“Did you pick my lock?”
“Yep.” He dropped onto the couch. “Where’s Lili? Is she sleeping in your room?”
Damned if the idea of her in my bed didn’t make my cock take notice. “I got a room for her in the casino.”
Hopefully, she was sleeping.
Away from me. Safe from me.
Landon made an unhappy sound.
I shifted in my chair. “What?”
“She’s been terrified and hurt, was clearly upset, and you left her alone.”
I hunched my shoulders. “It was for the best.”
“Best for who? Her or you?”
“Both of us.”
“You like her.”
I snorted. “She’s way too young for me.”
“How old is she?”
“Twenty-four.”
“That’s a twelve-year age gap, Cole, you’re hardly robbing the cradle. You like her. You watch her like a hawk, and even I can see that you’re attuned to her. I don’t think she even realizes how you watch her.”
I knew how old Lili was because I’d found out everything I could about her. Hell, I was a borderline stalker. I’d asked around the fight ring about her. Not so I could use it against her, so I could keep her safe.
“Her father’s a piece of shit.”
“No arguments there,” Landon agreed.
“I’ve always tried to keep an eye on her from afar. A woman like her…She’s too young and too sweet to be at the fights.”
“Bet you lost your mind when you heard she was the prize for the fight.”
I growled. “I wasn’t letting fucking Anton Kamensky get his paws on her.” I shook my head. “Goodyear earned himself a whole lot more trouble with this stunt.”
Landon leaned back. “You’re taking your time with him. Thought he’d be dead by now.”
My hands clenched on the armrests. “He doesn’t deserve to die quickly. I want him afraid, to feel everything he has is slipping through his fingertips.” I shook my head. “He’ll pay for giving the order to kill my team. We were supposed to provide security for his company in Mexico. We had no fucking clue they were moving drugs for him.” I ground my teeth together. “As far as I knew, we were working for a respectable company.”
“Nothing respectable about Chadwick Goodyear.”
“I know that now, but the people he does business with don’t seem to care.” I blew out a breath. “Once we’d seen the drugs, once we refused to help move them, he sold us out to the cartel. Made us cannon fodder.” He needed me and the guys dead so we wouldn’t share about his illegal operation.
“You’ve known he was behind it for months now.”
“I’ve been messing with him. Slashing his tires, scratching up his fancy cars, setting off the alarm at his gaudy mansion.” I leaned forward. “Death would be too fucking quick for that motherfucker.”
Landon leaned back in his chair. “You’re enjoying toying with him.”
“He’s getting twitchy and looking over his shoulder. He’s increased his security.” Like that could stop me. “I plan to watch him piss his pants in fear, always feeling my breath on the back of his neck. I’m just getting started.”
