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And we made three. We each ruled our own areas, crossing over when needed. We ran escorts on their sides of town; they pushed their drugs and weapons into ours. It was a new truce, but it had been working.
Until Aaron McCabe moved into the city. He didn’t sell drugs or weapons. He sold people. Kidnapped them and made them disappear.
A sour taste filled my mouth. We hadn’t seen that kind of evil here since my father had died. My brothers and Vander were not happy that someone was bringing it back. Especially since we suspected he’d been involved in an attack on Angelo and an attempt to get rid of Vander’s wife, Grace.
But we had no proof. Just like we knew he was funded by somebody else but hadn’t discovered who. Without their identity, we were reluctant to start a war.
“I’ve asked Zara to look into him.” Vander’s gaze fell to Angelo, but he only nodded his approval. She was the best hacker around, even if her acquaintance with us was unusual now.
His fiancé left him for two of our associates, but Angelo didn’t seem to care. It was a contract, not a relationship. For a while, I thought he might be like me, unable to love anyone. But then he’d kidnapped Isla. Somehow, that led to their marriage. And a baby.
I knew the world needed babies. People had to ensure their continued existence. But it seemed like such a messy way to do it. Very inefficient. I already knew I wouldn’t be participating in it.
Did Lark want kids?
My stomach twisted at the thought. Vander discussed the results of Zara’s background check into Aaron and the money trail I’d been chasing. The reason for my meeting with Cole a week ago. Thinking about that meeting brought Lark back to my mind. I let Vander’s voice fade away as I opened my tablet again, pulling up the camera feeds.
Lark was dressed, moving around her kitchen now. She twisted on the tile floor, her fluffy socks making it easy as she moved to the beat of music I couldn’t hear. I had the screen muted. She used one of her tumbler mugs as a microphone before taking a sip.
I wanted to turn on the volume so I could listen to her. I needed to know if her voice would give me the same calming effect I’d felt at the club. Maybe it was a fluke. Perhaps this obsession was based on nothing.
Except I knew it wasn’t. I’d been watching her for a week. Listening to her lecture at the university. To her laugh when she watched TV at night. And nothing had changed.
Her voice soothed me in a way I couldn’t explain. And not knowing was making this fixation worse.
A smile pulled on my lips as she set down her drink and started stirring a pan on the stove. I watched her curly hair bounce with her movements. Her cheeks flushed, making her freckles stand out. Her soft pink lips parted.
Were they soft? What did they taste like? I wanted to run my fingers along her freckles. Count how many she had.
The unwanted thoughts assaulted me. Watching her had become a compulsion. I couldn’t turn off the screen. Couldn’t shut down these questions. Things I’d never wondered before.
What would it feel like for her to touch me again? To hear her say my name? Moan it?
“What are you watching?” Angelo’s voice came from right behind my ear, making me jerk.
My mind tended to wander, but it was getting worse. My attention seemed to only focus when I was observing Lark.
Seeing no reason to hide from my brother now that she was clothed, I turned the tablet towards him. His gaze narrowed as he looked at me in confusion.
“What is it?” Cole asked as he leaned forward in his chair so he could see. “Is that the Doc?”
“From the club?” Vander stood from his desk, coming around to look, too.
There was a brief pause as we all watched Lark spin through her kitchen again. I chewed my lower lip as I saw the food burning in the pan behind her. She didn’t seem to notice. And her obliviousness was endearing.
“Nathan.” I heard the wariness of Vander’s tone, but didn’t understand it. “How closely have you been watching?”
“I did a background check and placed cameras in her house.”
“Clearly.” Cole chuckled, hiding his smirk with his hand.
I observed their bemused expressions. My brows pulled over my eyes. My stomach tightened like I’d done something wrong. But I didn’t know what. “Is that not normal?”
Normal was a thing I struggled to define. It was supposed to be obvious. Everyone knew except me.
I was constantly wondering what the expectations were. Learning that my family wasn’t what most people would consider average or typical. Neither was how we earned our money.
“No, man.” Cole was smiling as he spoke, which only confused me more. “It’s not.”
