2. Cian
Cian
R ex strode into the room, his arms filled with plastic, stopping when he saw Skylar, his voice like gravel. “What the fuck, Tony?”
I narrowed my eyes at him. “Never mind. Give that shit to Carlo. He’ll dispose of Mr. White.” Then I snorted. “ Mr. White . You’d think the agency could come up with a better name.”
I walked over to the cardboard pile Skylar thought she’d been hidden behind.
As if I wouldn’t notice the little structure in the corner?
It hadn’t been there earlier when I’d checked the site, making sure it was set up properly, but what it contained had surprised me.
I hadn’t expected the little spitfire I pulled out.
Reaching in, I grabbed a small backpack and stood.
There wasn’t much in it, but I couldn’t leave it behind.
Going back, I leaned down, picking her up off the floor, her body limp in my arms. She was thin and dirty.
I could see a couple bruises on her face and hands, no doubt from living on the streets.
She was also brave and feisty—a combination I liked but could be a dangerous thing for her.
I shook my head, then glanced over at the body still on the floor, the blood around it seeping into the floorboards. “Carlo, clean this up. Now. Rex, you’re with me.”
“I should?—”
“Carlo will handle it. That’s how we work. Now, get your fucking ass outside. I’ll drop you off at your car.”
He flung the plastic down and left the room.
I looked at Sean. “Exactly as we planned.”
He nodded toward the girl I was holding. “Good luck with that.”
I smirked as I made my way to the car. I had a feeling I was going to need it.
S kylar came to in the car as we drove through the dark night.
She was groggy and disoriented, blinking at me from the back seat.
As a precaution, I’d taped her mouth and tied her hands and feet.
I wouldn’t put it past her to try to jump from a moving car.
The ties weren’t tight, but I knew fear of them would keep her in place.
“Stay still, girl. You’re not going anywhere.” I smirked at her in the rearview mirror. I had also used the seat belt. She couldn’t really move.
Her eyes narrowed at me, and I knew without the gag, she’d be mouthing off.
My cell rang and I stifled a groan. I knew who was calling. I shot a look to Rex in the passenger seat, who, of course, ignored it, and I pressed Bluetooth.
“Yeah.”
“Rex tells me we have a guest.”
Simply the sound of that voice made me nauseous. I wanted to scream, shoot Rex beside me, then hunt him down and kill him.
But that wasn’t part of the plan.
I kept my voice neutral. “ No . I have a guest. She is ofnoconcern to you.”
“She shouldn’t be alive.”
“My decision.”
“I hired you to do a job, not add more problems.”
“As I said, she isn’t your problem. She’s mine.”
“You made her my problem. Kill her.”
I glanced at the back seat. Skylar’s eyes were closed, but I could see the tears running down her cheeks and her entire body shaking, her bravado crumbling.
“May I remind you that I don’t take orders from you? It’s my decision.”
“Rex will handle it. Let him take the girl.”
“No,” I spat through gritted teeth. “She’s mine. Nobody fucking touches her without me saying so.”
Orson’s voice became quiet, the tone all his enemies knew was the most dangerous. “And why is that?” he asked.
I forced my voice to be equally calm. “I have plans for her.” I looked back at her again, hoping Rex would think I was leering at her. “She’s got a smart mouth, and I like that.”
“You have plans for that mouth.”
“I do.”
“And then?”
“My business,” I repeated. “She’s mine, and I’ll deal with her as I see fit. This isn’t up for discussion, Orson.”
His laugh was cruel-sounding. “She may wish you had shot her.”
Knowing Rex was watching my reaction, I shrugged. “Maybe.”
“We need to meet.”
“Tomorrow. I’ll call you.” With a flick of my finger, I disconnected the call.
“You need to learn respect,” Rex hissed, his voice thick as cement.
A smile tugged on my lips as I thought about saying that to Skylar and her reaction.
“I don’t work for Orson. This is just a job to me.” I glanced sideways at him. “Keep your fucking opinions to yourself.”
The rest of the trip was silent. I heaved a sigh of relief when he exited the car. I made sure he was long gone before I started driving again.
C arefully, I sat Skylar’s shaking form on the only chair in the room I had carried her to.
After a lot of thought, I’d decided it was the safest place for her.
It had a small bathroom attached, and the room itself contained only two small windows.
Both were higher up, and one housed a room air conditioner, while the other had bars on it, so she couldn’t get out.
The door locked from the outside, so she couldn’t get out that way either.
My room was across the hall and Sean next door—this way, she was protected, although she had no idea she would be.
