He showed me his Glock. “Don’t you have AR15s or something?”
“Yeah, but not now. The coppers are already on alert because of Cyclone’s house, I’d wager. We don’t want to get caught with that shit.”
“Do we know where we’re going?” He kissed my shoulder through the material of my shirt. I hadn’t bothered to get changed from my shorts and T-shirt. I wanted to blend in and be as anonymous as possible. The only thing that worked against me was my height, but that wasn’t enough for the coppers to arrest me. Finn’s dress was also not something they could get him on, either, because anyone could be wearing that type of clothing. My concerns only matteredifwe got caught on someone’s surveillance camera, and I had no plans to do that.
“Yeah. Mercy got a location a few days ago. As far as I know, it’s nothing more than a house for some soldiers of theirs, but it’ll be public and brutal, and they’ll get the message.” I gritted my teeth. “We’re coming for them.”
“And Ario? He’s still staying at the safe house you set up for him. Maybe we could.... I don’t know. Is he really on our side?” Finn tilted his head, and I cupped his cheek. The makeup he had on today was light and natural and I loved it on him. I kissed him deeply, and he moaned. I loved the soft strawberry flavor of his mouth.
“Hero wouldn’t let me do anything to him, even if I wanted to.”
Mercy grunted. “He’s got the hots for Ario, and the Italian’s got no fucking idea. It’s bloody sad.”
I hummed in agreement.
“Here.” Mercy threw a small bag from the passenger’s seat over to us, and I opened it, pulling out a couple of balaclavas. I gave Finn one and helped him put it over his head, letting it bundle on his forehead. The material looked strange with the pink dress he was wearing.
I bundled my own balaclava on my head and sat back.
The Desert Eagle was heavy in my palm, and the longer it sat there, the longer I had time to think about when I’d used it. While I didn’t enjoy creating drama, because it was easier to keep off the coppers’ radar without it, I’d killed a lot of men to make my way to the top. My Desert Eagle had always been my trusty accomplice, my weapon throughout my most violent past.
“At least now Killough might not call his men home,” Mercy said.
I groaned.
“What?” Finn turned accusing eyes on me. “He wanted us home?”
I shook my head, not quite denying it. “He sent a request today. I only just got it. But yeah, he asked for you to come home. I was thinking up... negotiations to keep you here. Thought about talking to your uncle about what Killough would want.”
Finn’s mum and uncle were still in Townsville, taking their time to holiday with Finn. I hadn’t seen him as much as I would have liked because he was showing them around the city as though he’d lived here for years, but from what I’d heard from Cyclone, while I was away in Thailand, Mum had done the same for Finn, as much as she could. Cyclone had said he already considered this home, and the thought warmed my heart.
Yet, even the thought of Finn couldn’t take away from the throbbing wrath that boiled inside me, flooding me with desires I kept hidden away for times like these. As laid-back as I considered myself, there were moments when I needed to showwhyI controlled this territory.
“Well, I’m not going home,” Finn whispered.
The words startled me. I glanced at him in surprise. “You’d disobey him?”
He tickled his fingers over my cheek. “For you? Yes. Definitely.”
I slammed my lips against his and devoured his mouth, eating at him as though this was our last moment. Hell, it might be exactly that. I wanted to take every second to show him how much he meant.
“I love you, Lolly. Marry me.”
He gasped, eyelids flashing open after our hot kiss. “What?”
“You’re not fucking doing this right now, are you?” Mercy groaned in the front seat, but I ignored him.
I cupped Finn’s face between my hands. “Marry me. Become my husband and stay here forever. I’ll do whatever I bloody have to in order to make Killough accept you’re mine, but marry me.”
His breath left him in a shudder, and he touched his fingers to my lips, tracing my mouth carefully. “Ledge—”
The Jeep jolted to a stop, and I nearly fell forward against the front passenger seat. I glared at Mercy, but he shook his head and pointed out the front window. “They have a lookout a few blocks out. Fuck. We’re caught. We need to go in fast!”
I glanced through the front seats to see what he was talking about, and I caught sight of a man in the growing gloom as he ran across some front yards. He was on the phone, signaling he’d already alerted his friends we were coming.
Mercy hit the accelerator and the vehicle jerked forward. The SUV spun around a corner into a smaller street, then around another corner, our bodies swaying with the sharp turns. Finally, Mercy hit the brakes, and the Jeep Cherokee came to an abrupt stop in front of our destination with the cars of our soldiers behind us.
I wanted to wait to hear Finn’s answer, but he was already tugging down his balaclava and jumping out his side of the Jeep, Glock clutched in his hand and ready for action, so I had no choice but to do the same from my side. Shoving my way out the door, my feet dropped to the bitumen as I pulled down my balaclava, and I went into killing mode.
