Page 28
The hitter shrugs. “We assume more women.”
Roman is growing his network?
“What do you need from them?”
He comes to my side, tapping the desk. “We need to know where they’re going, because it’s not Boston.”
A quick search gives me null. This is the shit that drives me crazy. Roman is a sleazy little cretin, but he’s smart. Someone is helping him, and it’s pissing me off.
As I roll through the lists, I notice the shipments don’t have destinations. They have numbers.
“It’s encoded,” I say, pointing to the screen. “Numbers for where they end up.”
“How do we break it?”
“You hire a hacker,” I quip, cracking my knuckles.
Hayes pinches the bridge of his nose. I can’t help but grin at his frustration.
“Briar, not tonight—”
“Briar?” Maeve stops short, mouth parted. Over her shoulder, Killian looms, her ever-present shadow.
“Hey sis,” I greet, biting my tongue. Shit. I was supposed to be gone before she saw me. My phone should’ve alerted me to movement.
Oh, that’s right. I turned it off because I was trying to stop myself from stalking a woman I have no reason to stalk. Or, rather, I do, but it’s all bullshit. Whatever, not the point.
She glares at Hayes, and the man—three times her size—has the decency to wince. Maeve is not someone to mess with, and every man here knows it.
Slowly, I stand, gesturing to her outfit. “You look nice. Off for a date?” She’s in a black leather skirt, barefoot, with a ripped white shirt. Blood soaks her cuff, and she crosses her arms.
She ignores me, keeping her eyes on her second.
“I told you not to involve him.”
“It’s computers—”
“He’s not a part of this—”
“We need the help—”
“Hi,” I interrupt, waving my hand. “I’m right here. Be kind of cool if we talked to me and not about me, like I’m invisible.”
“Keep it up, and I’ll muzzle you,” she snaps. Rounding the desk, she pokes me in the chest, a good foot shorter than me. I know I shouldn’t, but I grin down at her.
Anger flashes in her eyes—the same as mine—and she frowns.
“If anyone should be muzzled,” I say, jerking my head at the Reaper, “it should be your dog.”
He holds up his hands, smirking. “I offered, but she likes to hear me beg.”
I hold my stomach and gag. “I did not need to hear that.”
Maeve pokes me again, and I wince. “Ow, sis. That kind of hurts.”
“He should not be involving you in clan matters.” She narrows her gaze on her second. “What if someone sees him here? If anyone finds out—”
“People will find me, pew-pew me until I die, and they’ll get a fat check. I get it.” I roll my eyes and she grows darker. Yikes. Carefully, I place my hands on her shoulders, grounding her.
