I wasn’t sure, but if he scared her, I felt like I might throw a punch, and I’d never done that with Oz.It was a strange realization.Kash and I had tied up a few times in our youth, but his crazy ass had always started it.But Oz?He was the calm older brother.Sure, he was a stalking psycho, but otherwise, he was the most relaxed of the three.
My phone buzzed, and I looked down to see a question from Than about the spread.Shit.I was not going to be able to help him handle this.Why hadn’t Oz come up with a better solution?Glancing up at Oz to see if he was getting texted, I found him talking with Linc while his brows were drawn together, as if it was something serious.Okay, fine.I’d handle it.
Getting up, I started to head to the kitchen.
“Where are you going?”Oz demanded.
Rolling my eyes, I turned back around and held up the phone.“Than has questions about adjusting the live odds.You and I are busy.I am handing it over to Elsie.”
Oz nodded in agreement, as if I had been seeking his approval on this.He was the one who had put Ransom and Than on the job tonight.Not me.Hell, Elsie could have handled it alone in my opinion.But I wouldn’t want that put on her.
“Elsie?”Linc asked with his signature scowl.
Oz turned back to him.“Finance major.She’s fucking good at it.Better than Forge.”
I didn’t argue.She was.I smirked as I continued on toward the kitchen.There was a trace of pride that I couldn’t nail down.She wasn’t mine to be proud of.Maybe it was because I wanted her to find happiness again.I hated the pain she had lived through.I didn’t know exactly, but I was fucking smiling about it by the time I reached the entrance into the kitchen.
Pausing before any of them saw me, I did a quick scan of the room.Cressida’s red hair was pulled back in a ponytail as she pulled a tray of cookies from the oven.Winslet was eating what looked like a cupcake with no icing while talking about a puppy.Were they getting a dog?She seemed giddy about it.
Then my eyes went to Elsie.Her inky-black hair was pulled back into a messy bun as she stood, slightly bent as she slowly covered a cupcake with icing from the bag she was squeezing it from.Her bottom lip was between her teeth, and her brow was puckered in concentration.
Dammit, did she have to be so fucking adorable too?
“Are you coming to swipe a cupcake?”Winslet asked.
My eyes snapped to her.She smirked as she took another bite of hers.
“Uh, well, I am now, but, no, that’s not the reason I’m here.”I swung my gaze back to Elsie, who had stopped what she was doing and was watching me.I held up the phone in my hand.“Could I give you a burner and you answer some questions for Than?He’s asking me shit about the live odds.”
Her lips curled into a smile as she set the tube of icing down.“Of course.”
I nodded my head toward the hallway.“Come with me.I’ll get you set up with one.”
I’d thought about giving her mine, but then I wasn’t sure what she might see on it.I didn’t clean off text messages often, and there was some shit she didn’t need to read.I barely glanced at the other two while watching her walk toward me.
“I’ll return her shortly,” I told them.
“Uh-huh,” Cressida said as if she didn’t believe me.
What was that supposed to mean?
Ignoring her, I kept my attention on Elsie until she was beside me.“This way,” I told her and started for the connection between this hallway and the one that led to the basement, where we kept most of our items used for the illegal side of things.
“Are your friends from Louisiana here yet?”she asked me.
I cut my eyes at her.“It’s the Mafia branch there.You know that, right?”
She lifted her shoulder in a slight shrug.“I kinda figured, but I didn’t ask.”
“No, they’re not here yet, but they will be soon.”
She didn’t say anything until we reached the door that led downstairs.I typed in the code, and it buzzed, then the lock slid away.
“Am I supposed to go down there?”she whispered.
Probably not.But I didn’t want to leave her up here alone.I glanced around, knowing there were two cameras on this door.It was best she didn’t go with me.
“Yeah, I guess not.Wait here.I’ll be right back.”
