“My friend,” she repeated, “Cass is trusting you with an important job. He’s not shoving your spine down your throat. This is a win.”
Javion didn’t appear convinced.
But Cass needed the man to stay with Raz. “I’m counting on you,” he told Javion.
Javion nodded. Reluctantly. But then his chin jutted up. “And I’m counting on you to keep your ass alive.” He leaned toward Cass. “Don’t care what kind of cons you’ve been running. You are my friend. Come back alive.” Then he turned on his heel and stalked toward the other men who waited on their motorcycles.
Javion had never wanted to be the leader of the MC. But, as before, Cass had the thought of…But I know he’d be damn good at the job.
Ryan stood near the open, rear doors of the van. His arms were crossed over his chest as he peered inside at Agnes. “You got that knife I gave you tucked into the sling?”
“Yes.”
“And the mace?”
“Yes.”
“And you have a gun?”
“Got it.” She inclined her head toward him. “And later, you’re gonna give me answers about how you wound up here.”
“Oh, I can tell you that right now. Got here the usual way. Stalked you. Pissed off Gray. Followed the dead bodies you left.” His head cocked. “Want me in this van with you?”
Cass jumped into the back of the van. “I have her.”
“Do you.” Not a question.
“I do.” A definite answer. Cass glowered at her brother. “I vouched for you with the crew. You and Nash. Told them that our paths had crossed before. That you’d proved I could count on you.”
“You can count on us,” Ryan affirmed.
“Good. But I really only need you to do one thing. Well, two things, actually.” He was making up plans as he went along.
Ryan waited.
“Tail the van, but stay out of sight.” The first order.
“Done.”
He’d figured that would be Ryan’s response. “Second, make sure that whatever happens to me, Agnes walks away.”
Her right hand fluttered across his arm. “Nothing is going to happen to you. You and I are going to win.”
“Your optimism is always a plus,” he said, but Cass kept his eyes on Ryan, waiting for the other man’s response.
“I will make sure Agnes walks away,” Ryan vowed.
Good. Some of the tension slid from Cass’s shoulders. Nash had already gone to the front of the van. Cass heard the engine crank up.
Ryan slammed one rear door. “You got plenty of weapons on you, Striker?”
He was more than locked and loaded. “I made your sister a promise, and I intend to keep it.”
“What promise was that?”
“She gets the vengeance she always wanted.”
Ryan didn’t slam the second door. His gaze did shift to Agnes. “She’s a Fed. She gets justice, not vengeance. Feds lock up the bastards who break the law and hurt others. Feds make them spend the rest of their miserable lives behind bars.”
