“Maybe.” I shrug. “I’ll admit Keira has gotten under my skin. But there’s more to it than that. She’s battling her own demons. And if you can’t trust her, you need to trust me until she proves herself to you.”
“Trust you? The informant?” She laughs. “The guy who has made a life out of lying?”
“You would’ve done the same.”
She nods. “Yeah. I would’ve… And I’m sorry about your sister.”
I stare out the window, unable to stand her pity.
“Our baggage kinda looks the same, doesn’t it?” She cocks her hip against the counter and crosses her arms over her chest. “I understand you a lot more than I did days ago.”
“Are you falling for me, sweet cheeks?” I send her a smirk that she shoots down in flames.
“Don’t pull that cocky, jokester bullshit on me, Decker. I know what it’s like. And I’m here if you ever need to talk.”
“You mean for now,” I chuckle, “in the short space of time before Hunt kills me.”
She winces. “He’ll calm down. Eventually.”
“I doubt it. I stabbed him in the back. I know him well enough to realize there’s no way back from being his enemy.”
“Obviously, you don’t know him at all. Because being the informant isn’t the reason he wants to gut you like a fish.” She grabs her glass and takes another sip. “You’re not even close to understanding him, Deck.”
“Okay. I’ll bite.” I walk to the fridge and grab myself an apple from the crisper. “What am I missing here?”
“He’s pissed off because you kept him in the dark. You pretended to be his friend and made him look like a fool.”
“I don’t think we’re talking about the same guy. This is Hunter. The son of a bitch who gives no fucks about anyone or anything, except his pride and his fealty to the all-mighty Torian.”
“That’s a little harsh.”
“Tell that to the eyeballs he tried to gouge yesterday.”
She presses her lips tight, but her humor seeps through in the curving edges of her mouth. “How many people do you think he has in his life?”
“I don’t know. He knows everyone.”
“Yes, he knows everyone. That’s his job. But he doesn’t have anyone. Not apart from you and me. We’re all he’s got. And in one surprise revelation, you halved his support network.” Her face turns somber. “Despite the weird testosterone-fueled, we-have-to-act-like-schoolyard-thugs thing you two have going on, he fucking adores you.”
“Adores?” I drawl. “That sounds delightfully charming.”
She glowers and points a finger at her chest. “My words. Not his.”
I grin, because drilling down to the seriousness of this conversation isn’t something I’m comfortable with. “You should’ve seen how much he adored me yesterday when he had a barrel between my eyes. That shit was affectionate as hell. I really felt the love.”
“You mean when he warned you about being uncovered, then let you get away?”
“Oh, no, Sare bear.” He came prepared to kill me. He was on a mission to seek revenge for his almighty leader. He chose money over friendship. “Despite what he might have told you, he didn’t let me get away at all. I had to beat the fuck out of his ogre ass. And that shit ain’t easy.”
She raises a brow, her condescending look making me feel like I’m simple. “He let you get away, Decker. I’m pretty sure, deep down, you know that more than I do.”
23
Keira
I hide out in the main bedroom, slumped on the mattress. I’m not in here because I’m intimidated by Sarah.
It’s the opposite.
I’m fearful of what I’ll do to her if she turns her accusatory face my way again.
Days ago, she was my friend. Now she dares to glare at me with disgust, as if I instigated my father’s entire operation.
Her goddamn righteousness boils my blood.
She’s no angel. I’m well aware of the things she does. How she works side-by-side with Hunter as a loan shark, or an enforcer, or whatever else my brother requires.
And yet I’m the heinous one? Go figure.
A tap, tap, tap sounds to my right. I panic at the intrusion and glance at the window, finding Hunter’s menacing face staring back at me from outside.
I don’t move. For a moment, I’m too scared to even think.
Although Sarah is being a bitch, Hunter is a cold-blooded killer, and right now I’d prefer her hatred to his possible intent.
“Open the fucking window,” he mutters.
I remain cemented in place, not willing to sign my own death certificate.
His glare turns lethal. “Now. We need to talk.”
The rap sheet of crimes he’s committed for my family pokes at me from the back of my mind. The assault. The murder. He’s killed people for far less than what my father has done. For all I know, he’s turned his back on us and claimed Sarah’s high moral code.
“Keira.” His tone softens despite the harsh expression, his voice barely heard through the glass barrier between us. “We don’t have much time.”
I swallow over and over, trying to bottle my fear as my palms begin to sweat.
My brother trusts this man with his life. I should be able to trust him to hold a non-violent conversation. Shouldn’t I?
I inch to my feet and take cautious steps across the room. My hands tremble as I reach for the window.
He stares me down. Stares so emotionless and heartlessly that I’m sure I’m making a huge mistake. Yet I refuse to let fear rule me as I flick the lock.
There’s no pause for contemplation. In seconds, he has the screen unhitched, the pane raised, and is preparing to climb in.
“You couldn’t use the front door?”
“I’m not ready to speak to that asshole yet.” He winces as he hauls himself into the room, alluding to more injuries than the stark bruising across the bridge of his nose and under his eyes.
