“And the girl?”
He’d never killed a woman before. He swallowed once and then again. He wasn’t sure he could, but he knew what he had to say. “Yeah. I’ll do her, too, if I have to.”
His contact chuckled over the line. He seemed to have a dark sense of humor, but then that wasn’t so surprising. “It’s good to know I can count on you.”
The line went dead, and Jesse shoved the phone back in his boot. He moved quickly, exiting the locker room before anyone came in. He shoved the trash can back into place and found the hallway empty. He made his way back out on the floor just in time to see Kristen leave with her so-called brother and the pretty brunette he might have to kill.
His stomach turned a little at the thought. Not that he would have to kill her, but that he might like it. He might like it a lot. He was an addict. Oh, he wasn’t addicted to anything so cheap as liquor or meth. He’d become a little addicted to violence, to spilling blood, and he’d been off his own personal sauce for a while now. He was worried that this time, he might not be able to come back.
But he would do it because it was his job, and it was the only fucking thing he had left. Maybe he was still a soldier deep down, and a soldier didn’t falter when the job at hand was a little nasty.
He watched as the big guy shoved out the front door, holding it open for his woman. She was so small compared to him. She had scars that proved her life wasn’t that great. Maybe he would be freeing her in the end.
It didn’t matter. He had to keep his head in the game. Amanda King didn’t matter. Kristen Priest would go, too. Hard decisions would be made, and he would carry them out. He steeled himself.
Anything for the mission.
Chapter Seven
Alex pulled the SUV into the underground parking garage, his every movement a precise response to nearly going out of control. He’d been on autopilot since the moment he’d realized Eve was here and in danger and had actively attempted to wreck his plans.
It was a betrayal. It burned in his gut. She was sitting behind him, but he kept glancing back at the rearview mirror, looking at her, trying to make eye contact. His brain was working overtime trying to figure out exactly what she was doing. His heart and head had been racing ever since she’d walked through the door.
Watching her smile up at that far too young for her himbo had done nothing to calm him down. Too young for her? Was Jesse Murdoch really too young for her? Or was Alex getting too old? He’d thought seriously about choking the fucker when he’d walked in on Jesse looming over Eve. The younger man had her practically pressed against the wall as he talked to her. Did Jesse think he’d invented that move? Dumb fuck.
“What floor are we on?” Sean asked from the passenger-side seat, his voice pulling Alex back into the here and now.
“My place is on three, but the whole building is protected. There’s a security guard at the gate to the island. Once you’re here, you have to have a key fob to get into the building from the front or side doors. Even if someone can get into the building, the elevators are protected. You have to put a passcode in to get to the right floor,” Kristen said, leaning forward. She was sitting in the back with Eve. “I see Adam is already here.”
The spot beside them was already taken by a non-descript sedan. Adam had been given everything he needed to set up his equipment. “Do we only have the two slots?”
The parking was assigned.
“Yes,” Kristen explained. “When Sean’s car is delivered, one of us is going to have to park in front of the building. There’s a side door that takes you straight to the elevator. There’s one on each side of the building, so in all there are four points of entry, the garage, two side doors, and the main entry where guests have to go.”
It seemed fairly secure, better than he would get if they were at a motel. “The last one in parks outside. How many bedrooms do you have?”
“I have three. Adam is already set up in one. I thought Eve and I would share.”
No fucking way. “Eve stays with me.”
She’d made her bed and she was definitely going to lie in it with him.
“Alex, we don’t need to play games outside the club,” Eve said in a far too patient voice. She’d been the calm one, the easy one to deal with. She hadn’t been snippy with anyone and everyone who asked a question or had a comment. And it was pissing him off. He was a volcano waiting to go off, and she was an ocean of calm.