“Yes.” I smirk. “You’re going to fake a murder.”
“Oh shit, this is getting fun.” Mac rubs her hands together.
“So who do you have in mind for Utah?” Eros asks.
“You think Bonte’s father might want to come out of retirement for a few days?” I need someone highly specialized. Silas really is the only one that I think could handle Utah.
Eros chuckles. “You want to send in a serial killer?”
“Yes, he knows how to make a crime scene to his liking.” They both stare at me.
“You already got it figured out then?” Mac asks.
“These are merely the ideas. Like the wife wanting out and these three sheriffs, each with their own vices, we can close in on them. They are the weakest links, and it makes sense we start there. These are the idea outlines with the numbers.” I can feel Paxton’s presence before I see him. He comes to stand next to me.
“Yeah, the wife that wants out.” Mac flips through a few of the pages. “You have a 93.5 percent chance that she wants out and would want a new identity to do so.”
“Yes, I think the percent is that,” Paxton answers her.
“93.5?” A small laugh leaves her. “How did you come up with that .5?”
“I just did. It’s hard to explain, but I tried to, on the second to last page because I knew there was a ninety percent chance you would ask me that question.” Mac stares at him and then flips to the page. “I was fucking with you.”
“Oh my God.” Mac laughs. He might have been teasing her about it being on that page, but the number was very real to Paxton. He’s one of the most calculated people I’ve ever met in my life. If it’s real to him, then it is to me too.
Chapter Twenty-Five
PAXTON
“Here,” I tell Naomi, patting my thigh. She puts her foot up on it, and I lace her boot up for her. Her face softens, and her shoulders drop down, pulling in closer, giving me the more vulnerable side to her.
My girl always had it there, lingering deep inside; she only needed someone to bring it out of her. Naomi can handle most situations herself; she is one of the most capable people I have ever met, but I enjoy the bits and pieces that I can give her that no other could. It’s become quite addictive, really. I never knew taking care of someone could be a kink, but I’m finding it gets me off when it comes to Naomi.
“You’re always taking care of me.” She rests one of her hands on my shoulder, the other on her hip.
“I’m only lacing up your boot so that you can be hunted down.” I’m only half teasing. This is the third time I have borne witness to this little game she has with her brothers. It’s fascinating to watch and fucking hard. Her oldest brother doesn’t pull any punches with her.
It pisses me off, but I respect it too. It’s clear that they love her and are doing this for her. They want her to be at the top of her game.
“I’m training them too.” She gives my shoulder a squeeze. “I’ve been thinking about the Esposito family.” The name only has rage flooding me. I keep my anger under control, but Naomi catches the glint of it. I have always been good at masking emotions, keeping my demeanor calm and unfazed, but she’s getting good at reading me. She’s the only one I allow to see this side of me.
“What of them?” They are on the bottom of the list. Not because they are the least threatening; no, they blow. When we finally do hit them, it won’t be in the middle of the night where no one is the wiser that we were behind it. There will be a display. The final act.
“I want to start now with them. A longer game.” There’s a hint of excitement in her voice.
There are already wheels in motion, and people in places or on their way to them. It has been a lot of planning, but it’s already unfolding. In fact, one of the plans should be happening even now as we speak. Naomi gives me a small smirk, lifting her brows, wanting me to guess.
My mind shuffles through what she might want to do without alerting the Esposito’s to anything. I’m sure they are already slightly on edge. A meeting has been requested a few times from Tommy, wanting to smooth things over about his nephew. He took a shot at my Naomi. There is no smoothing anything over, and soon everyone will learn that. War keeps postponing the meeting, but it will have to happen.
“You’re not as mad about him shooting at you as you are about the torment and unrest he’s put upon Mac.” A small dip of her chin lets me know that I’m correct. “You want to torment him. You want payback for the seed of doubt he put in Mac’s mind.”
“I want to hunt Luigi down, the same way he tried to hunt her down.” Excitement lights up her eyes.
“And your plan for this?”
“My brothers. I want to send them his way and have them toy with him. Start messing with his head. Breaking into his homes, having a few of his men disappear. I want him terrified.” The more she talks about the plan she’s concocted, the more animated she gets.
“Everyone should get to have a bit of fun. It shouldn’t be all business,” I tease.
