Chapter 1 #2
“DeMarco.” I actually hear the snap of his teeth slamming shut at the sound of my voice. I’m not ashamed to say I enjoy the hell out of the power I have in Mounts Bay. “That car is here for me. Let them through and apologize to the little rich fucks.”
“Sorry. I didn’t know they were with you. If they’d have just said I would’ve—” I hang up on his rambling and type another text to the Vulture.
You’re late. I have places I need to be.
“Who are these friends of yours?” Luca nudges me with his elbow.
I tense a little but he only wiggles his eyebrows like he’s ribbing me.
There are a dozen different ways I can play this, I’ve thought through them all obsessively since winter break started, but I'm still too hesitant to say much.
I don't need to create any more issues for myself.
“Kids from school. Too much money and far too much ego. Makes it fun to play with them.” I wiggle my eyebrows back at him, playing along with the facade of friendship we’ve created, and he shoots me another grin as the car rolls to a stop before us.
They pull up in a Maserati.
No wonder DeMarco was such a dick to them. They couldn’t look more out of place down here if they tried. I wave an arm at the guy holding Joey and he walks him over to the car as Harley jumps out to help shove his cousin in. I saunter over as Avery puts her window down and lean in to talk to her.
“Having fun?” She smirks at me, her eyes trailing over my outfit. She’s wearing a silk robe over a delicate lacy nightgown, well put together even in her pajamas. Yep, still jealous.
“Don’t get me started, I need a shower and twelve hours of sleep. Try not to lose him again, I’m heading out soon.”
Blaise is in the driver’s seat, watching the group of the Jackal’s men like he thinks they’re going to hijack his car.
Ash is struggling in the back trying to get Joey’s seatbelt on, and Harley is still standing with the car door open.
I look up and meet his eyes. He looks angry.
Clearly, he’s not a fan of being dragged out of bed for pickup duty.
“What the hell are you doing here?” he hisses at me, and I narrow my eyes. He’s pissed at me? !
“Watch your fucking tone, we are not at school.”
His head snaps back at my warning, eyes widening a fraction before he glances over his shoulder.
I don’t have to look to know that the entire group of men are watching him.
They all know he’s the guy I’ve recruited, and they’re sizing him up.
I don’t think they heard what he said to me, thank God, and it’s that distraction that buys us enough time to get our shit in line.
His shit, I mean. Mine is always locked down.
He’s a kid from the Bay, so sure enough, Harley straightens up without missing another beat.
Shutting the car door firmly, his face is carefully blank as he walks around to me.
Avery swears under her breath, but I keep my eyes on Harley.
If he isn’t smart about this, I’m going to have to knock him out before the Jackal catches wind of what’s happening on his turf.
“What are you doing here? And dressed like that?” he whispers, and I’m glad we have an audience. I might have kicked him in the balls if there weren’t one. He thinks I’m selling myself. I guess I am, but he thinks I’m selling my body when I’m really just selling my skills.
Does anyone ever think about anything other than sex?
It takes a lot to keep the anger from my face, but I murmur back to him, “Do not suggest that I’m a prostitute. I’m here for a job, and as soon as I get paid, I’m leaving.”
Harley nods reluctantly, his eyes never leaving the group of guys behind us.
I wait for a minute, but he doesn’t move or speak.
I’m about to snap when the lights of another car hit us.
Harley moves to cover me instantly, which is fine, but when he starts acting like he’s about to shove me into the car and run screaming from this place, I shut him down fast with a jab to his kidney, enjoying the little grunt I get out of him.
When he glares at me, I snap back at him, “That would be my payment. You guys need to leave.”
Avery is watching the car with anxious eyes and I rub her shoulder. She has no idea just how bad the guy in there really is.
“We’re not leaving without you,” Harley says, and he crosses his arms.
I can’t argue with him, I don’t have time as the car parks and three guys dressed like sleazy bodyguards get out, guns in clear view at their hips.
They look around the empty parking lot and then assess us all, one by one.
I’m not at all happy with the way they look at Avery, so I move in front of her again.
After a minute of this scrutiny, the Vulture steps out of the car.
The very sight of him turns my stomach.
He grins at me, and I fight to keep my lips from curling up in disgust at him.
He’s wearing a cheap suit, and the little hair he has left is slicked back into a shiny cap.
I can see the bulge of his gun at his hip and, unfortunately, I can also see the bulge of his erection.
I’ve never been in his presence without him being hard.
“Hello, puss.”
The Vulture’s tone of voice is so utterly sleazy and disgusting, I feel bile creep up the back of my throat.
I hate that he calls me that. He's nicknamed me after the body part he loves to sell and the only thing of worth he ever sees in a woman.
It's vile. Harley tenses, and I just know he's spotted the tent that's happening in the putrid man’s pants. I hear an argument start up in the car, and I glance down to see Blaise has his seatbelt off and a hand on his door handle. Avery is chewing him out, and Ash is fighting to keep Joey’s airways open.
He's so high that he’s slumped over and choking on his own tongue. Idiot.
“Wire my money through and I'll give you the package.”
The Vulture smiles at me and waves a hand. One of his men pops the trunk of the car and lugs two bags out. Mother fuckers . He's paying me in cash.
“Seriously? I told you I only deal in transfers,” I snap at him, and Harley is doing his best not to gape. I'm not sure how much experience he has around large quantities of cash, but the twitching of his jaw tells me he's doing some quick math. There's a hundred grand in those bags.
