DAX
Much to my amazement, the day turned out to be pretty fun.
The guys were on their best behavior, trying to impress Harper by winning all the stupid carnival games and each getting her a prize.
They even treated us to dinner—not at the Mexican restaurant though, since I advised them that would be a bad idea.
“What do you mean you had a man arrested?” Tilly laughed. “You can do that? Damn!”
Rolling my eyes, I let out an overdramatic sigh and turned to face them all.
“The man accused me of trying to kidnap someone and getting them wasted, and you’re telling me that I’m the one in the wrong here?
Oh, did I mention he started out thinking I, myself, was a minor?
That is a big change in assumptions, don’t you think? ”
“Could you blame the man? You look like an angry twelve-year-old,” Magnus quipped.
“You,” I snapped out my pointer finger, “are on thin ice, so you better be willing to get dessert and drinks.”
“Woman, you have more money than all of us combined, and you’re worried about paying a dinner bill?” Ghost cut in.
“How do you think the rich stay rich, Cappy?” I huffed, heading off toward the seafood restaurant we all agreed on.
Ghost stopped in his tracks, glaring at me. “Nope, no, you’ve come up with some weird-as-fuck nicknames for us, but that one is not gonna fly. It’s not even close to my real name!”
“And Ghost is?” I shot back.
“Um, yeah, the most famous lovable ghost is Casper. Everyone knows this, that’s why it stuck,” he argued.
“Bro, relax, she’s just trying to get under your skin and it’s working. Brush it off,” Magnus said, grabbing Ghost by the back of the neck and shoving him forward. “I’m fucking hungry, so stop holding up the party.”
As the day went on and the sun lowered, the pier got busier, meaning that the restaurant was packed.
“How many?” the hostess asked.
“Six,” I answered, slipping her a hundred-dollar bill. “First available is fine.”
The young girl’s eyes widened as she looked at the money, then back to me. “Ah, sure thing. Let me go check a few things and I’ll be right back.”
“Looks like you don’t mind spending money under the right circumstances.” Jaxson grinned.
Harper put her arm around my shoulders and cocked a hip.
“The one thing that Dax doesn’t fuck around with is food and coffee.
If there is a way that she can get either faster or in a larger quantity, then she will make it happen however she can.
That’s something that’s always been true.
I just didn’t know how much backing you had to make those demands. ”
Soon the hostess was back and waved us to follow her. “Normally this room is reserved for parties or special events, but we don’t have any booked tonight so it will be just the six of you in there. I’ll make sure to get a server over to you right away.”
The room had two walls of glass windows looking out over the water and the activity of the pier.
The restaurant was a little higher up on the hill, so we had an awesome birds-eye view.
I sat in the middle with Tilly and Harper on either side, with the Wright brothers across from us.
In a flash, we had bread on the table, waters filled, and a wine list presented to us by a very petty waitress.
“I’m Taylor and I’ll be taking care of you tonight. Please let me know if you need anything at all.”
“We might need a moment to look over the menu before we can let you know,” I muttered, irritated at her cheerleader vibe.
I was all for women fixing other women’s crowns and having each other’s backs, but chicks like this would stab you in the back faster than you could say pom-pom.
“Sure thing, I’ll give you guys a chance to look things over and be back in a jiff,” Taylor said with a swish of her high ponytail and left the room.
Once we ordered and got our drinks, I could tell there was a shift in the guys. “Look, Dax, we know that Harper is important to you, and you want to keep her as safe as possible. Can you honestly say that we aren’t the best option for that?” Magnus pointed out.
Leaning back in my chair, I crossed my arms, giving them an evaluating look.
“I’m not the one you need to convince of that, I know your skills.
I might not love your personalities but you are the best I’ve ever seen at doing what you do.
” I pointed at Harper. “She’s the one who has to say yes to this, because I’m not going to force her into anything. ”
Three pairs of eyes locked onto my best friend, hope filling their gaze, as they all but begged for her to say yes.
“I don’t even know you guys, not really.
Sure, we had fun today, but how can I trust that you’ll risk your life to save mine?
Dax has proven time and time again that she, while not always honest, has my best interests at heart,” Harper stated.
“If I come with you, how long would it be? I have a business to run and client orders to make. I can’t just give all that up at the drop of a hat. ”
Now it was my turn to step into this conversation, as much as it killed me inside to do it. “Harper, you can rebuild your business, but you can’t do that if you’re dead.”
“How bad can things be if we’re here spending the day on the beach like nothing’s wrong?” she snapped, glaring at me. “This doesn’t make any sense. You talk about how I’m a walking target but here I am out to dinner like any other day.”
Ghost reached across the table and took her hand that was clenched around her knife.
“Angel, you’ve been safe all day because the four of us have been with you, and you’re in a public spot like this with security and police running around.
Being out in the open, in a public place, is sometimes safer than hiding away in a safe house.
Dax is right though, you have to be alive to make your hard work count.
So you don’t want to lose clients, hell, we could just burn your shop down so you get the insurance money and the excuse for why you’re not working. ”
I had to stifle my laughter at the look of horror written on Harper’s face. “That’s an option to you?”
“Ah…”
Ghost didn’t have a chance to save himself as our waitress and another server entered the room ladened with trays of our food.
