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“Absolutely not.”
They both tensed, gearing up for an argument that none of us wanted.
“I’ll take care of it,” Nate said, nodding at our captive.
At the sound of his voice, Paul—who looked like a horror movie extra—pried open his eyes. For the first time since he’d been brought in, he looked excited, and that made me angry. Suddenly, I understood why my cousin was so obsessed with keeping Aislynn safe.
The idea that this man knew who Nate was and that Cash would go after him because of me set all of my instincts flaring.
I marched over and threw a punch that rocked the chair.
“Eyes to yourself,” I snapped. Grey’s soft chuckle filled the air, but I couldn’t step away. Something primal drove me to protect. To defend. To claim.
Get ahold of yourself, Mari.
I couldn’t. They were my men, and I wouldn’t let anyone take them from me.
“Don’t worry, boy toy. I’ve got this.” Dominic swept past me, laughing at the pained exhale his own hit made.
Blow after blow after blow, Dominic punched until Paul finally, blessedly, passed out.
“What was that for?”
Dominic shrugged. “I’m all in, even if it means defending one of those assholes.”
My heart clenched, and something in me started to shift. Dominic hadn’t walked; he hadn’t balked. He’d stayed with me. He’d helped Cameron.
Could we really do this?
“Thanks, man. I appreciate it.” Nate stared at Paul with relief, though it was a painful sort of relief after I gave my orders.
“Drop him by the docks when you’re done.”
“Wait, you’re going to kill him?” Nate said.
My hackles rose, and I tried to tell myself he wasn’t asking to make a problem; he was genuinely curious. Still, I had the worst urge to defend myself. It was part of the damage Dominic caused, and it would take time to accept and move past.
“If we let him live, Cash will kill him, and he’ll do it worse than we ever could. We’ll make it quick.”
“I don’t doubt it. I was just surprised, is all,” he said, still looking incredibly uneasy.
Despite Nate’s being a merc, he still maintained something so innocent in his character. Maybe it was just how he saw the world as it was and accepted it. I didn’t want to ruin that, but if he didn’t get a handle on it, it would get him killed. I wanted to help Nate, but I didn’t know how. I couldn’t stop what had to be done, and sending a message to Cash was necessary.
Cameron bundled Ash up, tucking her under his arm, and she glared at me. “With that settled, I expect you at my bachelorette party this weekend. Shara knew you were busy, so she planned it, which means dicks and chicks everywhere. Don’t be late.”
And the worst maid of honor award goes to me.
“I’ll be there. With bells and whistles on,” I promised.
“Good. I want a night of no drama. Just the three of us. Dancing, drinks?—”
“And no strippers,” my cousin snarled.
Neither of us agreed. There wasn’t a snowflake’s chance in hell that Shara hadn’t hired strippers. Double—no, triple—the number, if he’d commanded her not to.
Poor Cameron had no clue how to handle women like us, despite growing up with me.
He’ll learn, though, I thought with a grin. Ash wouldn’t have it any other way.
