He petted her hair. “You thought you could help. I love that you want to, but Tre is about as messed up as they come. I’ve met a lot of bad men. Some do bad things because they have to. Some do them because they don’t care. Tre does them because he likes it.”
Liv drew a sharp breath, her fingers now digging into his arms. “You’re scaring me. What are you talking about?”
“You should be scared. I’d lay odds he’s marked you as a target. If he had his way, he’d probably be torturing you right now…or raping you. Or both.” He wished for at least a sliver of light, so he could see her face, but the darkness was his best bet to keep her safe. He kept his ears trained for a hint of any movement below, though he doubted Tre would think to check here. He would’ve expected Liv to go straight to her car.
“Why? Why would he want to hurt me?” Her breaths came out in short pants. “I’m trying to help his brother.”
He wracked his brain, trying to remember anything about Tre’s family. Of course, his parents were dead. Sucre would have made sure of it before he recruited the kid. The little brother had to be how he asserted his leverage—or at least he would be if Tre were any kind of normal human being. “The guy is a sociopath, in the truest sense of the word. He doesn’t feel things the way you or I do. I doubt his brother means any more to him than his favorite pair of shoes. Maybe less.”
“H-how do you know him?”
He hesitated a moment before he answered. “We have the same employer.”
She cursed under her breath. “Devon told me there was a guy in the neighborhood who said he had to work for him. It’s the same bastard who trapped you, isn’t it? He targets entire families.”
“Sucre has a knack for finding a person’s weak spot and exploiting it. Maybe at first, he thought your boy was a way to manipulate his brother. I’ll bet you next week’s paycheck now it’s the other way around.” It only got clearer as he thought things through. “Tre’s a loose cannon. He messed up real bad once already, but Sucre didn’t kill him. Fuck. He’s keeping him alive to recruit the kid brother. You said he’s smart, right?”
“One of my best,” she whispered. Horror laced her words. “He’s supposed to have a future.”
“You can force someone to work for you, but you can’t change who they are. Tre’s not built right. He’s got something…broken inside.”
“Devon’s only a kid, though.” If she was trying to convince him, she was wasting her breath.
He answered quietly. “So was I. Kids are easier to break down and build back up the way you want them. I’m sorry, baby. If Sucre’s got him, the kid is lost.”
“No.” Liv tried to step back. “I refuse to accept that. He is not lost, and neither are you.”
He circled her arms with his hands and shook her lightly. “Fuck, woman. What will it take to make you understand? We’re talking about killers, Livie. I am a killer. Every person I’ve killed was someone’s mother or husband or son. Yeah, they were addicts and criminals, but they were still people.”
She whimpered softly. Then, with a shuddering breath, she reached up and cupped his jaw. “Have you ever said no?”
His teeth ground together. “Not in a long time.”
“What happened if you did?”
“Nothing I’d want to remember in the light of day, much less here in the dark.” Even the threat of those memories made his stomach churn. He needed to get her out of the building before Tre circled back, not relive the horrors of his life.
Her thumb soothed over his skin. “I know you’ve done bad things, things you regret.” She stepped closer, her vanilla scent chasing away the traces of burned wood. “You can’t convince me you’re a monster, though. Monsters don’t feel regret. They don’t push away women they want. They take what they want. They don’t care who gets hurt. That doesn’t sound like you.”
His muscles tightened as her body drew flush with his. It was clear she was scared, but not afraid of him.
She kept talking. “I know you want me. Still, you try to stay away. You try to keep me safe. The thing is, if you hadn’t been here tonight—if you weren’t in my life—God knows where I would be. You saved me.”
It would be so easy to let himself believe her words. He’d love to be someone’s savior for once, especially Olivia’s.
He dipped his head and allowed himself the luxury of tasting her mouth. Kissing had never consumed him this way before. He wanted to sip from her lips. Worship her tongue. Show her with his mouth she was precious. Beautiful. Everything.
Her lower lip was plump and full. He sucked on it gently before sliding his tongue over the pillowy softness. Liv’s body relaxed in surrender as he entered her mouth. Her hands climbed toward his neck.
No girl like her had ever even looked at him before. Why would she? Olivia was so far above him, he’d never survive the fall. But it would be worth it.
She would be worth it.
He wouldn’t have her in this kind of place, though. The walls crumbling around them. Needles and bugs on the floor. And who knows when a junkie might wander in, looking for an empty space to get his fix?
He pulled back. “You need to get out of here. I’ve got an idea, but I’m going to need you to trust me.”
“I trust you.”
Together, they crept back down to the first floor. From his backpack, he pulled out a folded black tarp.
“What are you going to do with that?”
With a flick of his wrist, he unfurled it across the floor. “Time to play dead.”
She gasped. “There’s got to be another way.”
He hardened his jaw. “It might be the only way you make it out of here alive.”
He was glad he couldn’t see the expression on her face as he guided her onto the plastic and she allowed him to roll her loosely inside.
She stayed quiet, except for a small grunt when he heaved her over his shoulder.
