He laughs, and it sends a fresh jolt of my life right into my temper. “All that for a woman who was all over another man just days ago?”
He’s going to die tonight. It’s settled. That’s all there is to it. Someone better call Lemmy, because she’s about to sign onto the case of her career.
“How do you want your mommy to bury you?” I ask, eyes burning into his face. I’m fully gone now. There is nothing but silence in my head. Nothingness. A void. He must see the change because his face falls. “Open or closed casket?”
“Let’s not have a funeral at all. I’ve heard they’re quite expensive,” my captain drawls.
Hands are wrapped around mine and torn from Noah’s shirt. I’m being pushed backward by one set of hands, while another grabs Peck by the shirt like I had done. I stare at his rat-like face, unblinking, until someone physically forces themselves in front of me to block my view. I have nowhere to look but Saltzy.
That wouldn’t have been my face of choice.
“Cool it,” he grumbles, scanning my face. “We’ve got this.”
I crane my neck, peering over his shoulder. Boston yanksNoah toward him roughly. I hear some choice words, but I can’t hear enough. I can’t see enough.
“Let me go.”
“Not happening,” Saltzy says, maintaining his position as my guard dog. “She wouldn’t forgive you.”
Can I forgiveher? Is there anything to forgive? I think of Irina. Of what she did to me. I wouldn’t put it past Noah, but fuck, he’s right. She came to my place completelydifferentthe other night.
What did you do, Red?
No. She wouldn’t have done that to me. Ever. I know her. That piece of paper meant something.
My temper needs to cool off. I’m not thinking straight.
“I don’t give a fuckwhoyou are!” I hear Boston’s deep voice bellow.
Hell no. My boys aren’t getting into a scrap because of me. Especially not with a cop.
I take one look at Saltzy, feigning a calmness that must look as phony as it feels, because when I quickly attempt to side-step him, he expects it. He blocks me with ease, shooting me a bored look.
“You think you’re going to meet my dad while you’re locked in a cell?” he asks.
I freeze and glare at him. Fucking asshole. That was absolutely the right string to pull.
“Nah, you thinkhe’scrazy? Wait until you see insane.” Boston laughs, humourlessly. “Trust me. You’d rather have him to deal with than me. I’m giving you one more chance to walk away.”
I sigh, leaning to look over Saltzy’s shoulder, ignoring the way he reaches up to grip my arm in case I move. I am in solitary confinement. I got it. It’s understood.
Boston is in Noah’s face and Noah lookspetrified now.
Good.
Lowesy showed up at some point and he is standing between them, his eyes burning holes into Noah’s face. Observing. Uncharacteristically, he says nothing.
I want to get there. To Peck. I want to beat my boys to the punch and end this because I know the second Boston swings, Lowesy is jumping right in. It will only be seconds before Caulfield joins, and then we’ll have a war. Between us and the cops.
Instead, I focus on Callum Saltzman.
Neatly trimmed red beard on fair skin. Nasty, but stylish mullet that’s covered by a ball cap pulled low on his head. His light green eyes are calculating, watching every inch of my face to interpret my next move. The crew neck he’s got on would be very easy to bury my fists in and toss him aside, but I can’t.
Because his dad is Gene Saltzman.
And because Arden wouldn’t forgive me.
“Out!”
