High Voltage (Ramsey Security #3)

“You showed mercy. That’s not so weird really, Dino. You were a hitman, not a serial killer. Bad guys paid you to kill other bad guys.”


“I know, but I was gonna kill that old man,” he says, staring into my eyes. “I saw him smiling with his grandkids, and I knew he was old as shit, and I still planned to kill him. I felt I deserved to kill him. Most of the men I knew would have killed him and never gave it a second thought. I figured I was that kind of man too. Knowing I wasn’t fucked me up, and I lost my stomach for the job.”

“So, you just left?”

“I told my boss I was retiring. He wasn’t happy, so I told him that if something happened to me or my mom that I had a bunch of info he wouldn’t want getting out. Where the bodies were buried and the money was hidden. The names of the cops and law-types they had on the payroll. I told him I wasn’t a rat, and the info wouldn’t go to the cops. All that evidence would be handed over to his enemies. See what they’d do with it. He still wasn’t happy, but what can he do? He wasn’t going to call my bluff. Not after Frankie fucked over another family. I guess he figured our family was full of bad seeds.”

“I want to know more about Frankie one day,” I say when I notice again how Dino flinches whenever he says his brother’s name. “Until then, thank you for telling me why you quit.”

“You feel better?”

Staring up at him, I know I’m completely screwed. I love this guy, and I’m not letting go. His story calms my panic, leaving me resigned to my fate. I love Dino, and he better as hell really love me.





21


Dino

Bikers Butting Heads

Minka remains in a weird mood as we sit again in the SUV and wait for Johansson’s men. I don’t push her because I’m feeling off too. Talking about my dad always makes me tense. He was a good man, and his death taught me ugly lessons about myself. I might be my father’s son, but I don’t have his good heart.

Three arriving Harleys belong to Johansson’s guys. I’m not in the mood to see them or play nice with the other biker assholes. I want to sulk or get Minka naked under the sheets.

“Let me do the talking,” Minka says.

“Because I’m an ape?”

“Because you’re distracting when you start the dick measuring contests. I don’t care how big their dicks are and neither should you. We’re here to convince these assholes to stay out of Common Bend, not that you’ll kill them for looking at my tits.”

“They’re great tits, though.”

“Yeah, they are,” she says, giving me a wink. “Now, let my bitchiness run the show inside, okay?”

“No skin off my ass either way. I only took this job to hang out with you.”

Minka gives me a look that makes my poor overused dick twitch.

“Behave yourself,” I warn while opening my door.

After checking our weapons, Minka and I join the Reapers at the front door. They frown at us.

“I thought we were meeting before coming here.”

“We changed our minds,” Minka says. “Save your pouting for those wives back in Ellsberg.”

Vaughn grunts. “You just better not let yourselves get dazzled by the pretty twins.”

Minka gives the bikers the once-over and shakes her head. “I like my men a bit more cleaned up.”

“They’re pouting,” I say, smiling at Minka, who checks her gun just for show.

“Whatever I say inside is between Rafael and me,” she tells the bikers. “If you have issues with my bullshit, take it up with your boss after we finish here.”

Judd and Vaughn share a look. I think maybe they get how Minka will likely bluff. Tucker not only doesn’t get it, but he doesn’t get how he’s supposed to get anything. He’s large and intimidating, and I’m sure he’ll come in handy as a human shield.

Judd opens the bar’s front door, and Minka hurries inside before him. The dark-haired biker gives me a look.

“Save the death stares for the other bikers,” I say, walking inside.

Salt Peanuts is oppressively hot and crowded. Country music plays so loudly I doubt anyone can hear themselves think, let alone keep up a conversation. Despite the bar’s flaws, the location makes sense. The Serrated Brotherhood was smart to organize a meeting with two paid killers and three club enforcers at a public place.

In a back booth, we meet Viking twins Dayton and Camden Rutgers. They shoo away their female companions before putting on big smiles for us.

“Tuck the Fuck,” one of them says, shaking Tucker’s hand.

“Dayton,” Tucker says and then shakes the other twin’s hand. “Camden.”

The lumberjack-looking men are identical except for one has his blond hair pulled back into a ponytail while the other has his hair loose. They both look smelly and crappy in bed. I feel like sharing these facts with Minka.

She shows no reaction to either man. Of course, she showed no reaction to me either when we first met, and I had that chick hooked day one.

Vaughn gestures at us. “This is Jane and Anthony.”

“Who do you work for again?” Camden asks.