by A. Zavarelli
“You look tense.” Her voice is soft in a way I’m sure she means to be seductive. “I can fix that, Lachlan.”
“Ah, I wouldn’t be so sure about that,” I remark. “Besides, aren’t there any willing pricks out there for you to have a go with tonight?”
She flips her hair over her shoulder and flattens her lips.
“They can’t do it like you can.”
“Yeah?” I grin up at her, playing the game she wants.
She nods and flashes a shy smile. I thought those were real once too.
“Yeah, Lachlan. You know it’s true.”
“Well you would know.” I finish off my whiskey and spin the glass around my finger. “Ye’ve had a ride with the whole lot of them.”
Her brown eyes harden and I look away. Should’ve sacked her a long time ago. But since Sean is so fond of her, I keep her around. A bitter reminder of what happens when you trust a female. If I were to send her packing now, it would only open him up to other distractions. Distractions like Mackenzie. The glass in my fist starts to splinter when I realize I’m crushing it in my grip.
“You act like you can’t even stand to look at me,” Mandy says.
There are tears in her eyes now as false as everything else about her. Loyalty is the only thing that’s true in this life, and if your woman isn’t loyal, there’s no place for her in your bed.
“Have ye only just figured this out?” I ask her flatly.
She reaches out to touch my face and I shove her hand away. “Fuck on out of my office and go to work.”
She snarls under her breath but does as I ask. When the door closes behind her, I pour another round of whiskey.
Fuck her.
Fuck all women, really. Can’t trust them, or anyone for that matter it seems. Even our own goddamn alliance. The thought of marrying a girl I don’t know does my head in. I don’t fancy the idea at all. I’ve seen Viktor’s daughters a time or two, maybe. But I can’t recall them for shite. And no matter which one I choose, she’ll be guaranteed to hate me.
I scrub my hands over my face and my eyes move back to the file in front of me. An unfamiliar twinge springs up in my chest thinking about what’s inside. It could be anxiety, paranoia, suspicion… any number of those things. But it doesn’t feel like it.
With a quick flip, I’m staring at a photo of the blue-eyed girl that’s currently doing my head in. Black hair, pale skin… the song that comes to mind was written just for her. She really is fucking righteous. Just like Rory said. I don’t want him talking about her like that.
She feels like she’s mine already, and I can’t have that. I want her gone. Need her gone. Out of my life and my mind. She’s a distraction I don’t need right now. A wildcard. Also, she’s too young for me anyway. Twenty-two years old. A seven-year difference, but in my world, it may as well be three decades.
My thumb traces over the photo before I push it aside. What I really need to see lays within the guts of the file. My eyes scan over the documents, strangely riveted by what I find.
The girl is tough, I’ll give her that much. Turns out she had a reason to be. A ward of the state at thirteen, followed by a slew of foster parents before she ran away. What the hell does a thirteen-year-old girl have to do to survive on her own? I’ve no doubt I wouldn’t like to know.
Her father was an underground boxer. Done in a back alley and left with the mark of the Russians. That’s what the file says, but I know the Russians very well. The sign carved into Jack Wilder’s forehead was the brand of only one man. Ivan Malikoff.
Fecking prick.
This is why he wants her dead. The Russians don’t have quite as many standards as our outfit. Some of the smaller factions do, but the whole umbrella encompasses more members than most countries have armies. It’s more of an anything goes sort of unit, depending on who’s playing the role of governor.
But it sets me to wondering. Is this why the girl is trying to get a job here? It literally felt like someone was playing a goddamn joke on me when Ronan told me she was sitting out in my club. Since my meeting with Detective James I’ve had eyes on her. So for her to walk right into Slainte and demand a job… it was the last thing I ever saw coming. Everyone knows the Russians visit here often. It’s common knowledge. Is she trying to avenge her father’s death? Or would she even have a clue that Ivan was the one who did him in?