“Keep it together a little longer. This will all be over soon.” Just as he had a dozen times before, he hoisted up a tarp-wrapped body and walked right through the parking lot like he owned it. He could see at least a dozen guys out there now, shooting hoops, drinking, smoking. Yet not one pair of eyes drifted his way. He didn’t walk fast. He moved as he would any other day, any other time—like he would if he wasn’t carrying a body over his shoulder or smuggling a woman away from the guy who probably wanted to fuck her corpse.
He placed her in the bed of his truck and drove away. His apartment could be dangerous, and he didn’t want to risk taking her home, so he navigated to a secluded spot, surrounded by trees. Once he was sure no one had followed them, he helped her get free.
Liv’s hair plastered to her face; her skin was damp and pale. She stumbled from the truck bed, straight into his arms, and burst into tears. He had never comforted anyone before. He was usually the reason they were crying.
“I c-couldn’t move,” she sobbed. “It was like being buried alive. I used to have those nightmares back at the hospital.”
Oh, God.
He held his hands in the air, afraid to touch her.
He’d tried not to wrap her too tightly, but obviously the tarp wasn’t loose enough. Stupid. He had no business trying to be someone’s protector. Liv was lucky he hadn’t killed her by accident.
She should be running away. Instead, she held onto him like a lifeline. Her tears soaked his black t-shirt.
“I’m so sorry,” he murmured.
Liv walked backward a few steps, her shining eyes, wide. “Are you kidding? You saved me.” She tilted her head back, held her arms open, and breathed in deeply. Her eyes glittered as she brought her chin down. “I don’t know if you’re trying to convince me or yourself this thing between us is wrong. It doesn’t matter. You need to stop. Because this—” She gestured to the space between them. “This thing between us? I’m not walking away, and neither are you.”
He didn’t want to walk away. Every time he had her in his arms, it got harder to let her go.
“You’re doing it right now. Stop thinking.”
The breeze blew her hair behind her shoulders. He reached out and rubbed a lock between his fingers. So soft. “I can’t stop thinking, Livie. If I let down my guard, you could end up dead, or worse. Believe me, there are worse things.”
She ran her fingertips over his outstretched arm. “I believe you. So instead of thinking about how you can keep me safe by staying away, think about how you can keep me safe by being in my life.”
“Are you sure you want this? You want me?” His heart pounded. “This is my life. I deal with people like Tre and Sucre every day. They’ll use you to get to me.”
“So, don’t let them.”
She made it sound so simple.
He groaned and took an involuntary step closer. “Don’t you think I want to say fuck it all and just have you? To finally have one perfect fucking thing that’s mine?”
“I’m not perfect.” She met him halfway. “But I am yours. All you have to do is say yes.”
Her earnest declaration was the last straw. No more fighting his feelings, denying himself.
“Yes,” he breathed.
Liv was on him before he finished forming the word. She vaulted into his arms, wrapping her legs around his waist, the same way she had the rainy night weeks ago in her apartment. Her smile shined radiant as they held each other a long moment.
In the peace surrounding them, his mind finally registered something she’d said. He set her down and pulled back to look at her face. “You said you had nightmares when you were in the hospital.”
She squeezed her eyes shut and tensed her jaw.
“Will said you’d been sick.”
“I was diagnosed with Hodgkin’s Lymphoma almost two years ago,” she said tightly.
“Cancer.”
“Yes. But they caught it early. My dad had it, so when I noticed I had an enlarged lymph node, I went to the doctor right away.” She raked her fingers through her hair. “I did chemo and I’m in remission now. The doctors say I’m okay. I didn’t want to tell you, because I didn’t want to change the way you look at me.” Her lip quivered. “I love the way you look at me.”
He swept her back into his arms. “Nothing is going to change the way I look at you. Hell, I’ve got nothing but respect for you fighting death and winning.” He rubbed her back. “You’ve got another fight on your hands with Tre. But you won’t have to fight it alone. We’re going to take it on together.”
She nodded against him.
“Do you have someone you can stay with tonight? Your sister, maybe?”
“Sure, but why can’t I go home?” Her fingers slid from his shoulders, down his arms, to grasp his hands.
“We don’t know if Tre ID’d your car. He could’ve found your address on your registration. Which brings me to my next question. Do you have someone who can pick up your car for you? It needs to be a man, and one who can handle himself if he needs to.”
Liv nodded. “Yeah. Take me to my sister’s gym. I know exactly who to ask.”
***
Olivia’s self-defense instructor said he would be more than happy to go pick up her car after she explained the risk to her safety. She didn’t go into the details, but the guy didn’t push. So, he was all-fucking-right in Brick’s book. When someone was willing to help him with no questions asked—no—he didn’t know anyone willing to do such a thing.
They found Liv’s sister at the gym too. Even without formal introductions, he couldn’t miss the family resemblance. He stayed quiet as Olivia asked if she could sleep over and then promised to come right back after she walked him to his truck.
“What comes next? How will I know when it’s safe to go home?” She shivered against the unseasonably cool night.
He grabbed his black hoodie from inside the cab and held it out to her. Would she—?
Liv accepted his offer without hesitation. Five seconds later, a sea of black cotton swallowed her tiny frame. For some reason he couldn’t explain, the sight of it made him want to beat at his chest.
