CHAPTER 16
Wraith
Boone is on edge—rightfullyso—with his hands clenched into fists. He’s weak as fuck, fortunately for me, but I gotta admire the fight in him. That’s how he’s lasted this long.
“How do you know my brother?” Boone asks, glaring at me. “Did you use him to get to me?”
“Fair question.” I glance at Bouche. “Except I didn’t know you were his brother. How would I? That’s clearly protected information.”
“But someone knew,” Bouche says, looking at Boone. “The people who hired his company.”
“Company?” Boone scoffs. “Seriously, Pax? He works for a company?”
“Of sorts.” I clear my throat. “I didn’t know Bouche was connected to you when I started coming to the games. All I knew was that you showed up for home games and it was my job to find you, follow you, and….” I gesture vaguely.
“Kill me?”
Nodding, I avert my eyes for a moment. “It’s what I do.”
Boone’s eyes widen as he turns to his brother. “Why are you hanging out with him?”
“Because I didn’t fucking know.”
“Butwhyare you hanging out with him, Pax? You met at the game and became instant besties?”
Bouche’s face turns red as he swallows hard. “We, um, we hooked up.”
Boone blinks rapidly before dragging his hand through his hair. “You’re fucking kidding me. This is how I find out my brother’s queer? Because you’re fucking the guy hired to kill me?”
Bouche blanches but doesn’t say anything.
“Seriously, Pax?”
“Sorry,” Bouche mumbles. “It’s not that I didn’t want to tell you. I just wasn’t sure how and when to bring it up.”
Boone shakes his head. “I mean, he’s hot, so I get it, but you really expect me to believe this is a coincidence? Do you believe that, Pax?”
“I do now, but not at first. There’s literally nothing about us online or connecting us in any way. I made sure of that.”
“But again,” I say, drawing their eyes to me, “the people who hired us know.”
“That’s my fault.” Boone closes his eyes. “I let it slip one night when I was strung out. I owed a guy some money and I told him I was good for it, but he didn’t believe me, so I pulled the brother card. I didn’t even remember it happened until he reminded me weeks later. I got the money to him and figured it was over, but he obviously told people.”
Bouche’s jaw tightens to the point where I think he might break it. He’s pissed. “Dammit, Boone. That’s the whole point of not telling people—so they can’t use it to hurt you.”
“Really? I thought it was so the public would never know what a loser brother you have.”
“Stop.” Bouche shakes his head. “You know better.”
Boone mumbles under his breath as he plops down in a beat-up chair. “Maybe it would just be easier if I did die or disappear. I don’t care about me. I mean, I do, but I gotta do something to save those kids.”
“Wraith has an idea,” Bouche says, looking at me. I can see the pain, desperation, and fear in his eyes. I want to kiss it away, but now is not the time.
“What do you know about the operation?” I ask. “The more details the better. I can bring this to my boss and?—”
“No way.” Boone shakes his head. “I’m already in too deep. Telling more people just increases my risk.”
“Boone, listen to me.” I crouch in front of him. “You’re right that you’re in too deep. I was hired to kill you, remember? That problem isn’t just going to go away. When we get hired, it’s because they’re serious about what they want. If I’m honest, you’d already be dead if I hadn’t been distracted.”
