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Another asshole jabbed a blade at Rafael, and my bodyguard snatched his wrist. He snapped the bones like they were toothpicks. The idiot swayed backward with a howl.
Another goon raised his gun from a safer distance, his arm swerving between me and Rafael. “Not another fucking move.”
“That’s my line,” Rafael growled, drawing his own pistol. “Try to take a shot, and it’s a bullet inyourskull.”
The sound of languidly clapping hands broke the tension. Yet another man was emerging from the sedans, this one in a collared shirt and wool jacket that gave him a greater air of professionalism than his colleagues’ jeans and hoodies. A shock of white hair sprouted up over piercing green eyes.
“Enough of that,” the newcomer said in a gravelly, authoritative voice. “Everybody, knock it off for a minute or two.”
His gaze flicked over the thugs and the two of us with an expression of bemusement, as if he wasn’t sure whether to be annoyed or amused. A few lines veered from the corners of his eyes and mouth, but overall his face was smoother than I’d have expected given his stark white hair. Based on everything else, I’d guess he was in his forties.
The goons backed up a few steps, a couple of them limping, the one whose nose I’d broken still clutching it. One guy remained on the ground, groaning.
“Who the fuck are you?” Rafael demanded, his gun still raised.
The white-haired man didn’t appear at all concerned about it. His eyes narrowed as he focused on us for a longer beat.
“Not someone you want to mess with. My name’s Sheeran, and I speak for the Harvester. I assume I don’t have to tell the Deadly Rose’s daughter who that is?”
A chill ran down my spine. The Harvester was another member of the Devil’s Dozen, alongside my mother. One of the leaders of the thirteen biggest criminal syndicates that controlled all illegal activity around the globe.
He’dfound me? How? Why?
“What do you want?” I asked, smoothing the nervous rasp from my voice as much as I could. I’d never actually met any of Mom’s equals, but knowing how dangerous she was and how careful she was with the rest of them, they obviously weren’t people you wanted to offend without knowing exactly what you were getting into.
The man smiled at me with all the warmth of a lion about to dig into an antelope. “My boss has heard that you’ve shown up in town to make claims on his territory on behalf of your mother. But you and she should both know that all of Boston belongs to the Harvester, and attempting to steal it out from under him is an act of war.”
The bottom of my stomach dropped out, but I forced myself to simply scowl at him. “Where’d you get that load of bullshit from? I’ve got no interest in stealing your territory, and the Deadly Rose has no idea I’m even here.”
Sheeran snorted disdainfully. “If you’re going to lie, you could come up with a better story.”
“She isn’t lying,” Rafael snapped. “It’s the truth. It’d be a pretty shitty takeover, trying to orchestrate it with a single nineteen-year-old girl and one guy for backup, don’t you think?”
My hackles rose at him calling me a girl, but I knew he was only downplaying my strength to help us get out of this. Unfortunately, Sheeran didn’t appear to be swayed.
“The two of you tore through half of the force I brought out here,” he said. “That’s not convincing me you’re here to make friends.”
I scoffed. “We’re not looking to make friendsorenemies. I didn’t even know this was the Harvester’s territory! If you come and attack me, obviously I’m going to fight back, but I came to the city to skate.” I motioned to the duffel bag I’d dropped by the wall behind me.
“Skate?” Sheeran let out a guffaw.
“Yes,” I insisted. “I’ve cut all ties with my mother. I’m not interested in her empire or your boss’s. I’m a figure skater.”
“Now that’s the most ridiculous story I’ve ever heard.” Sheeran’s gaze turned into a full-out glare. “You can quit with the crazy lies. The Harvester wants yougone, ASAP. If you ignore the warning, there’ll be consequences you won’t want to deal with. Next time we won’t go easy on you, no matter whose daughter you are.”
Without waiting for my response, he beckoned his men toward the cars. “Let’s get out of here, boys. Leave the little princess alone… for now.”
“You’ve got it totally wrong!” I shouted after him as he slid back into the front passenger seat, but Sheeran ignored me. The thugs helped their injured comrades into the cars, and the sedans drove off down the street, leaving us standing there stunned.
Rafael quickly jammed his gun back into its concealed holster. “Mierda. That motherfucker… Come on, let’s get back to the apartment before any other armed idiots come at us.”
I set off next to him, my pulse thumping fast and my nerves jangling. “What the fuck was that? Who the hell would have told him I’m here to steal territory?”
“I have a pretty good idea,” Rafael muttered. “Who’s the only person we know of who has any idea who you are and that you’re in town?”
My head jerked around so I could stare at him. “You thinkHaggardtipped off the Harvester?”
Rafael shrugged. “Who else could it be? It was bad enough luck that the one prick recognized you—it’d be insane if we’d somehow crossed paths withtwoof the Deadly Rose’s former employees who had a bone to pick.”