I retreat as he stands, his bulky frame dwarfing me. I aim my path toward the door, backtracking closer and closer to escape while I wait for him to attempt to crush my bones to make his bread.
“I fucking hate this,” he murmurs.
“I didn’t know.” My admission is blurted like a frightened little bitch.
He jerks his head in a barely-there acknowledgement. He doesn’t believe me. Or doesn’t care.
“When did you figure out Decker was a snitch?”
“I didn’t know about that either.” I take another backward step and collide with the side of the bed frame, the corner of the thick wood stabbing into my thigh. “Shit.”
Hunter’s brows pinch, his face changing into a mask of incredulity. “Sit down before you hurt yourself.” The words are a command. Almost a threat.
I shake my head. “I’m fine.”
“Sit,” he grates. “Your apprehension is making me fucking uncomfortable.”
“Uncomfortable?” I’ve known this man a long time. I even thought I’d grown to trust him despite my aversion to the weakness. And over all the years watching him, I’ve never seen him uncomfortable.
In a rage, yes.
Menacingly cocky, definitely.
But never uncomfortable.
“Maybe angry is a better word,” he snarls. “You’re acting like I’m a threat, and it’s seriously pissing me off. You should know better.”
“I should know better?” I work the statement around in my head, denying its vehemence. “I’ve just found out my father is the devil. That the man who raised me is my worst nightmare. I’ve known nothing my entire life, Hunter, so forgive me if I question your motives.”
He winces, the silent seconds ticking by before he murmurs, “Sorry.”
The apology hits deep.
He doesn’t have to repeat his command to sit because my legs collapse beneath me and I slump to the bed in a heap of emotional baggage.
“Tell me about Decker.” He remains in place, the pinch of his brows tight. “How
did you find out?”
“He blew his own cover once we got here. He just blurted it out.”
“Did he hurt you?”
“No.” My response comes instantly. But it’s a lie. I’m beyond hurt by Sebastian. He didn’t show one sign of relief when he found out Cole is still in the dark. He found out he hadn’t been outed as the informant and not once did he celebrate us having more time together.
He’s resigned to leaving.
Nothing I do will change his mind.
“You’re lying.” His eyes narrow. “What did he do to you?”
“Nothing.” I shake my head and lower my gaze, my cheeks turning to flame.
“Bullshit,” he snaps. “Tell me what he did.”
I keep my mouth shut, too embarrassed to admit the truth.
“I’m going to fucking kill him.” He starts for the door.
“No. Wait.” I shove to my feet and rush to block his path with a shaking body and a splayed hand. “I promise he didn’t hurt me.”
“Then what are you hiding?”
My fingers are insignificant against the muscles of his chest, the rampant beat of his heart like a hammer beneath my palm.
“I’m not hiding anything.” I cringe when his gaze intensifies. “What you see is shame. I fell for him. I fell really hard, Hunter. And the more minutes that pass, the further I fall. I can’t seem to stop.”
His lip curls. I’m not sure whether it’s in frustration or incredulity.
“I think we both know he’s never been one of us,” I admit. “He’s always been an outsider. The good, while we’re the bad. And there’s nothing I can do to change that.”
“He’s no saint. Don’t go making him into something he’s not.”
“He is to me.” I drop back to the mattress. “I’ve never wanted to change who I am more than I do right now.”
“Yeah?” He sobers and comes to sit beside me. “I get it. I feel the same way about Sarah.”
“Maybe you should listen to your own advice,” I mutter. “She’s no saint either.”
“She’s still far better than I deserve.”
I disagree. I’ve always known she was perfectly matched for this man. Now her callousness makes it even more apparent. What that woman needs is a dose of her own medicine.
The worst part is that she’s currently out there, alone with Sebastian, probably turning him against me.
“What did she say to you on the porch?” he asks.
I bark out a derisive laugh. “Not much. She just told me, in a not-so-subtle way, that she thinks I’m involved.”
“Ignore her. She’s lashing out. That’s all. She’s made herself into this badass defender of the weak and innocent. So having this happen right under her nose makes her feel like a failure.”
“She’s not the only one who feels that way.”
“I know.” He shoves a hand through his hair, his frustration so palpable I can feel it throb inside my chest. “This whole situation is fucked up.”
“Uh huh.” I lean into him, needing to ease his burden and rest my shoulder against his. “Never in a million years would I have thought my father was capable of this.”
“What about Cole?” He wraps his arm around me and pulls me into his side. “Do you think he’s involved?”
My stomach twists in knots, inspiring a mass production of bile. “I’ve sworn black and blue he has nothing to do with this… But if you’re unsure, then maybe I should be, too.”
Hunter knows my brother. He’s one of the very few people who does. If he’s in doubt, then I’m not sure I should be confident of Cole’s innocence.
“No. Ignore me. I’m questioning everything at the moment.”
“Me, too.”
“Especially Decker.” He shoots me a glance, then focuses toward the vacant corner of the room. “I can’t get over that lying little fuck.”
“He’s not enjoying this either. He doesn’t feel good about what he’s done, despite how moral it is.”
“There’s no place for morality around here. That’s not how things work.”
“And maybe that should change. This never would’ve happened otherwise.” I stare at my fingers clenched in my lap. “I need to fix it.”