There was something about this other server that I didn’t like, but I couldn’t put my finger on it.
He refused to look me in the eye as he handed me the plate without so much as a warning it would be hot.
As he turned, I noticed a bulge that looked oddly gun-shaped on his ankle, making me tense.
Then I heard the cocking of a gun, and sure enough, Regina George was standing in front of the door with a pistol aimed at the table.
Taking my eyes off her was my first mistake.
I had relaxed, knowing I had the guys to keep watch. Never leave a man to do a woman’s work.
“Dax Rose Blackmore, Two Tricks’ enforcer, correct?” Psycho Barbie asked, cocking her head to the side. “Mr. De León has been looking for you.”
Well, that clears up who’s been after me.
“Is that so? He could have called, emailed, or even sent a text. Why the hostile takeover?” I asked, leaning forward and resting my chin on one hand, so I could have better access to my gun.
“I didn’t say he wanted to talk. No, he just wants your head on a platter—something about killing his son. I don’t know all the details. I was just given the hit,” she rattled on.
This is the problem with being too self-confident, it makes you stupid.
Quick as a flash, I kicked back my chair, pulled my gun, fired, and twisted to do the same to the other server, who tossed his tray at my head.
Ducking, I grabbed Harper’s arm and yanked her out of her chair, tossing her toward Tilly as I advanced.
This idiot hadn’t thought far enough ahead to need his gun, but when spring-loaded forearm sheaths ripped through his shirt, I figured out why.
“Get them the fuck out of here, Magnus, I’ve got this handled,” I ordered, not bothering to glance back. “Don’t you let her get a fucking scratch or else you’ll know firsthand what it means to have the wrath of Two Tricks’ enforcer on your ass.”
The hitman and I squared off as I blocked him from going after the others.
I knew I didn’t have much time, but I needed to get something out of this asshole.
“How many of you are there? No way you could pull a job off like this on the fly. You’ve been watching us all day.
” All I got for an answer was a smile. “You want to play hardball I see. Guess I’ll just have to take you with me then. ”
Shooting the guy in the leg, he grunted but didn’t fall as I hoped, but it still gave me enough time to stash my gun and rush him.
I kicked out his good leg, causing him to slam to the ground on his back, giving me the right angle to stomp on his wrist, causing him to release one of his knives.
Scooping up the knife, I used it to cut the tendons in his wrists so he couldn’t use them against me.
Banging came from the still locked door to the rest of the restaurant, since like the smart boys they were, the Wright brothers had taken the girls out the rear fire exit.
Grabbing two handfuls of the hitman’s shirt, I started to drag him to the door.
I heard him try and call for help like the victim he was pretending to be.
Dropping him, I grabbed his throat and plugged his nose until he opened his mouth, and I could pry it open. “Goddamn it. They already cut out your motherfucking tongue. You’re useless.”
As anger flooded my body, I took the knife and dragged it across his neck, leaving him to splutter in his own blood as he died. Rushing out the back door, I swore as people looked at me like I was a crazy person since I was covered in blood.
“Please, you have to help us! They were trying to kill us. They need an ambulance. Someone was shot and another was stabbed. They’ve gone crazy,” I sobbed hysterically, pointing back the way I came.
Out of the crowd, Jaxson appeared with a large beach towel, which he draped over me and tucked me into his side leading me away. “The others are in the car. We just need to get you there. Are you still armed?”
“Yes, I only shot off two rounds and I have backup clips plus my knife,” I answered. “Jax, they cut out his tongue. I couldn’t get anything from him so keep your eyes peeled.”
“Our Hummer is bulletproof. They’re both safe in the car. We just need to get there in one piece,” Jaxson assured me. “I should have known the private room was too good to be true, and I’m still really fucking hungry.”
We ducked behind some of the buildings, in a back alley out of the crowd, and I used the towel to wipe off the blood as best I could. “You have to take her and go. This is no longer up for discussion. I don’t give a fuck if she never speaks to me again, I need her alive.”
Jaxson met my gaze, searching my expression. “Do you trust us to keep her alive through this?”
“I don’t have another option,” I stated, seconds before I put my gun to his head.
“Know that if anything happens to her, you make her cry, you treat her wrong, and I find out about it, you will die by my hand. It will not be fast, it will not be pleasant, and you will beg until your voice runs out. Have I made myself clear?”
Jaxson flashed me a devious smile. “I knew we would win you over. Harper will be treated like the queen she is, wrapped in bubble wrap for safekeeping. There will never be a woman in all the world who is going to be safer or more cherished than, Harper Lynn Person, in our care.”
“Do you have Tilly’s keys?” I asked, dropping my gun. Jaxson lifted a hand and let the keys dangle from his finger. Snatching them, I turned and headed off. “Meet up at the rest stop near where the Five and Fourteen branch off. Tilly’s got to come back with me.”
Getting back to the car, I hit the speed dial and waited for him to pick up.
“Dax—”
“I am motherfucking pissed at you for calling them, but we will talk about that when I get back. There was another hit, this time from the cartel. Diego is looking for me. I need you to field the police while I head back. I need to take the back routes, so I’m not followed.”
Not giving Wes a chance to answer me, I hung up on him and turned the key and slammed on the gas pedal. It’s always easier to tell when someone is following you when you’re going hella fucking fast.