I didn’t fight it and the minute the door closed behind Tack, I got in close. So close, my br**sts brushed his chest and both my hands went to his tee at his abs and curled in.
I tipped my head back and whispered, “What’s going on?”
I was freaked out and near tears. I felt a chill on my skin. And my stomach hurt.
Tack’s hands came up, palms to my jaw, fingers curled around my ears and neck.
“Tell me what you know about him,” he demanded quietly.
“Um… he’s a computer programmer. He’s a nice guy. He’s really smart. He’s getting married to my best friend in the whole world. Their wedding date is just over six weeks away.” I shook my head in short shakes, not breaking eye contact. “I don’t know… um, I like him. He loves her and I like him.”
Tack’s hands left my face and one went to his back pocket. He pulled out his phone, flipped it open, hit a few buttons and put it to his ear.
“Tack –” I started but stopped when one of his hands came to my jaw again but his thumb rested on my lips.
“Dog,” he said into his phone, “Elliott Belova just left Tyra’s house. Pick him up. I want him at the Compound in an hour. I’ll meet you there.”
I felt my eyes get wide as Tack flipped his phone shut and shoved it into his back pocket. Then my fingers curled deeper into his shirt and I pushed closer.
His thumb slid from my lips to my cheek and I whispered, “Please, talk to me.”
“Your friend just offered me half a million to whack the big man in the Russian Mob.”
I blinked and swayed at the same time and Tack’s arms went around me fast and tight.
Then I breathed, “What?”
“I think you heard me, baby,” he said softly.
“Whack?” I whispered.
“Murder, kill, assassinate,” Tack explained.
“I know what it means,” I shook my head. “Do you… do you do that?” I asked.
His arms tightened briefly before he said low, “Fuck no, except five minutes ago when I was moved to consider it when that f**kwad stood on your back deck and offered me five hundred large to end another guy but it wasn’t the guy he wanted me to end I was considering ending.”
“Then why… what… why…?”
Tack’s face got close and his arms got tighter.
“This guy, Red, this guy is not a good guy.”
“But he’s Elliott,” I said stupidly.
“He is not a good guy.”
“Why do you say that?”
“I say it because he offered me five hundred K to kill someone. I say that because I know he’s not as smart as you think because he’s dumb enough to get involved with some seriously f**ked up shit. And I say that because I just found out he’s got the love of a woman who’s probably a good woman and she’s gonna end up brokenhearted, hurt or worse.”
I felt my breathing escalate.
“Why do you say that?”
“This shit, the kinda shit he’s in, leaks and no one’s safe.”
I gave him my full weight as I heard my breath hitch and felt tears fill my eyes.