Chapter Twenty-Five
Memphis
“Who the hell are you? And what are you doing here?”
“And what are you doing with our sister? Don’t forget that fucking part, Memphis.” Boston is right beside me, giving this guy the side eye of his life.
Neve is our younger sister. Both of us are protective of her, and this guy has his hands all over her.
“My name is Fennec. Fennec Simon.”
“Fennec?” Boston says his name like he’s not hearing him right. He looks at me with his lip snarled, “What kind of name is Fennec?”
“It’s a beautiful name, and you guys need to back the hell off.”
“Damn it, Neve. I told you I don’t need you standing up for me.”
“Well, I don’t care because I am and I’m going to keep doing it. So...,” She sticks her tongue out at him.
“Is it me, or does she sound like mom?”
She does sound just like our mom when she starts telling my dad what to do ‘for his own good’. I nod my head, agreeing with Boston.
“That better be a compliment, you two.”
Waverly comes out from behind me and starts moving towards Neve. I put a hand on her arm to stop her, not wanting her anywhere near the guy until I'm one hundred percent sure he’s not dangerous to her.
“Not yet, sweetheart.”
Neve’s brows rise as she clocks the gesture.
“You look hot with a gun in your hand.”
“Okay, okay, okay! Wait a second! Did you just call her sweetheart?” Her voice rises almost as high as her brows. “And did you just tell my brother he looked hot?”
Waverly’s cheeks turn a pretty shade of pink, and she won’t meet my sister’s face. Does she regret being with me?
“I…I’m…we, um….,” Her hand slips into mine, and I find my smile growing so big it hurts my face. “We’re together. I…,”
She looks up at me through those thick, dark lashes and I find myself lowering my gun so I can pull her into my arms.
“Oh my God! My two best friends are going to be my sisters!” Neve squeals at an octave only dogs hear and starts bouncing up and down.
No one said anything about marriage, but Waverly doesn’t shut it down either as Neve bounds over to her and Sadie.
“Little Rabbit, aren’t you forgetting something?”
Now, it’s my turn to raise my eyebrows. I look over at Boston and he’s got the same look on his face.
“Little Rabbit?”
“Oh, yeah.” Our sister’s cheeks turn the same color Waverly’s turned when Neve called her out. “I blew up my duplex.”
“What?!” My question is echoed by Boston.
“Well, see, some bad men came and we thought they were after Fennec but…they weren’t.”
“Okay, back the fuck up and start slower, please!”
“Agreed. Why would you think they were after him?” I start my line of questioning.
“And what do you mean you blew up your duplex? Like Ka-boom or like I just ate Taco Bell blew up?” I roll my eyes at Boston’s line of questioning. An interrogator he is not.
“Who are you? What men came? How can you be sure they were bad?”
“Well, if you really want to know. I’m an assassin who lives…
lived next door to your sister. She didn’t blow the place up -Ka-boom, not the other one- I did.
They were bad because they were trying to kill your sister, so I killed them before they could.
Traced the bodies and receipts back to a problem I think you might be well acquainted with. ”
He reaches behind him slowly and pulls out a folder.
“Where the hell did you have that hidden?” That’s what Boston wants to talk about?!
I take the folder and open it to find pictures of men. A gasp by my elbow has me turning to look at my baby.
“Oh my God! Memphis! That’s…”
Her eyes are round and her face is pale as she reaches for the photo with shaky hands.
“That’s the man that chased after me.”
“Are you sure, baby?”
My sister mouths the word ‘baby’ over Waverly’s head but remains quiet.
“You killed this guy?” Something like disappointment courses through me at the thought I won’t be the one killing this fucker for making my girl afraid.
“No.” Good, I've still got my chance. “They were hired by him,” he takes another picture out, “and him.”
Waverly looks this one over but her face scrunches up. “I'm not sure if this is the other guy or not. It was dark, and he was further away from me.”
Fennec shuffles through the group of photos till there’s one of a man coming out of a house with his face bruised and scratched up. The bruise looks a lot like how it would if, say, he were hit by a cast.
“That’s the mother fucker who was in the hallway waiting for us.”
She gasps. “How can you be sure?”
“I just am.” I take her wrist in the cast and kiss it, showing her without saying the words. “It would appear we have a lot to talk about, Fennec.”
I step forward and offer him my hand. I still have questions about his profession, but for now I’m willing to put those away so I can find out what I need to know about the men coming after my angel.