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Sure, now that I’ve watched the rabbit during the meeting and while he works, I understand that his threat level is minuscule compared to what I thought it was. The problem is that I didn’t know that in the moment.
And I still fucking hesitated.
“I hate incompetence,” I answer. Which is the truth. It wouldn’t be all on me to protect people if they could do it themselves. “He’s nothing but prey.”
“His name is Sasha. He pissed me off, and even I can use his fucking name.”
“What does it matter? He’ll be gone soon enough.”
The pinched look falls from Wilde’s face, and it immediately sets me on guard.
“Won’t he?”
“Booker hasn’t made a decision yet.”
Of course he hasn’t. Booker might be the town doctor, but he’s anything but stiff and boring. He likes his games, and knowing that us getting a mechanic to fix Sasha’s car relies solely on him being traded to Dale—the town that borders ours—temporarily has gone to his head.
“I could kidnap the mechanic for us,” I point out.
Wilde does a double take and must pick up that I’m serious. “Don’t you dare. That’s an order.”
Him throwing his weight around always makes me cackle. “An order, my liege? Let me immediately fall in line.”
“I mean it, Lynx. Steal someone out from under Foley’s nose, and you know he’ll retaliate.”
“Sounds to me like it’ll make the trade happen faster. I don’t see a downside.”
“This is Wilde’s End. Everyone who’s here has come here wanting to make their own way. To have autonomy over their lives.” He cuts me a side-eye. “It’s why I’ve allowed you to roam free for so long.”
My hand immediately finds the soft, leathery grip of my knife. “How lucky I am to have your allowance, Wilde.” I’m watching him, waiting for any sign of a threat, and maybe he’s doing the same to me because he takes a subtle step away.
“No kidnapping. Booker will decide on his own, and if he doesn’t, I’ll ask around. I’m sure Rooney will be able to bring someone in.”
Panic spikes through my chest. “More outsiders?”
“We need a mechanic.”
“We need to protect this town. Those brothers have gotten in your head. Poisoned your mind. Maybe you’re not the best person to run this town anymore.”
“And what’s that supposed to mean?”
I slowly take back the distance he’s put between us. “Wilde’s End always comes first. It’s why I’ve allowed you to lead for so long.”
His lips twitch behind his beard. “How lucky I am to have your allowance, then, huh, Lynx?”
My grip on my knife tightens, but Wilde only cuffs me on the shoulder.
“You don’t want any outsiders? Fine. Then we wait for Booker. And until then … have fun stalking your little rabbit.”
“He’s not my rabbit,” I throw back, but Wilde is already walking away.
It’s not until he’s right beside Sasha that the much smaller man looks up. Wilde’s caught him by surprise, and I think I’ve hit my allocation of frustration for one day.
I can’t stand someone being so goddamn helpless.
Surely it has to be an actual effort to be so unaware. Everything from his creamy skin to his flushed cheeks to those bright eyes that are bigger than any human needs them to be broadcasts vulnerability. Doesn’t he understand how dangerous that is? How easily he could catch the wrong man’s interest?
Wilde and Sasha exchange a few words before they head in my direction. He actually jumps when he sees me and Bob here, and my hands itch for his shoulders. To take those narrow, bony things and shake until he understands how easily I could break him. How easily the entire fucking world could break him.
