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Havoc shook his head. “No, that can’t be true. She was some random hookup. It couldn’t be more than that.”
I exchanged a glance with Knight who offered me a sympathetic wince and a shrug. I couldn’t force Havoc to see that his father was behind my stalker. That he’d planted a woman in my father’s house with the intent to murder him. The truth was blatantly obvious to me.
“Dude, I don’t think she was a random hookup,” Gage said. “I think she was working with your dad to take down Desmond Monroe.”
Havoc went to the island, leaning heavily against it. He rubbed his eyes and swore a few times. “That would mean my father is behind everything, including Raina’s stalker. I just can’t believe that.”
“Do you not think he’s capable of that?” I challenged. My blood was boiling.
“Of course he is. I just—” Havoc broke off, turning away. He gripped the counter so hard his knuckles were white.
Havoc’s jaw clenched as he bit back the words. He didn’t want to admit that his father was the one trying to kill me. Did he really care? Sure, he’d claimed me, but I was little more than a plaything. A fun way to pass the time. Eventually, he would tire of this game. Right?
Knight rose, gathering his empty plate and coffee mug. He put everything away in the dishwasher before placing a hand on Havoc’s shoulder. “There’s only one way to get to the bottom of this. We need to get our hands on the man who’s been following Raina.”
CHAPTER NINETEEN
KNIGHT
Once I had everyone’s attention, the situation seemed to calm. Or so I thought. Raina was clearly fuming, doing her best not to lose it and smash Havoc across the face with her coffee mug. His expression dared her to do it.
I wasn’t a fan of unnecessary conflict. There was a time and place for violence and fighting. This wasn’t it.
“So we need to use Raina as bait and lure the guy out,” Gage surmised. “Sounds like fun to me.”
“I’m game,” Raina added, chugging back her coffee. She returned to the kitchen for another. “Let’s do it tonight. After dark. He’s more likely to bite then.”
Havoc frowned. “Are we sure this is the best plan? Maybe there’s another way.”
“Like what?” I asked. “Going to your dad and straight up asking him? We don’t have another option. Grabbing the guy who’s been tailing Raina will settle this.”
Havoc gnawed his bottom lip. “Fine. I’m going to the gym. I’ll be back in time for supper.”
He didn’t wait around. Pulling his car keys from a pocket, Havoc headed for the door, slamming it behind him.
“Wow.” Raina dragged out that one word. “What a big fucking baby. Just as well. I have some schoolwork to do before you use me as bait.”
With a fresh cup of coffee in hand, she scooped two pancakes onto a small plate and disappeared back upstairs. Gage watched her go with an evil glimmer in his eyes.
“Don’t bother,” I said. “Come on. I’ll take you to look at a few cars.”
It was a good way to kill the afternoon. Gage still needed a car. If we stayed here, I’d have to watch him and Raina like a hawk. I wasn’t in the mood to play referee for those two right now.
Gage considered putting up a fight, ultimately deciding it wasn’t worth it. We left the house in my SUV, going to one of the many used car dealerships around the city. Gage was a pain in the ass, finding something wrong with every car we looked at. He was still butt hurt about his Mustang. Understandable. Raina had done a real number on us. We’d deserved it though.
After almost six hours and a lengthy back and forth with the salesman, Gage finally settled on an older black Charger. It was a nice ride. Nothing quite like his classic car had been, but it had a menacing vibe that screamed Gage.
By the time we got back to the house, Havoc was back. He was outside in the backyard by himself, scrolling on his phone. I grabbed a beer for both of us from the fridge and joined him.
“Everything okay?” I pulled out the patio chair across from his and sat down.
Havoc accepted the bottle I slid across the table to him. He gave a short nod, rubbing a hand through his hair. “I have no fucking idea anymore. What if Raina’s right? What if my dad is behind all of this shit?”
His concern was totally valid. I’d have been a mess too if I were in his shoes. I pondered my response, not really sure what to say.
“Well, it would make sense. Maverick has his reasons for going after Desmond Monroe. It’s not like he knows you’ve formed an attachment to Raina.” I picked at the label on my beer bottle, watching it flake off in tiny pieces.
“I haven’t formed an attachment,” Havoc scoffed, taking a long swig of beer. “It’s more of a special interest. My dad would shit a brick if he knew she was here. He’d probably beat my ass too. Or worse.”