There’s no other choice. I don’t think I can move forward with these atrocities hanging over my head.
“You need to think long and hard before you contemplate getting involved.”
“No, I don’t. My thoughts on this won’t change.” Maybe if I’d reported my uncle for his crimes when I was little, or taken it into my own hands long ago, this never would’ve happened. I could’ve stopped it all before it even started. “I won’t be a spectator in this life anymore. I don’t care if I die trying. I will make my father pay.”
He turns to me, his brows pulled tight, his eyes narrowed.
I hold my breath, waiting for him to tell me I’m an ignorant, whimsical fool. Instead, he slowly nods.
“It won’t be easy.”
“I know.”
He pushes from the mattress and holds out a hand. “We’re going to need a fucking brilliant plan.”
“And Sebastian needs to be involved.” I grasp his offering and push to my feet, waiting for his refusal. “Is that going to be a problem?”
“Yes.” His grip tightens around my fingers. His jaw ticks, too. A multitude of frustration flows off of him, making my heart tighten. “But I’ll do anything for Sarah. And right now, you both have the same goal in mind.”
“Will you promise not to hurt him?”
“Nope.” He doesn’t release my hand as he leads me to the door.
“Hunter, please. This is serious.”
“As serious as a grown man kicking me in the shin?”
I frown. “Excuse me?”
“Forget it.” He drags me out into the hall. “I promise to behave. For now. Is that good enough?”
I roll my eyes. “Do I have a choice?”
“Not at all.”
A derisive scoff leaves my lips. “Then I guess I’ll have to deal. Just as long as you realize I’ll take a bullet for that man if necessary.”
He winces, and I’m not sure if it’s in confusion or distaste. “Let’s hope it doesn’t come down to that.”
He guides me along the hall, the murmur of conversation drifting from the kitchen. I can hear them talking. About me. The whispers don’t stop until we reach the entry to the dining room to find them sitting opposite each other at the large wooden table, the space between them scattered with snacks.
I meet Sebastian’s gaze, his expression growing pained when he lowers his focus to my grip on Hunter’s hand.
“We need to talk.” I squeeze the fingers entwined with mine then let go.
“It looks like you two have already been doing that.” Sarah scowls. “Should we be thankful you’ve decided to include us?”
“Cut them a break.” Sebastian drags out the chair beside him and raises a brow, wordlessly offering me the seat. “The big guy was too scared to knock on the front door. We don’t want to frighten him away from a conversation.”
“Funny.” Hunter wanders forward and rests against the wall behind Sarah, relaxed, yet the readiness of battle is evident in the clench of his fists. “I guess I was trembling in my boots at the thought of you landing another kick to my shin, you fucking pussy.”
I watch the exchange, unsure whether it’s friendly fire, or something more sinister. They both appear tolerant and calm despite the underlying tension.
“Are we even capable of discussing this in a civil manner?” I make toward the offered chair and sit, my oversized shirt billowing over my thighs.
“This is civil.” Sebastian grabs a granola bar from the center of the table and pushes it toward me. “You need to eat.”
I grab the offering, my fingers deliberately sliding over his in a show of thanks before he moves his hand away.
“Start talking.” Sarah doesn’t quit scowling. “What have you two been scheming behin
d our backs?”
I raise an unimpressed brow as I break open the food wrapper and take a bite. “There wasn’t any scheming. All we discussed is how I need to make this right. I can’t let my father get away with what he’s done.”
“You?” Sarah drawls. “You mean us, right? What could you possibly do on your own? Well, apart from slapping your daddy on the wrist and telling him he’s been a naughty boy. But given his proclivities, I’m sure he’d enjoy the hell out of that.”
My throat clogs with a spike of fury. My pulse thumps. Everywhere. In my ears. My head. Behind my eyes. I clench my teeth and take a deep breath before I do something that will delay any possibility of fatherly vengeance. “Someone needs to shut her up before I do it myself.”
She laughs. “I’d like to see you try.”
“Sarah,” Sebastian warns. “Either leash your bitchiness or I’ll kick your ass out.”
“Her bitchiness?” It’s my turn for derision. “Is that what we’re calling her personality these days?”
“Both of you, put a sock in it.” Hunter’s voice is a mere grumble of authority. “We don’t have time to fuck around. At the moment, Cole thinks you two are hiding because you had the fuckers from the drive-by tailing you. But that bullshit story won’t hold for long.”
“I agree. I need to tell him what’s going on.” Bottling this news isn’t healthy. Being separated from my family isn’t helping either. “He needs to know the truth.”
“About your father?” Sarah asks.
I glare through a sharp nod.
“And where, exactly, will you tell him you got the information? How are you going to explain the knowledge without exposing Decker?”
My skin turns clammy. My brother finding out the identity of the informant isn’t my biggest issue. What I don’t want to face is the reality of Sebastian leaving me.
But that is the reality.
He’s no longer going to be a part of my life. He’s walking away. He already made his choice clear. “Sebastian isn’t sticking around. He’s—”
“Like hell I’m not,” he growls. “I’m not going anywhere if you’re putting yourself in danger.”
Decker Page 24