“So he’s been watching me for six weeks?” I asked, my body trembling with fury. “Without my knowledge. And instead of telling me I was in danger, you chose to let me walk blindly into a trap.”
“That’s not how it was. I was just trying to give you your space. I didn’t want to contact you until you were ready.”
A growl escaped me. “But you knew this whole time where I was. Yet instead of contacting me and telling me what was going on, you once again went behind my back.”
“I’m only doing what I think is best for you.”
“The only best interest you have in mind is the business’s,” I said, knowing in my heart this wasn’t the case. He just wasn’t good at telling other people what he was doing since he was the boss. And the boss never had to justify his actions. But I also knew he cared about his family more than anything else.
Instead of waiting for a response, I hung up. I’d reached my threshold for my family’s bullshit two years ago, and I was still done.
I slapped the phone against Gunner’s chest.
“How long have you been watching me?” I asked, needing to hear it from him.
He looked uncomfortable, and I narrowed my eyes at him. When he shifted on his feet, I knew I wouldn’t like his answer.
Turned out it was worse than anticipated.
“Two years,” he said, and I gasped.
“Sorry, what? Did you just saytwo years?” I screeched.
He nodded and put his phone back in his pocket. “I was hired to do a job, and I did it. As long as you do as I say, you’ll be safe. Now why don’t you go watch some TV?”
What does he take me for? A damsel in distress who’s just waiting on a knight with bad manners to save her?That might have been the case when he last saw me, but I’d grown up since then. I didn’t need anyone to save me. Not anymore.
The Irish mob was bad enough. Now I also had to deal with an overzealous security detail.
I just hoped my family hadn’t done something they couldn’t fix. They’d been skirting the edge of all that was sane and reasonable for a while. It was only a matter of time before their hotheadedness would blow up in their faces. And if they didn’t fix what they’d broken soon, I’d come after them myself.
Gunner went to a massive desk in the corner fitted with three screens, two keyboards, and a laptop. There were other fancy-looking gadgets lying around, but I had no idea what any of them were. I wondered whose house we were in.
A gun was sticking out of his waistband, the familiar sight making me narrow my eyes.
At least he could shoot the fuckers if they found us. Because theywouldfind us. If he thought the Irish were done, he was delusional.
I looked around the sparsely furnished house and noticed a depressing white-and-black theme. My apartment was the exact opposite of this. I’d painted a few walls pink, collected odd knickknacks from garage sales and markets, and had recently decided to add potted plants to my life. So far they were all still alive and looking pretty on my windowsills. Killer tried to attack the fern I’d put on the floor, but it was now sitting on a stool and out of reach.
Oh no. Killer. My poor bunny. I can’t believe I forgot about him.
“Killer!” I yelled, hands to my chest.
“What? Where?” Gunner frantically looked around the living room, eyes wild, gun in his hand.
“In my apartment. We have to get him.”
He narrowed his eyes at me. “We’re not going to your apartment. Have you lost your mind? Might as well just hand you over to the Irish myself.”
“He gets scared in the dark,” I said, my voice wavering. “We have to get him.”
“What are you talking about, woman?” he growled and lowered his gun.
“My bunny. He’s all by himself in my apartment. If I’m staying here, then so is he.”
Gunner tipped his head toward the ceiling, closing his eyes and mumbling something under his breath that sounded suspiciously like “Give me strength.”
“He’ll be fine,” he said once he’d gotten over his little moment.
