Total pages in book: 58
Estimated words: 56232 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 281(@200wpm)___ 225(@250wpm)___ 187(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 56232 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 281(@200wpm)___ 225(@250wpm)___ 187(@300wpm)
I shrug. “Maybe you should test them.”
“Even in a dog-shit neighborhood like this, that’d bring the cops. Nah, Colt. I knew you’d come, though. Been hearing whispers about a guardian angel swooping in to solve people’s problems. It made me think. Hmm, there’s a man trying to make up for past mistakes.”
“So you put the post on the forum. Nice work, Eddy.”
He flinches, clearly hating the shortened version of his name. Part of me wishes I’d finished the job with him, but he never did it, never hurt her. He was just a kid. Ten years later, now he’s a man who would happily put me in the dirt if this bulletproof glass wasn’t stopping him.
“You should’ve let me get out of the car,” I tell him.
He shakes his head. “I don’t want to hurt you, Colt, not physically.”
“Oh no?”
“Nah, I want to tell you something. Your lady’s still alive.”
My instinct is to tell him, “Of course she is. I was texting her just now.” But he’s not talking about Lexi. He’s talking about… I can’t even think about it, can’t even think her name.
“Bullshit,” I snap. “I saw the house. I saw what your animal Family did.”
“But you didn’t see the body, did you?”
Eddy is grinning as if he’s twisting the knife. There’s something in his sadistic, glinting eyes that tells me he thinks I was in love with her. That’s what he thinks, goddamn it. He doesn’t know I was never capable of that warm feeling. He doesn’t know that before Lexi, I didn’t even entertain it.
Lexi is the only woman for me—a stranger. I’m insane. That’s the only explanation, and now I’m getting mad.
“I guess you have an ultimatum,” I growl.
Eddy grins. “You were always clever, Colt. Dad always said that.”
“Not saying much these days, is he?”
The masked men bristle. Before, I spoke relatively quietly, just loud enough for Eddy to hear me through the glass. Now my voice is getting louder so these animals can hear.
“Help us with some work,” Eddy says, “and maybe you’ll see them again.”
Them. I wonder if he’s trying to bait me into opening the car door. That’d mean certain death, though. Even a man with my skills has limits.
“Do you think you have any chance in this city, Eddy?” I growl. “This isn’t Vegas. You’ve got no sway here. The Marinos run this town.”
“The Marinos,” he spits. “They’re getting soft. Settling down. They haven’t got the stomach to stop what’s coming.”
“You’re wrong,” I tell him, starting the engine. “But even if you were right, I’ve got the stomach, Eddy. You saw that for yourself.”
For a moment, his confidence wavers, eyes glistening almost red, like he remembers all the blood.
As I drive away, leaving them in the rearview, I call Luca.
“Colt?” he says, sounding surprised. I rarely call him. “Is everything okay?”
“I’m looking for work,” I tell him.
“Whoa, really? Okay, yeah, we can do that.”
“I want to help with the Serpents,” I say.
“Why the sudden change of heart?”
My mind blazes with fire crackling, screams echoing in my mind, the smell of gun smoke, the ache of vengeance. “I need the money,” I lie.
CHAPTER 7
Lexi
The next morning, I sit in my car in the driveway, texting Colt. So… are you watching me now?
Yep, he replies.
A shiver runs through me. It’s the sort of girlish emotion I stopped letting myself feel a long time ago. Last night, I couldn’t help myself. As I tossed and turned in the sheets, sweaty and buzzing with the excitement of his offer, I slid my hand between my legs, rubbing as I imagined him opening the door and stalking over to me.
I can’t see you…
Looking in my rearview and up and down the street, I spot nothing, nobody.
That’s the point, he replies. If Mr. Red Car turns up, I don’t want him seeing me, either.
Call me paranoid, but anybody might think you’re playing games with me. You just want me to feel safe.
Hold up your fingers, and I’ll tell you how many, he says.
Another shiver, more silliness… It doesn’t help that this is all based on a lie. Maybe I should’ve told him about Ralph, but even acknowledging what happened to me is difficult, let alone talking to others about it.
As I hold up four fingers, a text immediately arrives.
Four.
I let out a delighted laugh, shaking my head.
You’ve got a beautiful smile, Lexi.
My smile widens as I read his words. Okay, so this is something. This is progress. Not that I should want to make romantic progress, but my belly gets all warm and tingly.
Nobody has ever told me that before.
Then I’m lucky. I get to be the first one.
My thoughts stray to other firsts we might share.
Seriously, Colt. Are you invisible or something?
See the car parked in the driveway at the end of the street, facing away from you? That’s me.