Clearing my throat, I waited for him to open his eyes, and when he squinted up at me, I simply jerked my chin in the direction of my room, ignoring Lexi’s sudden uneasy stare.
I walked the hall, stood in the center of my room, and waited. He followed soon after, and when his imposing figure blocked my open doorway, I blurted out, “I need you to stay here tonight.”
His brow knitted. “Why?”
It was a reasonable question. I don’t know why it pissed me off so much.
On the defensive, I said, “I have a job tonight.”
That did not go down well. “I thought you were out.”
“I am,” I revealed, “but I owe this guy.”
“No,” Twitch uttered coldly. “You said it yourself. You owe me.” He looked me up and down. “You’re not goin’ anywhere, Molly.”
Fucking bullshit. “I’m not a child,” I seethed, my eyes wide with fury. My full lips curled. “I’m not your child. You can’t tell me what to do. Besides,” I added, “I’m only asking out of respect.” I ended on, “I’m going.”
He seemed to think on that, fighting the need to say something, tapping his hands on the doorframe a long moment before he held out his hand. “Give me your phone.”
If this was the only way to get him to leave me alone, I’d deal. I unlocked the screen then handed him my phone.
He typed quickly, looking down at the screen, then muttered, “You get in trouble, you call this number. Someone will come for you.” I reached for my phone, but he held it out of reach. “I need you to remember your promise to me.” His dark stare held me in place. “You make sure you’re safe, and if you feel you’re not, you fucking call. Your life is important to me.” His words made my heart warm. But then he ruined it. “Your life is a tool. It is something I can use to keep my son safe, so make sure you come back in one piece, Molly. If you don’t—” His whiskey-smooth voice was deceptively calm. “—I will be very disappointed.”
I wanted my phone back, and he knew this because his lip twitched as I stared at the rectangular cell with a frown.
“Where are you going?”
“I don’t know yet, but I’ll leave soon.”
“Got everything you need?” He was talking weapons.
I nodded. “I’m all set.”
“You need a ride?”
For fuck’s sake. “No, Dad,” I drawled, getting annoyed. “I’m taking Big Red.”
“When are you coming back?”
Oh my God. It finally clicked.
He was stalling me for some reason, but why?
I was officially pissed.
I leant in, and hissed, “Give me my phone!”
He checked the screen a moment before he handed it over, and I scrolled through my contacts, locating the number he added.
I read it out loud, “911.” I followed on a chuckle.
He did not laugh. No.
He watched me closely. “Call it if you need to. Don’t be a hero. Your life is not yours to risk, Molly.” He stepped out of my room and into the hallway. “It’s mine.”
As he walked away, my lip curled and I flipped him the bird.
The words he called back were highly amused. “Not nice.”
I sent the text.
Me: I’m in.
And then I waited.
A few moments later, I got a message back.
Tama: The warehouse. An hour.
Just like old times.
I dressed quickly in my black skinny jeans and a black spaghetti-strapped tank sans bra. It didn’t matter. I was petite as petite came. My boobs were barely existent. No one would even notice. Over the top, I wore a tight, long-sleeved, black lace number that did nothing to shield me from the cold. It was more a fashion statement. Finishing up my look, I put on my black hi-top Chucks that had definitely seen better days.
Reapplying my lipstick to the lips my sisters once called soup coolers, I checked my makeup and I was good to go.
Before I left my room, I slipped on my loaded holster and wore it openly. I wasn’t hiding anymore. Not from Lexi, not from anyone. As I made it into the family room, Lexi was standing, and when she looked down at the leg wrap I wore that housed my favorite hunting knife, her eyes widened a moment before she took a deep breath, closed her eyes, and stepped closer to me, placing her hands on my shoulders.
And what she said had me feeling things that made me uncomfortable.
“This house is only a home because of the people in it.” Lexi’s soft, maternal voice washed over me. “And it wouldn’t be the same without you. So, be smart and be safe.” I closed my eyes, and she touched her warm hand to my cheek. “Come back to us, Molly.”
I loved this woman. She reminded me of my mother.
“I will.” My tone was soft.
Without looking back, I made it out the back door and into the garage. When I turned on Big Red, she roared to life, shaking the walls of the interior with every rough rumble she spewed to let everyone know she lived.
Fuck. I loved this car.
I left then, and I didn’t know when I would be back.
But I planned on coming back.
To my family.
The dilapidated warehouse was old news. I’d been here hundreds of times before. It was actually where Tama and I first met through a mutual friend, who told Tama Hariana about my specialty. A specialty he just happened to have need of.
I was a mercenary. A gun for hire, and a damned good one too. I learnt from the best, training with the worst of people who gave me the edge I needed to get a foot up in a world that wanted to step on me, weighing me down until I sunk into the cold, hard ground.
Made a name for myself by sixteen, and by eighteen, they started to call me Quickbeat. I don’t know who started that, but it caught on, and while, once upon a time, people would shout my name openly, they started to whisper it.
I’d by lying if I said I didn’t like that.
They were waiting for me outside. There were four of them, huge Maori men, but I only had my eyes on one.
The one.
I sped into the lot, Cardi B’s “I Like It” blaring from the speakers. The subwoofer made the entire back windshield vibrate with the heavy bass that made my heart stop. I needed to get revved, and music helped me out in that department.
It had been a while since I’d done this.
Big Red roared when I hit the accelerator and spun the steering wheel, leaning into the door as the car drifted sideways, and I watched with a smirk as gravel sprayed the men, forcing them to cover their faces with their arms. I stopped the car suddenly, switching it off and stepping out with a shit-eating grin, bumping the door closed with my butt and slinking over to them confidently.
I looked over the guys. I knew them all.
Hemi, the giant teddy bear, was there. He jerked his chin at me.
Amoho did not spare me a smile. That was fair. I looked at him hard as he glared at me.
Kawana’s face was soft, but he didn’t greet me either.
That sucked.
I loved Kawana. He was my boy.
When my eyes landed on Tama, I stood in front of the huge, muscled man. His 6’3” height was a contrast to my 5’5”, but I held my own, standing tall and folding my arms across my chest. My melodic voice was so deceiving. It always had been. “Tama.” I looked him up and down, pausing over his crotch before lifting my eyes to his. “You look good.”
He did. My God, did he ever.
Tama was 275 pounds of pure muscle. His chest was wide. His shoulders were wider. I’d always considered this man a god. A vengeful god, and his black stare was on me. The tattoos on his face made him look terrifying, but all I wanted to do was run my fingers over them and trail them with kisses.
When he opened his mouth, the words came out rough and my entire body broke out in goose bumps. “Why did you come?”
Because you asked me to.
Because I’m sorry for the pain I caused you.
Because I will never love anyone the way I love you.
I shrugged, my eyes never leaving his. “The price was right.” My tone lowered. “Speaking of which....”
Tama reached behind him, and momentarily, my heart stopped.
I was outmanned, outnumbered, and outranked.
Oh, wow.
It was stupid to come here.
Faster than a lightning strike, I had both of my Glocks pointed at him, unblinking, and the asshole grinned, throwing the bundled wad of cash at my feet.
He did that on purpose, and with my idiotic display, I had revealed my anxiousness. And Tama was counting on it. He knew me well.