It's going to be a nightmare to launder.
“Sorry, puss. I only pay cash. You know how it is. How ‘bout you walk that sweet ass of yours over here and get your money?”
“Like fuck,” Harley spits out, and the Vulture looks at him for the first time.
His eyes take in the tattoo, the piercing eyes, the build, and I know he's working out how much he could make from selling Harley at one of his hellish auctions. The quirk of his lips tells me the fee would be astronomical .
“How about I double the payment and you give me him, puss?”
I roll my eyes at him.
“How about you get one of your little friends to bring me my money and I'll hand him the package so we can all get out of here, hmm?”
The Vulture laughs and waves his men forward. One guy hands Harley the bags and I can smell the body odor wafting from him. Harley sneers in his direction as I shove the USB into the other guy’s hands to get them both away from us, and the stink with them.
“Pleasure doing business with you, puss.”
I stare him down until he grins and leaves. We don't move until the car is out of the parking lot completely. I turn and hold my hands out for my bags of cash, but Harley turns on his heel and marches to the trunk. He taps it gently, and Blaise pops it open for him to shove them inside.
“What are you doing?”
He straightens and gives me a fiery look back. “I told you. I'm not leaving without you.”
My stomach does a little flip and I have to tell it to calm the hell down. “Fuck. Fine, leave it open. I have the rest of my stuff here too.”
Harley nods and walks over to where Luca is guarding my shit.
Luca takes a step forward over the bags and crosses his arms. If I didn’t already know he was the real deal, I’d assume the way Harley clocks every single hint of danger emanating from Luca and ignores it entirely was naivety, not confidence.
I’m irritated but not surprised when Harley smirks at Luca, throwing down a silent challenge that Luca will accept in a heartbeat if I don’t get involved.
Luca is the tiniest bit taller than Harley, but Harley is easily broader, more muscular.
I've seen Luca take out three guys bigger than Harley at the same damn time though, so really, all bets are off on who would win.
I don't have time to deal with them, I need to get out of here. I need to get Harley out of here.
The Jackal cannot see him.
Not after the warning he issued me at the meeting.
I give myself a little shake to try and shift the ghosts. “Luca, it's fine. It really has been a long night; my feet hurt and I need a bath,” I say, pitching my tone to something in the ballpark of sweet, and when he glances over at me, I throw in a little pout to seal the deal.
I may not be able to trust the man at all, but it’s hard to deny that Luca is one of the decent guys on the Jackal’s payroll, a rare breed, and he nods to me without an argument.
Without breaking eye contact with Harley, he leans down and brushes a kiss against my cheek.
He’s done it before, but only if he’s stirring up shit with someone.
Harley takes the bait, staring down at Luca like he'd gut him if given half a chance. If these guys are about to battle it out over who’s got the bigger dick, then I’m never going to get out of this place.
Temper flaring, I step around them both to grab my bags, then shove one into Harley's chest to get him moving. He expels a breath as he takes hold of the bag before it drops to his feet, but I don’t miss the glare he levels at me.
“I’m going to miss that ass while you’re gone, Princess,” Luca calls as I watch Harley load my bag into the car. Harley glares back at him, but I laugh his baiting comments off.
“You get more ass than the average Mounty street girl on a Saturday night, Luca. I’m sure you'll survive without mine.”
He grabs his chest like I've wounded him while grinning back at me as Harley opens the door to the back seat and I realize I'm about to be sandwiched in with him and the Beaumont brothers.
Fuck. No.
I dart around the car and climb in with Avery instead.
We easily fit in the sleek seat together since I’ve frustratingly lost all of the weight I'd managed to gain last year.
Blaise arches an eyebrow which I choose to ignore, and then takes off fast enough that my body is pressed back in the seat and the tires squeal.
“So. How much money is in this car right now?” Avery whispers, and I giggle at her before whispering back.
“How should I know, do you guys all carry cash?”
She laughs out loud at me, drawing the a look from Blaise, while the others continue to ignore me.
“Where should I drop you off, Mounty? Feel free to tip me for my services,” Blaise drawls, and an involuntary shudder rolls through me, noticeable enough that Avery snorts at me.
Traitor.
“She’s coming back to the hotel with us,” grumbles Harley.
“Why?” Ash snaps, and I’m reminded of his newfound hate for me.
Snark bubbles up in my chest and I can’t keep the sarcasm from my tone.“Thank you, Lips, for finding my coked-up brother and getting him out of danger before he got himself stabbed by an angry Mounty girl for not keeping his hands to himself.”
Avery gives my hand a squeeze and I smile at her, before her twin opens his hateful mouth again. “Thank you, Mounty, for traipsing around the docks dressed like a slut and tripping over Joey. Do all your clients pay you in large bags of dirty money? Is your puss really that good?”
“Ash, shut your mouth .” Avery hisses as she turns in her seat to glare at him. I don't even care.
Harley leans forward in his seat, ignoring his cousins completely. “Who was the guy with your bags?”
“Luca. He's… he works for the same guy your uncle does. We’ve known each other forever.”
He presses his lips together before speaking up again. “Have you fucked him?”
Sweet Lord . Here we go.
“How is that any of your business?”
Blaise tips his head back and laughs, changing gears smoothly while he takes corners way too fast considering I'm sharing a seat with no belt on. “How many of those Mounty guys have you fucked?”
“Why do either of you care?” Avery says sweetly, and they both finally shut up.