Page 75 of Riding Bare

A muscle in Lee’s cheek twitches before he narrows his eyes on me. I stare at him with expressionless eyes. He’s the one who breaks eye contact first, shifting his gaze to the windshield for just a moment before he brings his eyes back to meet my own.

“I got bills to pay,” he whispers.

“Take me to see Rustik, then, but I hope you know you won’t get another dime from the Iron Flame, and you better fucking watch your goddamn back every second of every day I’m still breathing.”

“Understood.”

“And you don’t give a shit?”

He shrugs a shoulder. “Money in the bank is what talks.”

What a fucking asshole. Maybe this is what is needed. Sure, it’s not the plan I had, but I shouldn’t have planned anything behind Rustik’s back anyway. I knew it the moment the idea left my brain and then my mouth and I started making plans to implement it. I knew it felt wrong. But I was planning on ignoring that to get that motherfucker taken care of—feelings be damned.

CHAPTER

FIFTY-EIGHT

DARE

Lee pulls up to Rustik’s house, the exact fucking opposite direction of where we were headed. We’re back in Vegas, and I have to confess—if only to myself—that I hate being here alone.

I’ve always considered Rustik reasonable, but I’m not sure he’s going to be that once he finds out I was planning on killing his man. Before Lee turns the car’s engine off, I turn toward him, an idea having exploded in my brain.

“Are you fucking Rocky?”

Slowly, too fucking slowly, he turns his head, his eyes meet my own, and that’s how I know the truth of it. “And she’s the one who started all this, at least with you being involved?”

Instead of answering me, he throws the driver’s car door open and unfolds from the seat, which means that’s exactly what happened. That fucking cunt did this, and I have to wonder what she thinks she’s truly going to gain here.

Except I already know what she’s going to gain… her brain's being blown the fuck out.

The moment I step onto the porch, the door to the house opens, and I see a man standing there I don’t recognize. So this must mean this is official Bratva business and not a relaxed meeting.

“This way. They are waiting,” the stranger announces before he steps to the side to allow us entrance.

Lee moves into the house before me, and I follow behind him. I’m playing the game. Soon I’ll find out what I need to know. I’m going to stay quiet and listen. I’m going to watch. I’m going to take it all in and then do whatever needs to be done to survive this. Then the war is on.

Lee walks into the dining room, where it seems Rustik conducts most of his business, at least when there is a group of people. I don’t blame him. Our conference room for church is about this size, maybe a little bigger.

As I step into the room, I quickly assess my situation. There are six men, none of whom look happy to see me, and Rocky.

Fucking bitch.

When I narrow my eyes at her, she smirks as she watches me. For whatever fucking reason, she thinks she’s won a game or something. I have news for her: she hasn’t won a goddamn thing other than a bullet to the fucking head.

Rustik stands halfway from his seat in a greeting, his eyes shifting from me to Lee. “So, you,” he begins, “you betrayed your longtime colleague for a chance at what?”

Straight to fucking business. That is one thing about Rustik that I’ve discovered. He does like a bit of the flair. He enjoys sharing a meal and taking the time to have a conversation, but when it’s business, it’s goddamn business. I can appreciate that.

“I did what I had to do.”

Rustik chuckles, though the smile does not reach his eyes. In fact, his gaze is vacant. He’s shut his shit down completely. I can appreciate that as well. This might not go the way I thought it was going when I was brought here at gunpoint.

“To pad your bank account?” he asks. “And what, keep this woman?”

Rustik lifts his hand and waves his fingers toward Rocky, his lip curling in disgust—which is fucking great—before lowering his hand to his lap again. I feel the exact same way about her right about now. I’m keeping my thoughts and opinions to myself for the moment, more than happy to assess this situation before I become immersed in it myself.

“Essentially,” Lee murmurs.