but agree that his tactic had worked. I felt calm and collected, focused and ready.
I was going to put a bullet in Shawn Mackenzie's skull today.
And maybe after that, I could start figuring out what kind of life I had left to live.
I pulled on a black hoody and a ski mask as I snuck out the back of the clubhouse and moved into the trees. Rogue was still spinning in my mind and my heart was pounding to a manic tune that wouldn’t settle after having stolen that filthy, perfect moment with her. But I was growing tired of stealing moments. I wanted her on my arm in broad daylight, I wanted to stop hiding, but most of all I wanted Fox to accept that we were together. And that was the most hopeless want of all.
I stayed under the cover of dark with a handgun in my grip as I moved towards the eastern road to meet my team. It was about a quarter of a mile through the trees before I made it to the bank where some of the Harlequins were gathered. I could hardly see them in the dark, five of them spread out on this side of the road and another five on the other. I headed to one end of the group, getting in to place against a boulder and peering down at the road beyond it as I melded into the shadows.
I slowed my breathing as the leaves rustled in the wind and waited for something to happen. And waited.
Nothing.
Everything was painfully quiet and I took a moment to text the team who were covering the west road, but they hadn’t seen anything either. So I guessed it was just a waiting game now.
Someone moved closer to me and I looked up to find one of the Harlequins there dressed in black with a ski mask covering his face.
“Hey, get back in position,” I hissed, pointing further down along the tree line.
“This is my position,” he said and my neck prickled at the sound of Maverick’s deep voice.
“What the fuck are you doing?” I demanded in a frantic whisper, glancing over at the others but they were too far away to hear us.
“Rogue invited me.”
“No she didn’t,” I hissed.
He moved against the boulder, raising a revolver and gazing down at the road. “Sure she did. So when’s the special guest arriving?”
“You can’t be here,” I pressed.
“I can actually, because here I am. But if you don’t want me here Johnny James that’s a whole different kettle of fish and I don’t really give a fuck about boiling it.”
I leaned against the boulder, our arms pressed tight up against each other’s as I glared at him. “How did you know where to find us?” I asked in dismay.
“It’s cute that you don’t think I have eyes among your people, JJ,” he snorted in amusement and my pulse thumped unevenly. Jesus. Fox was gonna freak out when he heard that nugget of shit.
I took my phone from my pocket, figuring it would be best to give him a heads up, but Maverick snatched it from my grip, smoothly tucking it into his own pocket.
“I’ll give that back when the fun’s over,” he said quietly. “You’re such a little snitch these days. But I bet you didn’t tell Foxy boy about what we did with Rogue in the train car.”
“Fuck off,” I muttered.
“When are we doing that again, by the way? I’ve been waiting in that train car every night like Juliet waiting for her Romeo to show up, but you never do. You really know how to keep a man’s balls blue, JJ.”
“Shut up,” I snarled. “We’re not doing it again.”
He laughed low in his throat. “Chicken shit.”
“I’m not afraid of you,” I hissed.
“Maybe not, but you are afraid of the big, bad Fox,” he taunted. “Do you think he’d show you the same courtesy as he did Chase? Or is fucking his girl a worse crime than trying to get rid of her?” He tutted under his breath and my chest knotted. “He might really pull the trigger this time.”
“Fuck. You,” I snarled.
“Is that an offer? I don’t have any cash on me right now, but I’ll owe you a blowjob after you’ve made me come, deal?”
It took every ounce of restraint I had not to attack him as I forced my gaze onto the road and tried to concentrate.
“Out of interest, how much do you charge per hour?” he asked and I