These are questions I’d like the answers to. When I pick up her photo and stare at it one last time, I tell myself that’s why I’m letting her into our world. I don’t trust her, there’s no bones about that. I’ll need to keep a tight leash on her.
I text Ronan to come to my office. Efficient as always, he appears two minutes later.
“Aye?”
He stands in the doorway, looking at me like I’ve gone a bit mad. I suppose I have.
“The girl,” I tell him. “Put the word out over the city. Mackenzie Wilder is under the protection of the MacKenna Syndicate.”
Ronan’s eyes flash, but wisely he chooses not to argue. The man rarely does. He’d rather pout about it for days instead.
“Anything else?”
I sit back and drum my fingers over my desk. “Also, tell the lads that nobody is to touch or talk to her.”
7
MACKENZIE
THE ROOM I’m staying at in Roxbury is one of those crappy pay by month sort of joints. It’s got an entire smorgasbord of seedy characters hanging around, and the accompanying strange noises throughout the night. In fact, I’m pretty sure the room next door to mine is where all the johns in the city are coming to get their rocks off. But it’s cheap and rat infested and, well, I’ve slept in a lot worse places. Nobody knows I’m here, not even Scarlett.
And yet when there’s a knock on my door at six o’ clock sharp, I’m not in the least surprised. When I squint through the peephole, Lachlan and one of his men are loitering on the other side. I had no doubts he’d be checking out my digs, but I didn’t expect him to come straight to the door.
I open it with a smile and lean against the doorjamb. “Well would you look at that?” I muse. “Fancy seeing you here, Crow. Stalking me?”
He pushes right past me, doing a quick once over of my room. “That mouth is going to get you in trouble.”
“I’ve got no doubt about that,” I agree.
He gestures to his man, who promptly goes about the business of checking my room for bugs. I watch without protest as he waves the device over every crevice he can think of. This is part of Lachlan’s tough guy front, letting me know there are no boundaries in his world. If he wants to walk into my room and have his lackeys go through my shit, he will. My notes are hidden in the bottom of a box of tampons. The chances of them actually looking through this is nil. Men are pretty predictable in that aspect.
I feign disinterest while I take a seat and let my eyes roam over Lachlan. He’s wearing low-slung jeans, a black button up and a leather jacket again. Complete with scuffed leather boots and a chain that hangs from his hip to his pocket. He definitely has that whole dark lord of the underworld look going for him. His body is muscular without being too bulky and when he moves, his shirt clings to his abs, stretching the material. That’s something I’ve always enjoyed looking at on a man. The squareness of their hips. Makes me wonder what he’d look like out of the clothes.
A thought I shake off rather quickly.
When I look up, Lachlan’s eyes flash. He’s caught me staring, and he knows it too. I shift in my chair and turn my attention towards the still open door of the motel room.
“It’s clean,” his guy declares.
Lachlan makes another gesture, and the guy disappears out the door, leaving just the two of us in the stifling room.
“Are you done yet?” I ask.
“Not nearly.” He stalks over and leans down into my space, tilting my face back to him.
Shit. He’s so close my heart is beating crazy fast. He really doesn’t have any sense of boundaries at all. And this kin
d of closeness… it freaks me out. But when I look into his eyes, I seem to forget all about that. Today they are the color of seafoam. Soft and alluring as he tries to pry out my deepest secrets.
Desperate for somewhere else to look, my eyes dart to his lips. It’s the wrong choice. I still remember what they felt like on mine. Soft and slightly askew, I decide that’s what gives him a boyish sort of quality. That crookedness and slight imperfection of his smile. It’s something I don’t think I’ll ever be able to forget. As if he can sense my thoughts, Lachlan’s nostrils flare and his eyes swirl with a dangerous prism of colors. It’s like a jackhammer to my protective shield.
My brain is on the fritz. I know this man staring down at me is bad. So very bad. I know it’s possible he could have done this very same thing with Talia. He could have lured her in and then made her disappear when she didn’t play by his rules. Even if he didn’t, it’s likely that he knows the man who did. This mysterious Russian. They are probably friends, no doubt.
