“Do ye know what I do for the skeleton crew?”
“Not exactly.”
“I hurt people who other people pay me to hurt. I’m good at it.”
A shiver caught me, my mind immediately jumping to his huge fists laying into someone bad. “Monetising those fists. It makes sense. Who?”
Kane threw the car into reverse and eased out of the space. “Businessmen, mainly. Arseholes who back out of contracts or take part in underhand dealings. I’ve also been a bodyguard, but the rules are so fucking strict I didn’t enjoy it.”
“Did you hurt women?”
He shook his head in a sharp motion. “Men are predators. If we piss off other predators, we take the consequences. Like last night. It’s fair game. Rarely the same for lasses.”
I was still not attracted to violence. Definitely not.
I was such a liar.
“What are women, then? Prey?”
Kane shot me a heated look. It went straight to my core.
We emerged from the underground into bright daylight.
I waved goodbye to the apartment block. “Farewell, Kane’s flat. It was sort of nice to meet you. I hope your new owner loves you even if your last won’t shed a tear.”
He shook his head, but it felt indulgent, even if he didn’t give the building a single parting glance as we drove away.
Our journey to Warford and the start of our Dixie hunt would take under an hour, and once we were there, I intended to pound the pavements. It meant the time to talk to Kane was now.
I swallowed but couldn’t phrase the question I wanted to, instead, busting out with, “Star TrekorStar Wars?”
He raised a dark eyebrow.
I rolled my hands over the other. “Which do you prefer? All guys are in one camp or the other.”
“Never watched them.”
“No childhood binge watching?” At his headshake, I released a mock gasp. “You never sat on that block-edged sofa and had a movie night? Wait, there wasn’t even a TV. I can’t believe I didn’t notice until now.”
He shrugged. “Which are ye?”
“Also neither. I’m aLord of the Ringsgirl. Let me guess, that’s a mystery to you, too.”
“I thought everyone was in one camp?”
“Girls have more options. You are missing out if you never beheld Aragorn smoking his pipe in the Inn of the Prancing Pony.”
Kane muttered something I couldn’t pick up, and I took the moment to force my lips to say what I really wanted.
“What does rough look like to you?”
He stilled. Flexed his fingers on the steering wheel then gripped it tighter. “More than last night.”
“Meaning?”
“Sure ye want to hear?”
“Spill it, Ryan, because my brain is working overtime.”