“I’m going to untie you. Don’t try anything, Skylar. I’ve got my gun, and you know I’m not shy about using it.” I arched an eyebrow at her. “A slug in the kneecap hurts like a bitch, trust me. And you’d still be stuck here, except with a bullet hole. So, behave—you understand?”
I waited until she nodded. All the fight seemed to have gone out of her, but I had a feeling it would come back.
She didn’t move as I undid the ropes. When I got to her mouth, I grimaced.
“I’ll do this fast. It’s gonna sting.” Then I gripped the edge of the tape and pulled it off quickly.
She gasped but didn’t say a word. Without thinking, I pushed my hand against the red skin, pressing down to ease the pain.
She grunted, frowning, and I pulled my hand away.
I liked the way her mouth felt under my palm, though.
I stood, unsure what to do next. “Stay here,” I instructed and hurried to my room. When I returned, she was in the exact same position.
“Look at that—you can follow orders.”
She lifted her gaze to me, her red-rimmed, dark eyes shooting daggers, but said nothing.
I opened the bathroom door. “There’s a shower. I brought you some clean clothes—I know they’re too big, but they’ll have to do. Get cleaned up, and I’ll get you something to eat.” I started to walk away, but her voice stopped me.
“No.”
I swung around. “What?”
Her little chin lifted defiantly. “I said no.”
And Ms. Mouth was back.
“Get cleaned up, Skylar.”
She shook her head. “If you’re going to do what I think you are, I’m not helping.”
I ran a hand through my hair and stepped closer. “I’m not going to do anything to you, Skylar, except make you something to eat and let you go to sleep.”
She snorted. “Right. I heard what you said in the car.”
“You heard what I needed you to hear. What I needed other people to hear. You’re safe here. I promise.”
“I don’t trust the promises of murderers.”
“Get in the shower.”
She crossed her arms. “Go fuck yourself.”
In two strides, I was in front of her, dragging her to her feet.
I flung her over my shoulder and carried her into the bathroom, ignoring her struggles and pitiful attempts to hurt me as she pounded on my back with her tiny fists.
It was like being pelted with snowballs—annoying but useless. “Let me go, you asshole!”
“Stop fighting me.”
“No!”
Cranking on the water, I deposited her on the shower floor, laughing at her gasp as the water hit her in the face. “Use the soap, Skylar.” I grinned at her. “You stink.”
I laughed all the way to the door at the horrified look on her face.
I walked into the kitchen a short while later, toweling off my hair. Sean was there, busy making sandwiches.
“Is it done?”
He nodded.
“As we planned?”
“Yep.”
“Are we clear?”
He glanced at me. “Yes.”
I exhaled deeply. “How is he?”
He grinned as he sliced the sandwiches in half. “He said to tell you there was no need to squeeze his leg so hard. He’s gonna return the favor. He also thought the second bullet was a little dramatic.”
I chuckled. “I felt like being dramatic. Orson likes a good show—I have no doubt Rex gave him a great play-by-play.”
He looked up at me. “You’re fucking lucky he was able to stay still that long and not blow it.”
“I got Rex out fast both times. He was fine.”
“Says you, who was free to take regular breaths in and out and not have to play dead while the guy who supposedly shot you is arguing with some girl.”
I chuckled. “He’s safe?”
“He is. I delivered him to the agreed spot.” Sean plated the sandwiches and added them to a tray. “How’s our guest?”
I snickered. “Feisty.”
He leaned back. “Why, Cian? We’re so close.”
I ran a hand over my face. “I couldn’t leave her there, Sean. She saw too much. It was too risky.”
“You could have told me to take care of her. I would have arranged it with the boss. She’d be safer there.”
I grabbed a sandwich, bit, and chewed. How could I explain the urge I had when I saw her in front of me, shaking and trying so hard not to show her fear?
The hopeless look in her eyes when she asked me to kill her fast made my chest ache.
I didn’t want her hurt; I wanted her safe.
I needed to be the one who made her safe. I needed to keep her close.
“She could blow everything we’ve worked for,” he pointed out.
“No. She won’t. I’ll take care of her.”
“I hope you know what you’re doing.” He indicated the tray. “You want me to take that to her?”
“No. I will. Her room is wired, right?”
“Yep. I scanned the whole place. We’re clean from any outside sources. I made sure the feed in her room was working, and I patched it to your laptop.” He stretched. “I’m gonna go have a shower. I’m too old for this shit, man. Harper looks wiry, but he weighs a ton. My back is killing me.”
I clapped my hand on his shoulder. “Last one. For all of us.”
Our eyes locked.
“I know. We’ll get him, Cian.”
I nodded. We would.