So why am I responding this way to him?
“Tell me why ye’re living here,” he says.
I pull away and attempt to regain my composure. “Okay, but stop touching me.”
“Ye don’t like it?” he asks.
It seems like a genuine question, which only confuses me more. Since when do guys like him care whether a woman likes it or not? I roll my eyes as he stands up and shoves his hands into his pockets, waiting for my reply.
“I’m just here temporarily,” I say. “Don’t want my ex to find me.”
“Roxbury isn’t exactly a long way from Southie,” Lachlan notes. “I’ve seen you fight. Ye don’t seem the type to run scared.”
Shit, he has me there.
“Well…” I hedge. “I might be from Southie, but he’s not. And he’s completely off the rails. There’s only so many times you can try to make a guy like that see reason.”
“Hmm…” He rubs his fingers over his lips. To him, this whole thing is probably quite ironic. Out of the frying pan and into the fire as they say.
“Ye won’t have to worry about him anymore, Mack.” His tone becomes serious. “Ye’re under my protection now.”
Hm, imagine that? He does have heartstrings to pull after all.
“Thanks,” I tell him. “But I don’t need your help. I can take care of myself.”
“Remember what I told you about playing by my rules?” he asks.
I bite my lip to stifle my bratty smile. “Of course. Whatever you say, Lachlan.”
“Good girl,” he says. “Now get your ass in the car. I’m taking you to supper.”
After hustling my ass off to finish getting ready, I walk outside to find the last thing I ever expected in the run down parking lot. A freaking Maserati.
A blue GranTurismo Sport, to be precise. I’m practically salivating at the mouth as I walk towards it with fingers poised to touch. At the last second, I snatch my hand back and I think I hear Lachlan laugh.
“Fancy that, do ye?”
“Va va voom,” I say in answer. “Any chance you’ll let me drive?”
He spins the keys around his fingers. “Not even if I was dying.”
Pfft.
He opens my door and I slide into the seat like butter. Mmm… it still has that new car smell, along with a hint of cedarwood and limes.
Lachlan gets in beside me and glances my way as he fires up the beast. I swear I almost have an orgasm just from the vibration and sounds alone. Jesus, this has definitely upped his game.
“Why don’t we skip dinner and you can just drive me around in this for the next couple of hours,” I suggest.
He whips out of the parking space and onto the street. “I have to say Mack, ye really know how to have the craic, don’t you?”
“Say what now?”
“You like the fun stuff,” he clarifies. “Fast cars and fighting…”
His words drift off abruptly, but it isn’t too hard to guess what he’s thinking about.
For a minute, as I watch him navigate the streets of Boston with smooth precision, I almost question it too. There’s just something sexy about a man who knows how to handle such a beautiful car that makes you want him. Again, I have to shake myself out of it.
Jesus, I need to get a grip. And remember what I’m doing this for. I cannot catch feelings for this asshole. I turn my attention out the window and remain quiet while he drives. When he told me he was taking me to dinner, I half expected some pub grub. But instead, we end up at an upscale restaurant in the Back Bay. Not just any restaurant, but a very well known- and Russian owned- restaurant.
I give him a sideways glance as I try to understand his motives for bringing me here. This isn’t coincidence, it’s strategy. He wants the Russians to see him here with me. But why?
I don’t have long to mull it over. He gets out of the car and I follow suit. The hostess doesn’t ask for Lachlan’s name, she knows him on sight. Two minutes later, we’re sitting in one of the best seats in the house with a personal welcome from the chef.
I know I should be using this opportunity to get a good look at some of his business associates, but I feel uncomfortable here. I’m not one to frequent restaurants like this. These were the types of places I used to pass by as a kid, staring in through the glass windows as the upper class ate their nice meals. I felt so much resentment knowing that Talia and I would either be begging or stealing for our dinner.
