In a Badger Way (Honey Badger Chronicles #2) - Shelly Laurenston Page 0,125
be way more specific.”
“The ones you buried.”
“They were going to kidnap me. What was I supposed to do?”
“I don’t think it’s that you killed them that has my bosses so concerned,” he said, speaking of the Group, the organization he worked for as an agent. “It’s that you unleashed your anal glands, suffocated them to death, then buried them and their truck in, like, five minutes.”
“It was an SUV and it was more like ten minutes. Maybe even fifteen. But what was I supposed to do? Leave them lying there? Covered in my stink?”
“It’s not just you, brain trust. It’s all of you. The three of you are freaking them out. And the last thing you want is for them to unleash Dee-Ann Smith on you.”
“The bitch who got her ass kicked by Charlie?”
“That was a close-in fight. She and Cella are not averse to long-distance attacks. If you get my meaning. What you and Charlie can do when you come face-to-face with your enemies, those two can do from a mile away in a high wind. Understand?”
Max nodded. “So you’re saying I should kill them first.”
“No!”
“Okay,” she said, heading toward the bathroom door, working hard to keep her expression neutral. “I’ll take care of it!”
“Get your ass back here, MacKilligan! You are not to kill anyone! What is wrong with you?”
Max stepped out of the bathroom and came face-to-face with Jess Ward.
The Pack leader looked at her and then at the bathroom door.
“Why were you in the men’s room?” she asked.
“Because I won’t be confined by gender constraints?”
“Do you even know what that means?”
“Not really.”
* * *
Berg tracked Charlie down. She was in a balcony room that overlooked the dance floor. He wouldn’t mind if she were simply leaning on the thick rail, but she was sitting on it, her legs dangling over the side.
Not wanting to startle her and send her hurtling to her death, he eased up behind her.
“Hey,” he said softly.
“Hey.” Her gaze continued to scan the entire bar.
“What’s going on?”
“My sisters are up to something. Or not telling me something. But they’re not doing something together. Instead they each have their own partners in crime.”
“I thought you were going to allow your sisters to be adults,” he reminded her.
“They’re each up to something. Can’t you see it?”
“I don’t watch my own siblings as closely as you watch your sisters, so no. I don’t see anything.”
“Think Shen will talk to you?”
“No.”
“I know I could get Max’s shit out of Dutch, but it would take a lot of blood and pain.” She glanced at him. “I know you wouldn’t be okay with that.”
“I’m glad we understand each other when it comes to my belief system on torture.”
Berg watched Charlie for a few moments, wondering how to reach her.
“Have you ever thought,” he carefully suggested, “that maybe your sisters won’t tell you stuff because they’re afraid of the way you’ll react?”
“Yeah, sure.”
“No. I don’t mean with them. They both seem quite comfortable with the bizarre dynamic you three have. I’m talking about how you deal with others.”
Charlie looked away from the club and directly at him. “What are you talking about?”
“In the few weeks we’ve known each other, you’ve threatened several people with death for even suggesting they get your sisters involved in anything you think is remotely dangerous. Not only that, but you beat the unholy hell out of Dutch just for getting Max a job offer. Threatened a Van Holtz with an actual flaying because he suggested Stevie might be able to help him with something . . . and those two examples are merely the most egregious. There are others.”
“Your point?”
“It’s simple. Maybe they don’t tell you things because they’re afraid you’ll kill someone.”
She frowned. “That’s silly.”
“Really? Because I didn’t tell you when I felt one of your cousins trying to get my wallet out of my jacket at your great uncle’s funeral. I was afraid more bodies would end up buried with Uncle Pete. So I just silently pulled his hand out of my pocket and crushed his fingers until he cried. But we both did it quietly. Because you, Charlie MacKilligan, are scarier than a grizzly bear. Especially to your sisters when it comes to the people they care about.”
Charlie returned her gaze to the club. She didn’t say anything and Berg just assumed she was pissed at him. But then she jumped off the balcony . . .
Berg made a crazy grab for her, but Charlie slipped through his fingers and landed