Savage Vandal (82 Street Vandals #1) - Heather Long Page 0,80

skill and a pair of silk that could tear at any second, my breath had been lodged in my throat.

I couldn’t count the number of videos I’d watched of her performing in the last few years. She’d always been something else, but she’d also been a kid. A beautiful, talented kid.

The woman suspended above me caught not only my eyes, but my imagination. I’d been with her for days, looking after her. Right there at my fingertips was everything I never thought about before. We’d come to look after a kid, but she wasn’t a child. She was everything I thought she’d be and nothing like I’d dreamed. Real. Raw. Visceral.

Hot.

Passion incarnate.

Fucking beautiful.

“Hawk…” Meeks’ strained voice drove the sexy image out of my head, and I blew out a breath. The last thing I needed was a fucking hard-on dealing with these assholes. Especially when the little sparrow was right there and a thousand miles away at the same time. “You have my word, we didn’t come here for a fight. I just wanted to pick up my boys. They were talking shit, and I didn’t hear about it until too late.”

“So you come here making demands?” Jasper asked him, still squatted in front of the other man. He had his hunting knife out. We’d seen one of those blades in a movie when we were kids, and it was all Jasper talked about for three months until Raptor stole one for him.

We’d cut our fingers and sealed our blood pact the same night with that knife.

“I just want my boys.”

“You know the penalty for breaking the treaty. You gonna pay the price?”

“Blood for blood,” Meeks answered.

“That’s right,” Jasper sounded almost pleased. “Your boys are done. You need to forget about them.”

Because the one who had survived wouldn’t be long for this world. They tried to attack Emersyn. Bad enough they’d wandered into our territory. Touching her signed their death warrants.

Even if Rome made sure their hands hadn’t landed on her.

The experience had left another mark on her. She already carried far too many.

“They were acting on their own,” Meeks said as Vaughn relaxed the pained hook of his arm, but he didn’t release him. “They weren’t under orders.”

“Fine,” Jasper said with a faint smile that held far more malice than it did friendship or acceptance. “But you coming here, orders or not, that does violate our agreements.”

Meeks exhaled raggedly, but he didn’t argue.

“I’m willing to work with you, but not without compensation. You made a mess in here, interrupted my day, and generally pissed me off.” Jasper ticked the items off like he dictated a shopping list. Meeks had to hear it. Whatever was going to happen would happen, the level of pain would be determined by how cooperative he was.

The last thing we needed was a street fight with the 19 Diamonds. We could take them, but it would be a bloody, costly fight.

Jasper lifted his chin, and Vaughn released the other man, muscles tensing and flexing in his arms as he straightened. Tempers were running high across the board. Rome might be still, but he had his gaze pinned to the downed Lumpy like he was still picturing taking him apart. Liam stood between his twin and the other man’s death.

Dickless was still out, but the rats holding him weren’t being gentle, and he was going to wake up with more bruises than he’d had when I knocked his ass out. Meeks’ face was ruddy from pain and exertion, sweat slicked his skin, and even without Vaughn holding him, he had the sense to not rise off the ground.

Still playing with the knife, Jasper studied Meeks. I’d give Deuce credit, he didn’t beg.

“Blood for blood,” Meeks said finally, agreeing to the penalty.

“Spread your hands out on the floor.”

At Jasper’s command, the other man swallowed and extended one arm, and then with some effort and more than a little pain, he did the other. It took him a minute, but Jasper was patient while he spread his palms against the floor.

“I’m going to do you a favor,” Jasper said, all reasonable and shit. “Your guys are out, so no one is going to hear you scream. We’re getting you some ice so if you’re fast about it, you might be able to fix the problem. That seems fair, right?”

Fuck, this was going to be messy. I jerked my head at one of the rats, and they went to get some ice.

Meeks’ expression tightened and his lips thinned, but