“But I’ve won, Joan. I’ve taken it all back from McEvoy.” He laughs. “And you know how? Because I’m a survivor. Because I never. Miss. A trick.”
Something has shifted between us, something -monumental, and Gunn no longer hesitates as he reaches out, touches me. He pushes my hair off my shoulder as I stay shocked still, then cups his fingers around my shoulder.
“How many times have I told you, subtly and not so subtly, to stay away from Alex, Joan?” He turns and gently presses me against the edge of the desk, until I have no choice but to back into it.
What’s he doing, why’s he mentioning Alex, what does he know—
“Don’t get mixed up with him, Joan,” Gunn mock-whispers into my ear. There’s no space left in between us, his chest presses into my own. “Don’t trust him. Stay focused. Keep that stalwart heart.” Our faces are inches apart from each other, and his white-blue eyes, expectant, hungry, blaze through mine. I can’t—I can’t think, I can’t look anywhere else—
“After a while, it almost felt like . . . jealousy. But do I seem like a man who accepts not getting what he wants?”
Before I can even think how to answer, Gunn grabs the back of my head in one swift motion, and I flinch. “Believe it or not, I was trying to protect you from getting hurt, since Alex was always part of my deal with D Street, from the beginning.”
He releases me, turns away, as my mind sputters, The deal, part of the deal—
But my thoughts stop cold when Gunn looks back at me. Because now there’s only rage, white fire burning behind his eyes.
“Then I find out that not only were you lying to my face about Alex, but that he was a mole for McEvoy. A mole you were confiding in, passing little secrets over the pillow to, secrets that little two-faced shit passed right on to my enemy. My target.”
I start stammering, “Wait, no, Mr. Gunn, you’ve got it wrong—”
“Could’ve been really disastrous, Joan, your decision to keep things from me,” he interrupts in that mocking tone. “Fortunately, I’ve always been one step ahead of McEvoy. Always one step ahead of you.”
Does Gunn know Alex is a cop? Does he know about me working with him? I can’t, I don’t know how to play this—
“Mr. Gunn, I swear, I’m not keeping things from you—”
Quick as a snake about to strike, Gunn whips his gun from his holster, thrusts it right against my temple. “Lie to me one more time and I promise you, I’ll go straight to where I’m keeping your sister and break her little neck.”
At that, I snap. Crack, and my hands fly up on their own, like they’re possessed, like my magic has circumvented my mind and taken control of my body. I barrel a wave of force and power toward Gunn. He flies backward and slaps against his door.
It’s quiet for a second. And then he actually laughs.
“Where’s my family?” I force out. “Answer me or I’ll rip you in half.”
Gunn stands up slowly, walks toward me like a wolf on the hunt, slow, assured, in control. He towers over me. “No, Joan. No more working together. I call the shots. You sit in here and wait, until I make sure everything goes exactly according to plan. After this deal goes off without a hitch, you’ll spend as long as it takes ensuring that the troupe can perform your caging spell. You do that, and maybe you’ll see Ben and Ruby again,” he says. “But you try anything at all—if you move from this room—my men will end your family. Are we clear?”
My heart is pounding, the magic inside me throbbing, near desperate to rip him apart. “No, you promised me things, you promised my family things—”
“And promises can be broken. I think you’ve been fooling yourself into thinking that you hold the power here,” Gunn says, then smiles, a big, bold one I rarely see. “Fortunately, there’s no Alex Danfrey around to trick you anymore.”
My eyes fly to his. “What are you talking about?”
“I told you, Danfrey was always part of my deal.” There’s a new glimmer to Gunn’s eyes. “Colletto considered him a traitor, thought the boy should have been working for him, only found out he was still running through a few low-level thugs who just got out of prison. So Danfrey was a gift, signed, sealed, and delivered, as another symbol of my good faith to D Street. A sign I want to start over and make amends.” My breath catches. “But you didn’t listen. You insisted on breaking that heart.” Gunn looks down, smooths his suit. “Then again, guess we both know you’re quite the masochist.”
Alex was always part of the deal. Now I understand, and the understanding guts me—
Alex. Alex is gone.
I collapse onto the chair, and a little sob escapes me before I can trap it inside.
No. No no no no no—