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That’s why he risked himself coming with us. To spare me and Sienna being put through the show.
“Oh,” I whispered. “Thank you, Sunny.”
“I said I’d have your back. I meant it.”
“But are you okay?” I reached for him. “Looked like she hurt your shoulder.”
Sunny sidestepped me, shifting out of reach. “I’m fine.”
“Course he’s fine,” Genny scoffed. “I went easy on him and still kicked his ass. What you been doing in that penthouse, baby brother? Besides growing soft.”
“Oh, let’s see. I’ve been growing a nice garden of these.” He flipped her the middle finger. “And also”—he made a show checking his pockets—“these too,” he said, giving her two for two fuck yous. “Just for you, sis.”
Genny barked a laugh. “Nice. So, what’s going on? What trouble did you get yourself into now?”
“Me? Trouble? No.” Sunny slung his arms around me and Sienna. “I’ve been living a life of abundance, sister mine. That there’s always light in the darkness is the creed woven into my soul. On what should have been my last day on earth, fate brought me an angel, and a new best friend.”
Sienna waved, more than pleased with her distinction.
“Last day on earth?”
“I was thrown off an overpass.”
Genny didn’t have the reaction to this that I expected. Actually, she didn’t react at all.
“Ouch,” she said simply. “Anybody want a beer?”
“Hell yes,” Sunny said.
“I’ll take one,” Sienna chimed in.
Genny fetched three bottles out of her mini-fridge and popped the caps off with her teeth. Mildly unsanitary, but impressive. She passed them out and offered one to me.
“No, thanks. I don’t drink.”
Screwing up her face, she said, “Don’t drink? Sunny, are you sure about this one?”
I popped up to defend myself.
“Absolutely sure,” Sunny replied. “Mackenzie’s the most amazing woman I’ve ever met. I’d pick her if she added pacifism, celibacy, and a vow of poverty to her abstinence list.”
Warmth spread through my body. I told Sunny we needed to slow down until I found my good judgment, but there was one contrast I’d make between him and my exes—they never spoke that well of me in private, let alone in public. If Genny had thrown that jab to one of them, they’d laugh in my face, saying they weren’t sure about me either and should throw me back—or something along those asshole lines.
I flashed back to our kiss that day and had to stop myself touching my mouth again.
“My kisses are poison.”
That might’ve been the truest thing Sunny ever said to me.
“Alright.” Despite her desk chair, couch, and pink beanbag in the corner, Genny stretched out on her desk, propped on her elbow like a pinup model. “Someone threw you off a bridge, what’s that got to do with me?”
Sienna and I shared a look. I didn’t know about visions from the other dimension, but when you were as close as us two, you learned to read each other’s minds.
What a sweet, loving family, I thought.
I envisioned this going differently, she returned.
“This all has to do with what we talked about months ago. Someone’s coming after us, Genny. Ambushing my routes, raiding my warehouses. The natural next move was to try and take me out. It’s only luck and Kenzie that I’m standing before you.”
“Dressed like a hood rat,” she rebounded. “The Sons of Saint have fallen on hard times. Sorry to see it, but I’m still not hearing how this is my problem. You’re a big boy, Sunny. Swore up, down, and sideways that you were ready to run North Quay. On your own. Without help. You got someone in your borough that you can’t control, you find them and put them down. End of.
“Thanks for stopping by for your quarterly dose of sisterly advice and an ass-kicking. If that’s all, my ladies will soon be wondering why they’re not hearing screams. Go out through the back.”
“I’m not going anywhere.” Sunny reclined against the mini-fridge, proving his point. “This isn’t just my problem and you know it. Need I remind you of the meth lab explosion? What about the bank heist?”
The corners of her eyes tightened.
“What explosion?” I asked. “What bank heist?”
“Six months ago, one of Genny’s warehouses went up in flames. Police concluded meth heads were conducting business in there, which would mean Genny’s girls who were working that operation were dirty.” He swung to his sister. “But you never believed it, did you?”
She didn’t answer for a long while.
“No,” Genny finally said. “Frenchie’s been in my crew since she was sixteen. More than that, she watched her mom, brother, and uncle waste away on drugs. She wouldn’t get involved in that shit for millions. But the police got there first. I showed up as they were hauling away crates of the stuff, and I couldn’t prove it was a lie.”
“But you know,” Sunny said. “That explosion wasn’t what it seemed, and Frenchie, Missy, and Cub died for it. If there’s even a chance we’re going after the same guy, you want in on this, Gen. You want to take him down with your bare hands.”
