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“And as far as what she already knows?”
He smirks. “I hear city hall throws a mean wedding.”
Jesus. I snort. “Are you kidding me?”
The smirk falls off. “No, actually, I’m not. How long before Lewis picks her up again? We have all these chess pieces lined up in order to get out from under Dad’s thumb, and in the end, Mercy might be the one who sinks us. And she won’t even mean to.”
“I don’t have time for that conversation right now.” I’ve thought about it more than once. I was in the middle of asking her to give up her apartment and move in with me permanently when Caleb barged into the bathroom. “And, besides, Mercy would laugh in my face at the suggestion of marriage.” Even joking about her becoming Mrs. Pink Panther back in Vegas earned me a tirade of all the reasons I’m not marriage material. And that was before feeling the wrath of Lewis and Bane.
“Yeah, fine. But you better start thinking about it soon. In the meantime, what do you want to do about that delivery? If someone’s not there to greet the truck, we’ll have made an enemy of Eduardo and I don’t know about you but one cartel boss hunting us down is enough for me.”
“Yeah, but if what Dad said is true about Navarro looking to take us out, then there’s a chance his men will be waiting for us. How do we know Ivan or JJ didn’t give it up? I don’t know if I trust either to keep their mouths shut when they’re being tortured, do you?” It’s too risky.
“So then come on with the bright ideas, little brother, because I’m fresh out.” He shakes his head. “We set these wheels in motion when you dragged me down to the cellar that night. We can’t slow this fucking train down now. Someone’s got to be there to meet the truck.”
“You’re right.” I collect my phone. “Then let’s make sure someone’s there to meet it. And we need to pull the trigger on the rest of the plan. This ends now.”
18
Mercy
I shut my eyes and focus on the sound of the various showerheads spraying my sore body.
Hoping it’ll drown out the echo of that monster’s hateful voice as he rattled off demands of retribution and murder like he’s ordering breakfast off a menu. And not just murder of the criminal element. Someone’s daughter.
I couldn’t listen to him anymore. That man had me kidnapped. That man granted Bane a license to torment me as he saw fit.
That man is the reason I now have blood on my hands.
I need this nightmare to be over, but will it ever be? Truly? It’s not just Vlad Easton that’s the issue. They’ve got suppliers and dealers and people within the organization that must have a lot to lose if Gabriel and Caleb walk away. Will they earn themselves more enemies, to add to the scary ones who already want them dead?
But one problem at a time, I guess and that problem is still very much Vlad Easton, insulated in his little concrete cocoon, dialing numbers and issuing threats that I know aren’t idle. He’s going to figure out that Bane is dead soon enough.
My father is a sitting duck in there.
A painful lump forms in my throat with that thought.
The bathroom door slides shut with a soft thud and I jump.
“It’s just me,” Gabriel calls out at the same time I turn to find him standing there, his eyes rolling over my naked body. But again, I don’t see the usual lust burning in them that I’ve become accustomed to. It’s probably because he can see where Bane touched me. My thighs and arms and back are marred with dark spots where that lunatic’s fingers dug into my flesh while tossing me around.
“Didn’t you just have a bath?”
I tip my head back under the showerhead. “I needed to wash the sunscreen off me.”
Behind me, the rustling of jeans and thump of shoes being kicked off tells me Gabriel is joining me in here, just like he used to before the door to his world was pushed wide open and I got a good look at the evil beyond.
In moments, strong hands are sliding up and down my biceps. It’s a soothing, gentle touch as if he’s afraid any more will hurt me “Are you okay?” Concern laces his voice.
“I was just thinking about how much easier it was, back when I was in the dark and I hated your guts.”
A few beats of silence meet my words. He leans in against me, his tall, muscular body pressing into mine, from my shoulders all the way down to our feet. “Are you saying that you have regrets?” There’s an odd sorrow in his tone that pricks my chest.
