“Ever been in trouble with the law?” Guy asks.
“Dad!”
“I’m just asking, Ella.”
“Yes,” I say. “I got arrested twice when I was fourteen. Once for shoplifting, and another time I stole a car. I’m not proud of it.” Lie. “But I’m not gonna hide it. I was an angry kid, so I did stupid shit. I also did stuff I didn’t get caught for.” I look at Guy. “Cops that don’t notice shit are my favorite kind of cops.” We stare at each other, a silent standoff, one that I couldn’t give less of a shit whether I win or not, which is probably why I’ll win. “Except chickenshits who let their girlfriend’s purse get stolen.”
Guy laughs, loud and clear. “Good fucking point, Gable.”
I grin. Shit. That was pretty easy. “Thanks.”
“Very funny to bring up my ex right now, Gable,” Ella snipes at me.
I smirk, leaning back into my seat, pretty damn proud of myself. Asher didn’t make Guy laugh.
I did.
Winner.
“Well, that went better than expected.”Asher drops the keys onto the kitchen counter and leans against it.
Motor hops up beside me on the couch. “Please, I’m charming as fuck when I want to be.”
Although, I have to admit, I’m surprised just how well it went. We shifted away from the ex-boyfriend talk, and Guy isn’t a total prick. If I could forget he’s a cop, it actually wouldn’t be horrifically awful hanging out with the guy.
“He’s pretty cool,” I say, leaning back into the couch cushions and watching my brother. “A shame we have to kill his kid.” He tenses, and that tells me everything I need to fucking know. I grit my teeth but keep my temper. “That is still the plan, right?”
He nods. “Of course it is.”
“Because she’s an easy fifty k.”
He nods again, focused entirely on the ground. He folds his arms. “Aren’t you curious what she did, though?”
“No.”
He shifts his gaze to me. “She isn’t our usual target, Gable.”
“People lie all the time, Ash. She’s hiding something, or she’s done something, and that’s why people want her head. I don’t care which it is; I just care about getting paid.”
I gave up looking for the deeper meanings behind these bounties a long time ago, in particular after I had to kill a woman who, on the surface, seemed totally innocent. Except her side income was luring kids into cars to traffic them.
Now, I trust the jobs are for people who deserve a knife in the throat.
Ella Gibson is no exception.
“You want my advice, brother?” I ask, and his light blue gaze meets mine. I see the war behind them, one he’s only fighting because he got deeper into this mess than he should have. “Go over there right now and ask about the drive. Make up some shit if you have to, but get what we need to know, and then come back. I’ll take care of the rest.”
My brother stares at me, the tendons in his arms flexing as he clearly fights the urge to pace. “You’re saying you’ll kill her.”
“Yes. I’ll make it quick. Let’s just go, Asher. I’m bored of this fucking city.”
Motor pants in my ear, and minutes pass before Asher speaks again.
“No, I’ll do it,” he says, straightening up. “She won’t even let you in the door. And I’d rather find out for myself what she did to deserve this.”
I give him a thumbs up. “Don’t take too long.” He goes to the door. “Oh, and I find a neck snap works wonders, if you’re in a hurry.”
Chapter 12
