, stepping forward. “Leave while you can walk.” At my order, my men moved forward. This time, Crispin stepped back. I could feel his reluctance, but he growled as he hit his cousin on the arm and jerked his head toward the exit door.
When they started to reach for Justin, Ashton stepped up. “He stays.”
“Excuse us?” Penn started forward, but Crispin blocked him.
Ashton pointed at Justin. “Him, we won’t kill. You two, we will. Leave while you can.”
I heard Jess groaning behind me and reached back, touching her arm. She quieted, but as soon as those two left, she was around me in a second. Kelly began sobbing. Justin looked torn, not sure whether to care for his woman or to head us off. Jess took the decision out of his hands, enveloping her old roommate in her arms and leading her away. I watched, seeing my men directing them out of here.
I relaxed once I saw Jess was listening to them. Kelly’s head was buried into Jess’s neck, her arms wrapped around her.
Justin started snarling as soon as his cousins were gone and as soon as Jess had his woman out of earshot. “What the hell? What thehellwasthat?”
Ashton smirked before snorting. “It’s called organized crime. Sometimes we have turf wars. You should google it before you end up dead, Worthing.”
