by Anya Nowlan
He grabbed Hailey’s hand before she had a chance to snatch it away and gave it a quick kiss. She tasted as sweet as ever.
“I’ll make sure not to pick a sushi place,” he grinned, before dashing out of her office.
He was in a hurry, sure, but it was just as much to make sure that she couldn’t change her mind.
Hailey looked sullen as he took one last parting look at her, but he noticed the secret spark in her eye. Troy winked at her before making his way to the door, walking straight past Laura who was doing a shoddy job at hiding the way she was ogling at him. He took the elevator down, already planning where to take Hailey in his mind.
Before even getting in the car, he got another text from Culliver. The message was the same.
“Alright, already,” Troy muttered under his breath, rolling his eyes.
No rest for the wicked. Someone must have really fucked up, he thought, peeling out of the parking lot.
But the only person on his mind was the luscious lawyer he had to leave behind.
Thirteen
Troy
Culliver was already waiting for Troy at his office when he arrived. Reaver and Ace were hovering around outside and Troy invited them in as well with a wave of his hand. He didn’t have much trust in Culliver’s advice, seeing as the man was most likely gunning for his job.
On the flip-side, Ace wasn’t ambitious enough to take a shot at him. Similarly, Reaver didn’t seem to like Culliver very much, which was part of why Troy had decided to include the two of them in his circle in the first place. Both of them were assets rather than liabilities.
“Where’s the fire?” Troy asked, annoyed he had to skip out on Hailey.
“Snake Rogers,” Culliver replied.
Troy raised a brow at that.
“I’ve already been to see Molloy, she says the knife is all but certainly inadmissible,” he said.
Why was Culliver wasting his time with this? That shit was handled, packed away tight.
“There’s more to this than we thought. The district attorney has been looking into our operation here. The traffic stop was part of a plan to get one of our own into custody and sweat them for information,” Culliver explained.
“And you think this Rogers guy is going to talk?” Troy inquired, looking at all the men in turn.
Reaver ran a hand down the back of his neck, his expression less than reassuring.
“Rogers isn’t exactly the sharpest tool in the shed,” he remarked, looking distinctly uncomfortable.
“I already got that from the fact he kept a murder weapon in his trunk,” Troy commented dryly.
Ace spoke up next as Troy sunk into his leather chair and kicked his legs up on the desk.
“Who knows what they’re filling his head with right now? He’s a loyal member, but he also has a wife and kid. If they convince him he’s definitely going down for multiple murders and that could go away if he just sang the right tune…”
Troy held up a hand and Ace stopped talking.
“How much does the district attorney know and how much does Rogers know?” Culliver could almost hide how much he was enjoying seeing Troy in the middle of a crisis.
Don’t worry, buddy. I’m the last one who needs to be worried here.
“The district attorney definitely knows the casino is involved with the cartels and that we’re moving a considerable amount of product. Anything else, we’re not sure about. Rogers could give him the names of some of our suppliers or info on some of the routes we use,” the man said.
Troy sank back into his chair, thinking about the best course of action.
“Ace, Reaver, you know his family?”
The men nodded.
“Good. Talk to his wife. Have her go down to the station and explain to Rogers the knife can’t be used as evidence. We can’t go to him directly, but they can. Let’s just hope he hasn’t said anything stupid yet,” Troy ordered.
The two guys scattered, leaving Troy alone with Culliver.
“Maybe we should let River know…” Culliver started.
Troy laughed, a mirthless, hollow sound.
“You think there’s any chance he doesn’t already know about this?” he queried with a raised brow.
Culliver’s mouth snapped closed. Troy liked seeing him pissed off. He took a personal kind of joy from it, to be completely honest.
“Get out of my office,” Troy commanded, gesturing towards the door.
It was already getting dark out when Reaver and Ace returned with a status report. As was becoming the norm, they crashed in when Troy was in the middle of a particularly promising daydream about Hailey. Thinking about a future with her when things would be, well… better than they were now.
For some reason, he couldn’t shake that woman from his thoughts, no matter how hard he tried.
“Well?” Troy asked, looking at the men before him.
“It’s done,” Reaver replied.
“Wifey gave Rogers the message. We talked to her after. She said he seemed calm and understood what she was telling him,” Ace added.
First emergency as lieutenant resolved. Time to attend to more interesting things, Troy thought, already reaching for his coat.
It was somewhat of a pain, having to be a competent leader. He would much rather let everything around him go down in flames, but that would be harmful in the long run, both to his health and to the mission.
“Great. Keep yourselves out of trouble, I’m going out.”
Reaver and Ace exchanged a look.
“If Culliver asks where you’ve gone, what should we tell him?” Reaver asked.
“How about you tell him to fuck off,” Troy replied, breezing past the men.
He cut through the casino, which happened to be pretty quiet. Just some regulars at the card tables, hoping their luck was going to turn. Troy hoped the same as he exited the building, got in his car, and plotted a course for Hailey’s house. They had made a deal, after all, and he was planning to cash in.
