After a moment of trying to kill me with his eyes, though, the guy finally backs down and deflates.“This way,” he says gruffly.
Like he’s doing me some sort of favor.
He turns and walks toward the staircase and I follow, my fingers itching to grab my butterfly knife, flip it open, and bury it right between his shoulder blades.I don’t inhabit my father’s world very often, but when I come to the dark side I know exactly who I am and how to handle myself–and I never allow disrespect.
Especially from some two-bit soldier in Dom Landry’s house.
I manage to contain myself, though, and by the time we get to a closed door just past the stairs, I have my temper under control and am rehearsing the lines my father gave me.Get Dom alone and give him the message,he said.Make sure he understand, and get a response from him.Whatever the fuck that means.
Honestly, at this point I just want to give him the message and get the hell out of here.The whole house is dark and quiet as the grave, and it’s got my instincts screaming that something bad is happening.Something I don’t necessarily want to know about.
Then I hear a scream from behind the door we’re facing.
I don’t wait for the man to get out of the way.I shove him with all the strength in my body, sending him to the floor, and yank the door open.It’s dark inside as well–pitch black in the corners–but there’s a fire in the fireplace and enough light for me to see the hulking shadow of a large desk, complete with two chairs in front of it and a bookcase behind.I see the shadow of a man leaning over something, and when he jerks to the side at my sudden entrance, I see something else.
Brooks Landry on the floor, her head covered by her arms and her tiny frame trying to make itself as small as possible.When she looks up, shocked at the incursion, her white-blonde hair is plastered to the side of her face by her tears and her eyes are wide and terrified.
There’s blood on her lip and a bruise is already developing around one eye.
Someone hit her.
If I thought I was angry before, I had no idea what anger felt like.My body lights up like I’ve been plugged into an electric socket, the heat rushing through my veins from the inside out until I feel like I might actually be glowing.Every nerve in my body is screaming with fury, and I’m moving for her before I can stop myself.Because I’ve known Brooks for only a couple months now, but the moment I laid eyes on her, I saw her for what she was.A dragon in a girl’s frame.A warrior.A rebel.
And I girl I would spend the rest of my life defending, if she’d let me.
I shoot toward her, my brain focused on only one thing: Get Brooks and get her the hell out of here.I don’t know what’s going on–why the house is so fucking dark and quiet or what she’s doing on the floor of her father’s study, bruised and broken–but it doesn’t matter.I know my job.
I know my fucking job.
Before I can reach her, though, the shadow man steps into my path and I run right into him.When I bounce back and look up, the light of the flames dances across his face, and I see Dom Landry himself glaring back at me, looking like he wants to murder me where I stand.
“The Boudreaux brat,” he hisses.“What the fuck are you doing in my house?I’d heard you were sniffing after my daughter, but I didn’t realize we’d reached the point of you making house visits.Or maybe you only visit her when you think I’m not looking.”
Oh my God Iamgoing to murder someone tonight.I was just joking about that before, but now I realize that I was actually right.
Fuck, maybe I’ve turned psychic.I should start a side gig.
But first, the important things.
I snatch my Glock out of its holster and bring the nose right to Dom’s forehead.
“Fuck you,” I say, my voice low and controlled.“I’ve never been here to visit your daughter, but I do consider her a friend.So I’m a little bit concerned at what I’m seeing right now.”
His lips pull back in a snarl, but he doesn’t back down.“That’s none of your fucking business, boy.”
I click the safety off, my blood singing at the sound of it.“And yet I think it is.I’m here with a message from my father, Landry.I’m going to deliver it, and then I’m going to get that girl out of here.Or you’re going to find your brain splattered across that pretty desk back there.Actually, I guess you won’t see that part.Because you’ll already be dead.”
I watch his eyes, wondering if he’s going to fucking back off now.Because he doesn’t know me–not well–but I’m sure he’s heard the rumors.He’s got to know that I’m a wild card my father can barely control.That I already run the younger crowd in the city, and that I’m on my way to having a solid crew of my own, regardless of what my father has to say about it.If Dom is half as smart as his daughter, he knows I killed one of his soldiers last week when he got in my way.
And he should guess that I won’t hesitate to pull the trigger right now if he doesn’t give me what I want.
But there’s no harm in confirming that for him.”For the record, my father doesn’t like you.He’s not going to complain if I decide to kill you rather than delivering his message.”
A split second passes where I think he might actually try to fight me.He’s older, but he’s still fit, and I might have my hands full if he tries.After a moment of hesitation, though, he relaxes slightly and blows out a breath.
Good.
“Give me the message,” he snaps.