It hardened me. These life experiences of mine took away any fragility I may have had left. I don’t like to associate myself with these people. Even now, I still live on the fringes of society. I have a nice warm bed and food in my belly, but the resentment is still there, and I’m not sure why.
Maybe because I don’t have a place in this world. Or a family. Or anyone who cares if I go missing. Only Scarlett. And someday, she’ll probably disappear too. And then it will be just me, and I can’t even imagine how dark my world will be then.
I’m selfish for feeling this way. For letting this fear control me. But I can’t think about that now. So I glance at the menu and pretend that I come to places like this all the time. I order Chilean Sea Bass and Lachlan orders a steak and a glass of Patron on ice for me… just the way I like it. Under any other circumstances I’d be surprised that he picked up on such a detail, but this is a man who’s constantly watching his surroundings.
When I lick the salt off the rim and take a sip, I belatedly realize the more likely reason he remembered it. His eyes are intense as he watches my little performance of squeezing the lime and sucking the juice off my thumb.
“Nothing for you?” I ask sweetly.
“Not yet.” He leans forward on his elbows. “We’ll have a drink at the club.”
We. He said we. He’s taking me to dinner, and now he’s talking about drinks? Red flags are popping up everywhere here. He might be attracted to me, but I know he doesn’t like me. There’s a big difference, and it’s written all over his face. He’s suspicious as hell and I highly suspect he kind of wishes I’d just disappear. So what’s with all the other stuff? I can’t figure it out.
“I thought you real Paddy’s only drank the black stuff,” I tease.
He scowls at me and sits back in his chair without a response. Sheesh. Case and point.
The waiter brings our food and we eat in silence. It’s all so very… date like. If I were on a date with a serial killer who was sizing me up like his prey, but whatever. Lucky for me, Lachlan and I are both in the business of keeping secrets, so there’s no need to fill the silence. In fact, I like that he’s okay with it. Sometimes just glaring at each other across the table is enough.
By the time we’re through with our meals, it’s time for me to go to work. Lachlan pays and escorts me back out to the car. He even opens my door for me, which really freaks me out. Surely he’s not trying to woo me. Right?
I don’t have to wonder about it for long. As we drive, I discover the real reason he took me out.
“A couple th
ings I need to go over, Mack.”
“I’m all ears.” I cross my legs and give him my full attention.
“I’m still not convinced this club is the right place for a girl like you.”
“Whatever the fuck that means,” I retort.
He shoots me a glare and then continues on. “I’ve done my homework on you.”
I turn my attention back to the city. “I’m not surprised.”
“Have ye got a problem with the Russians?” he asks.
My chest constricts, but I try to maintain my cool. There’s no way he could know my plan. No way in hell. But why else would he be asking?
“No problem,” I say.
“Word is your oul’ man lost a fight.”
“He didn’t fuckin’ lose a fight,” I snarl. “He was jumped in a dark alley…”
“That’s exactly the kind of thing I’m talking about,” Lachlan says. “Ye’re gonna have to keep that shite under wraps if ye want to work for me. We get plenty of Russians in the club.”
I shut my mouth and cross my arms. That’s what he thinks? This is about my father. I guess, in a way, it partly is. But I’ve let my emotions show too easily. A rookie mistake.
“That why ye’re here, Mack?” he asks. “Have ye got it in your head to get some revenge?”
I go the obvious route of denying it.
“I just want to work. I don’t care about the Russians.”
Lachlan nods and taps his fingers against his thigh again. A gesture I still can’t quite make out. Does it mean he’s nervous, agitated, anxious? His expression gives nothing away. “Another thing, Mack.”
He waits until I give him my full attention before he goes on.
“There’s only one rule ye must abide by at all times if ye’re in my employ. You don’t ever… and I mean fucking ever… talk to the cops about anything.”
“Are you outta your mind?” I’m genuinely offended by his comment. “I’m from Southie. I ain’t no fuckin’ snitch.”