“Your, um, instructor is going to bring the car back here. If there’s no sign anyone broke in, it means he doesn’t know where you live, and you can go home tomorrow.”
She burrowed deeper into the fabric. “What if someone did break in?”
He grimaced. “Then they’ll have your address from your registration. You won’t be safe there anymore.” He kept going when she opened her mouth to argue. “Tre knows where you work. He might still come searching for you. I need you to promise you won’t be walking to your car alone in the afternoons. Do you have someone who could walk with you?”
She sighed. “We have a resource officer. Technically, he’s a cop, but he’s more like our security guard. He would walk me out if I asked.”
“You have to be careful about being followed too. I’ll be at the construction site in the afternoons. I won’t be able to keep Tre occupied.”
“I’ll be careful.” She nodded reluctantly. “I’m going to tell Will about what happened. See if he has any suggestions.”
More than anything he wanted to stay with her, protect her with the strength of his body, but he could do more good by working on the other side of this. He needed to get to Tre.
“I’ve got to go.” He ghosted his fingers down her cheek. “We’re going to get through this.” He climbed in his truck and rolled down the window. “I’m going to keep you safe. No matter what it takes.”
Chapter 19
Brick
Brick’s head buzzed as he turned the key in the ignition. His tattered conscience branded him a liar and screamed that the only way to really keep Liv safe was to shove her in the truck and drive to a different time zone. But even if he didn’t have his grandma to consider, no way she’d leave her brother or sister behind. He needed to do some serious recon. As far as he knew, nothing linked Olivia to him, so it shouldn’t be too hard to get Tre talking, if only to see how much damage had been done. He gunned the accelerator and made it to El Cabron in ten minutes flat.
“Brick.” Sucre greeted him with a raised snifter of Hennessy. A topless Asian girl sat on his lap. She looked about sixteen. “What a treat to see you this early. It’s barely nine o’clock.”
“Thought I’d get a jump on my rounds for tonight. The kid coming with me or are we working separately?”
Sucre pinched the girl’s nipple, then soothed over it with the side of his thumb. “Tell me. What do you think I should do with young Tre?”
Kill him.
“It’s not my job to think. It’s my job to do what you tell me.”
Over the course of the past decade, he’d seen too many people tell Sucre what he should do. It was a trick question. His boss laughed darkly when he refused to step into the trap.
“There’s a reason you’re my best, Brick. You’re smart enough not to try to be smart.” This time, he pinched the girl so hard she cried out.
Poor thing. She gave Sucre exactly what he wanted. He kept twisting the tender flesh as he regarded Brick. “I’m not sure whether I bet on the right horse this time. Maybe the younger Lowry boy would be a little less…”
Crazy?
“Independently motivated.”
There were so many things he wanted to say, but the same words that might influence Sucre to focus on Tre one day might make him more determined to target his brother on the next. Even worse, it might be a tip off he cared one way or the other. Ignoring the Tre situation entirely, he asked, “What do we have on tap for tonight?”
“Two stops. Carolinda asked to meet. I think she’s looking for a short-term loan.” Sucre’s hand snaked up the teenager’s skirt. “Spread your legs, baby. Let Daddy play.” The girl did as he told her.
Brick kept his attention on Sucre, unwilling to play the game.
“Find out what she needs the money for. Fifty percent interest. Due in two weeks.” The boss looked at him expectantly. “You know the other one.”
Oh yeah. “Lore
nzo is due today.” It was not likely to go well.
Sucre’s arm jerked as he moved his hand roughly under the girl’s skirt. Tears rolled down her face, and he licked up the side of her cheek. Laughing, he pushed her to the floor and pulled his phone from the inside pocket of his suit. Wisely, she stayed where she landed. Sucre fired off a text, then tucked the device back where it came from. “Tre will be here in five minutes. He is to observe you only. Am I clear?”
“Yes, sir.”
Tre made it in four. Sweat dotted his forehead as the kid practically ran to the bar where he waited. “Boss says I’m going out with you?”
How quickly a predator could turn into prey.
“You’re observing.” They walked out the door together and climbed in his truck. He’d left the windows open to make sure Tre could pick up no trace of Olivia’s vanilla scent. Glancing at his sidekick for the night, he cranked the engine. “I know you enjoy this shit, but what you’ve got to understand is it doesn’t matter if you love it or you hate it. You do the job the exact same way no matter what. You want to instill fear? Make people piss themselves? You do it by creating an expectation of the same outcome every time.”
The punk bristled. “You saying those guys weren’t afraid of me when we went out before?”
He kept his focus on the dark road. “You don’t want to make them too scared to work with you. This is a business, Tre. The same way they know you’re going to break a bone if they don’t pay, they’ve gotta know you’ll leave them alone if they do. Or maybe they can live with the idea they’ll get roughed up if they’re a little late, but not somebody raping their sister. And Tre, you can’t change the rules of the game. You can’t take the money someone owes out of their ass. You feel me?”
Tre said nothing as they turned into the trailer park Carolinda called home. Brick sighed as the truck came to a stop. He knew none of this was sinking in. Still, he had to try. “C’mon. This is an easy one.”
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