Traffic was light, so Troy’s thoughts drifted from driving to how he was going to win Hailey over. Thinking rationally, he knew he should probably just leave her alone. But the primal side of him knew, even from that first night, that she was his.
What he was going to do with that knowledge… well, that he wasn’t so sure of. Troy was sure she was the one, which meant she also had to be feeling the effects of the intense pull between them. Only difference was, she was actively fighting her feelings. Troy had to coax out the less sensible side of Hailey, which he got a feeling would not be that easy to do.
Pulling up to her building, he was so lost in thought he barely even realized he had arrived. Scanning the parking lot, Troy frowned. Hailey’s car wasn’t there, so she was probably still at work.
I’ve got time, Troy thought, settling in. She’s got to come home sooner or later.
About a half an hour of scrolling through radio stations later, he spotted a flash of red coming in from the highway. He got out, already sure it was Hailey’s car. He could sense her getting nearer. It was as scary as it was promising, in a way.
On one hand, it confirmed that feeling he had, that there was something special there. On the other hand, it also made him wonder how exactly things could play out for him and her.
He definitely didn’t lead a life that could easily welcome a woman into it. Not only thinking of the Crimson Claws, but everything that went on behind it as well.
Leaning against his truck, he made sure he was seen from the road. He’d already scared her once outside of her home and wasn’t really keen on a repeat of that.
Troy could have sworn he saw her eyes light up for just a second when she spotted him, before she plastered that annoyed frown on her face.
Showoff.
She pulled into the lot, not far from where Troy was parked and climbed out, slamming the car door after her.
“Why do people keep accosting me in parking lots?” Hailey said, more to herself than to him.
>
He couldn’t ponder that question for too long as Hailey was already off, pointedly ignoring him and walking quickly to her building.
“Hey, wait a minute,” Troy said, rushing to catch up.
“Wait for what, there’s nothing…”
“We made a deal,” Troy interjected. “I’m here to collect.”
“Now?” Hailey asked, exasperated.
“Right now. Don’t think about it, just come with me.”
Troy could see her hesitation rising, so he grabbed her arm and started gently tugging her towards his truck. Hailey groaned, but followed his lead after a moment of hesitation. She tossed her briefcase into the backseat and climbed in the passenger side while he held the door for her.
He scooted around the other side, jumped in and closed his door. Reveling in Hailey’s sweet scent filling up the car, he turned on the engine. She smelled just as delicious as he remembered, but there was still something different about it as well…
“So, where are you taking me?” Hailey asked with a sigh, not letting go of her wounded routine.
He couldn’t exactly blame her. She didn’t really have a reason to trust him at this point and he was painfully aware of that.
“To my favorite place in town. Hope you like it spicy,” he announced brightly, ignoring Hailey’s less than enthused demeanor.
She was mostly sullen on the way to the restaurant, not going along with Troy’s attempts at conversation.
“You can have a good time and still hate me, you know,” Troy finally said, giving up on small talk.
That got her attention. Her head whirled to look at him, light and shadow dancing on her face as they drove past streetlamps. Troy didn’t think he’d ever grow tired of looking at her soft, expressive face. Her dark eyes shone as she spoke.
“Maybe you can separate your feelings like that, but I can’t.”
“Have you tried?” Troy challenged, before deciding on a new course of action. “I’ve looked into you, Hailey Molloy. There was a reason Dempsy singled you out. You’re smart, ambitious and fierce and your reputation precedes you. There are lawyers at your firm that have been doing the same job for decades longer, yet clients ask for you by name. If I let you slip away, what do you think would happen to me?”
Hailey looked away, brow furrowing. He liked that she didn’t launch into an attempt at underselling herself. She was too good for that, and she knew it.
“Dempsy was killed off so someone more competent could take his place. If his replacement doesn’t do a good enough job, he’s next in line for early retirement,” she concluded.
Of course, she was exactly right.
“I know you find what I do distasteful at best, but I need you to find a way to come to terms with it. If I get replaced, do you think whoever takes over next will be better or worse than me? At least I can keep your parents safe.”
Troy could feel Hailey staring at him as he pulled up to the Red Dragon. It was a small and unassuming place, tucked away near a wooded area.
“Are you saying you won’t kill my parents as long as I date you?” she asked after a couple of seconds of silence.
That took Troy by surprise.
Is that who she thinks I am?
“That is definitely not what I’m saying,” he corrected, and edge creeping into his voice.
He took a deep breath before continuing, staring at Hailey in the darkened cab of his truck. There were so many things he wanted to tell her. But could he trust her?
If I’m right then she’s the only person I really could trust…
“I’m saying that I would never hurt you or your family. I’m hoping that you don’t dislike me enough to use this information against me and get me killed. And I think you’re smart enough to have figured out the devil you know is better than the devil you don’t.”
