Smiling, I let out a long breath I hadn’t realized I was holding.
It didn’t take long for Cary to pull the SUV into the parking lot in front of a store beside the guys, who were all in a huddle that already looked suspicious. I rolled my eyes. Men didn’t stand around talking like this unless they were up to no good, and I knew that because people watching was a big part of what I did for the Company. I got out with Cove and Cary and made my way over to the guys.
Mack turned around when we got closer to him, then did a double take. He narrowed his eyes and his handsome face twisted until it was almost scary. “What the fuck is this?” he asked, waving a hand at my face.
I shriveled up inside. This was more the reaction I’d thought I would get. My stomach dropped to my toes.
Mercy glared at Mack.
I studied Mack because his hair was wet and there was a perfect curl on his forehead.What the heck have they been up to?
“Worry about business right now,” Mercy said, and his tone made it clear he wanted no bullshit.
Mack gave me a shitty look that let me know he would have tons to say about this later but focused on his phone. I realized all the guys were staring at their phones, and there was a map app up.
“What are we doing?”
Fallon brushed his blond hair out of his face and grinned at me. “We’re getting into trouble. Hey, nice necklace.” His gaze landed on my chest.
Crap. The last thing I needed was to ruin an heirloom. I tucked the necklace Diedre had given me into my shirt so it wouldn’t get damaged—well, unless I did.
Fallon nudged me with his elbow. “We’re burning down a house. I’ve never done that. Have you?” A small smile quirked the corner of his lips.
Cillian glared at Mercy. “Not sure I love this plan,mate. They’ll be expecting retaliation.”
Mercy grunted. “And we’re gonna give them some.” He smirked in my direction, and I frowned, then gasped when a heavy hand landed on my right shoulder.
“You’re in more trouble than your pretty arse can handle.” The words Legend whispered in my ear were cold, and every hair on my body stood on end.
Oh fuck.
13
LEGEND
I was a patient man,at least, compared to most bosses who ran multimillion dollar illegal businesses like I did, but when it came to Finn disobeying me... my anger was ignited. Not only because I enjoyed him being my beautiful submissive Lolly, ready to do anything to make me happy—and he’d directly disobeyed me—but because situations like this put him in immediate danger.
While in the back of my mind, Iknewhe was a Company man who’d been in danger many times, my protectiveness for him exploded. He was my top priority, and if that meant embarrassing him in front of his coworkers, then I would. I wasn’t into rough public displays like the rumors said Killough was, but that didn’t mean I wouldn’t spank him in front of the Americans if it meant I’d teach him an important lesson. The only thing that stopped me was knowinghewouldn’t enjoy it like Killough’s pet. I didn’t want to alienate Finn, and I especially didn’t want to lose him.
Anger throbbed in my temples, though, and it took every drop of my restraint not to grab him and drag him home where I could tell him how unhappy I was. Even if I wanted to haul him around, I didn’t know if I could. The pain of the jellyfish sting had my back spasming. Standing here beside him was painful enough without me throwing him over my shoulder and carting him back to the car that Cyclone had driven me here in.
My sister sidled up beside me, touching my shoulder carefully with a concerned frown. “You shouldn’t be here,” she whispered, her anger making her words sharp as her attention slid to Finn. “And neither should you, if it means he’ll be here, too.”
From the corner of my eye, I noticed Grimm standing at attention beside Mercy. He was another bloke in our mob who I trusted to get the job done. As Hero’s best friend, Jesse Harrington, or Grimm as we called him, was smart and loyal, but he had always had a thing for Cyclone, who barely noticed him.
Grimm was a well-known playboy, and with looks like his, it was easy to see why he attracted the ladies around Townsville. He had short brown hair, spiked up in his favorite style, and deep sun-kissed skin that he spent hours at the beach to perfect. He had the charm and suaveness of a gentleman from the forties and the horniness of the bachelor he was, and I wouldn’t let him get within ten feet of Cyclone if she noticed him—which she didn’t, much to his frustration.
The man shedidnotice was one of the Americans. I couldn’t remember if it was Cary or Cove, but he had long brown hair and a short beard that I suspected Killough wouldn’t approve of because it wasn’t as neat as he usually liked. His men were always as shiny as if they’d just been to a barber.
She tilted her head toward the Ryan brother with a smile, and he offered her a charming grin in return, and I didn’t miss the flush that danced across her cheeks as she turned her back toward Grimm to look at me.
Ouch.I smirked.
“I didn’t tell him to follow me,” Finn murmured, sending me a fearful glance that had my heart hurting. I never wanted him to be frightened of me. He touched his hand to my chest unashamedly, and I couldn’t explain the warmth the gesture brought me. He didn’t check over his shoulder like he was doing something he shouldn’t, and his attention was solely on me.Only me.“You should be back in bed, Ledge.”
I straightened, ignoring the spasm of pain that swept down my spine, and gritted my teeth. The agony of a jellyfish sting wasn’t something that could be explained. Even a small smack of their tentacle across the hand, like I’d gotten, came with indescribable discomfort, but I didn’t think the Americans would understand. They’d never been stung by the water beauties, and unless they went swimming in the tropical ocean and got unlucky, they never would.
I’d deal with Finn later, in private. “Fill me in on what’s happening.”
