“Don’t you dare use my curse against me.” He was right. I could tell how angry and concerned he was, his entire body creating a dark aura. He was emitting completely different pheromones.
I slowly lifted my head, blinking to force tears to fall. His expression softened and with a single finger, he wiped the tip through the trickle on both sides of my face. “You’re going to be okay.”
“It was just something in my throat.” Every time I dared look away from him, he refused to allow it, this time cupping my chin with his thumb and forefinger.
“I’m not talking about your upset stomach. I’m talking about what we’re dealing with.”
“And what are we dealing with?” I watched, shuddering to my core as he glanced over his shoulder. He was fearful we’d been followed. The outline of his weapon could easily be seen even through the thick leather. Instead of offering comfort, I was still shaken to the core.
I’d gotten in the middle of a war.
“Come with me.” He brushed his fingers across my cheek before taking my hand. I wanted to pull away. At least a part of me did. But I couldn’t.
There was a group of picnic tables deeper in the woods. He lifted me onto the edge of one, his gaze even more dark and demanding than I’d seen in him.
“Doesn’t your leg hurt?” Did I really care? The answer was painfully simple and clear. Yes.
With a quick glance at his thigh, he grumbled. “Stop worrying about my leg.”
“Fine. I will. You’re a big boy.”
A slight wry smile was there as he reached into his pockets, holding out a bottle of water with one and opening his other to reveal a couple of peppermints.
“Yes, I am. Which one do you prefer?” The deep baritone of his laugh filtered into air when I snatched both.
“It’s not funny.”
“I’m not laughing at you, Fleur. I’m certainly not laughing at the situation. I’d say I can’t imagine what you’re going through except that I can.”
After gulping some water, I popped a mint. “Your dad.”
“Yes. His murder was nothing we’d expected. What I said before is true. We run a glorified hospitality corporation, our business activities trending more toward full legitimacy every day. Our employees worry more about their 401-Ks than they do getting killed. We had no idea our enemies were lying in wait for the perfect opportunity.”
“As they did with you.”
Nodding, he scanned the forest surrounding us. “Yes. The hit came out of the blue with no warning. That’s how the Bratva operate.”
“Are you trying to suggest the people who tried to kill you are from New York?”
His laugh was full of amused bitterness. I never knew there was such a thing, but I heard it clearly. “The Bratva in New Orleans orchestrated a complicated game ending in my father’s murder. We put them in their place. They’re smart enough to know we’d assume they tried to have me killed, even burning down portions of the city to find evidence. The two Bratva leaders are cousins. What I know for certain through the chatter on the dark web is that several assassins were hired. They were told to continue until the job was finished.”
“That’s really why you’re in Vermont.”
He nodded in response.
“Danny was trying to warn me.”
“Evidently. The question is why the warning. And yes, the timing is important.”
“You have his gun. You kept it. Maybe he’d still be alive if…” I was constantly trying to avoid another round of hysteria, which was becoming more difficult as the minutes chased the wind.
“I assure you that your brother carried an arsenal with him. Call it crime syndicate 101.”
Whether he was joking or not I couldn’t tell, but I laughed nervously anyway. I looked away, sipping the water. “The firsttime I heard from him was the morning I brought you muffins. Was Danny warning me about you or about what was going to happen? Or was he hired as one of the assassins, then realized you and I are… connected.” By the flash of his eyes, I could see his wheels turning.
“The timing is… interesting. However, I don’t have enough information to suggest Danny’s warning was about me. What I do know for certain is that your life is in danger. As I said to you before, you need to trust me. Do you think you can do that?”
“What are we going to do?”