Hailey blinked at him. Troy didn’t speak, giving her time to digest things. After what felt like the longest thirty seconds of his life, with every fiber in his body on edge waiting for what she was going to do next, Hailey pushed her door open and marched towards the restaurant.
Troy smiled to himself.
At least she’s consistent in her unpredictability.
Fourteen
Hailey
Hailey definitely had a lot on her mind, but everything got placed on the backburner for a moment as she entered the Red Dragon. She gasped, looking around in amazement.
I’ve lived in Chicago all my life, how have I never heard of this place? she wondered, eyes glued to the walls and ceiling, glowing with hundreds of soft little fairy lights embedded there.
Some of them hung slightly, dotting the air with spots of warm yellow. She could feel the air shift as Troy appeared next to her, his warm body close enough to touch. Her treacherous body wanted to lean against him immediately. Hailey turned to him, eyes full of wonder.
“What is this?” she asked, looking up at him and forgetting her inner turmoil for a moment.
“It’s a Chinese restaurant,” he answered, shrugging his shoulders with a wolfish grin. “What, never been to one?”
Hailey couldn’t help but roll her eyes.
Jackass, she thought, though she couldn’t put quite the level of disdain into it as she wanted to.
“Getting a straight answer out of you is about as easy as nailing Jell-O to the wall,” she muttered to herself.
“I’ll take that as a compliment.”
Troy motioned towards one of the booths near the back wall and she made her way there, slipping into the closed seat hesitantly. The tall lion shifter joined her after giving the older man, seated behind the desk at the front, a friendly greeting.
The conversation she had with Troy in the car was still getting replayed in Hailey’s mind as he made his way back to her.
I would never hurt you or your family.
Could she trust anything this man said?
Logically, he had in fact put himself in a weakened position, just like he said. The Crimson Claws had nothing else to pressure her with than her parents’ safety. Declaring Hailey had nothing to fear on that front, Troy had effectively given the power over to her in a way.
What if he’s bluffing to gain my trust?
She decided to put that theory to the test.
As soon as the waitress dropped off their menus, Hailey leaned in and looked Troy dead in the eyes.
“I’m no longer working for the Crimson Claws.”
“Okay,” Troy responded nonchalantly, turning his attention to the menu.
Hailey sat in dumbfounded silence for a few seconds.
“That’s it?” she asked, raising a brow.
“I could try to persuade you to reconsider, but I think we both know that has a slim chance of success. And I’m not going to threaten you, if that’s what you’re after,” he replied, not even looking up.
Damn. He saw right through that one.
Hailey huffed and looked at her own menu, her stomach starting to grumble.
I can’t actually just stop working for the Claws. Troy’s right, failure to manage me might very well get him replaced and it certainly won’t get me out if they really want me working for them.
For once, she would like a day without one bombshell or another exploding near her. Sitting through watching her parents get threatened with physical violence, to finding out that she got pregnant from a one-night stand, to discovering that the father of said child was a mobster? Yeah, she could do with some time off from all of that.
Hailey shuddered to think who she would have to deal with then.
Culliver, maybe? she wondered, grimacing as the thought crossed her mind.
“Not feeling the food?” Troy asked, of course having noticed that particular expression.
“No, the food looks great. And I’ve decided to keep working for the Crimson Claws,” she announced, as if she really had much of a choice.
“Why don’t we wait to the end of the night for any more declarations? Seems like you might chang
e your mind a couple times in the process,” Troy teased.
A smile tugged at the edges of Hailey’s lips. She had lied before, when she said she couldn’t separate who Troy was and what he did. Truth was, she forgot he was a criminal way too often.
Hailey had no disillusions about what being a lieutenant in the Crimson Claws meant. The path to promotion was most probably covered in bodies and she knew the district attorney suspected the Twin Rivers Casino was involved in drug trafficking. Troy definitely looked like the kind of guy who could go through hell if he wanted what was on the other side badly enough. In that sense, he could have been the perfect fit for the Claws.
She knew all of these things, and yet, whenever Troy looked at her with those piercing eyes of his or smiled that roguish smile, she wanted to forget it all and fall into his arms.
But she couldn’t.
She didn’t just have to worry about herself anymore. There was life growing inside of her that she needed to protect.
Hailey would not raise her child with a mobster, nor would she let people use her or her child to get to Troy. It was better for all parties involved if their relationship remained professional.
The problem was, she didn’t want to keep her pregnancy from Troy. A part of her screamed that he deserved to know.
Unfortunately, life wasn’t that easy. He could demand to be a part of the child’s life, endangering them all in the process, and that was something Hailey couldn’t allow. Even worse, he could demand to be a part of her life, and she wasn’t a hundred percent certain that she could say no to that.
But since she was stuck with the man for now, she might as well find out as much as she could about him. Who knew what could turn out to be useful later on?
“So, were you actually looking for purpose after your military career or was that a bunch of bull?” she asked, leveling him with her gaze. “And if it is the truth, how are the Claws worthy of your sense of purpose? How do you go from serving our country to destroying it?”