“I’m ready.” I force conviction into my tone. “And we’re almost there, so quit worrying about me and focus. One wrong move and we’re all dead.”
Hunter chuckles. “That’s one seriously messed up pep talk. I like your style.”
The car slows as we reach the corner to Luther’s street and Luca raises a finger to his ear, repositioning his comm piece. “Decker is ready. We’re good to go.”
I know what that means. My brother is already up there. At the house. Preparing to kill… or be killed.
“Is he okay?” I lean forward again. “Did he say anything else?”
“If there was something wrong we would’ve heard.” Luca continues to stalk me from the mirror. “You need to relax. Sit back. Breathe.”
“I’m breathing,” I murmur.
He grins, the brightness entering his eyes a soothing blanket over my frazzled nerves. I don’t know how he does it. He’s harsh yet gentle. Domineering, aggressive, threatening, and so entirely reassuring at the same time.
It’s unnatural.
No doubt an effect of my growing instability.
The car picks up speed as we round the bend and drive at a normal pace to Luther’s property. The extravagant metal gates gleam in the moonlight, the door to my cage waiting for me to slip back where I belong.
“Game faces, people.” Hunter’s voice is barely audible. “It’s time to dish out some karma.”
I do as planned, sit tall, scowl in place, hands in my lap. I look straight ahead, not focusing any of my concern on the guard who approaches from the darkness, his rifle aimed at the car as Luca lowers his window.
This is it—the moment where any or all of us could be slaughtered because I made an incorrect assumption about the guards’ knowledge.
“Hey, buddy,” Luca greets. “How’s things?”
“Back away.” The middle-aged guy snarls, his accent heavy, the barrel of his weapon dropping to pin Luca in the chest. “This is private property.”
“I know. I was here yesterday, remember?”
There’s a pause, each beat of silence growing thicker.
“With Cole,” he adds. “Luther’s son.”
I wait, hoping for the first sign of our success, when our failure will easily be announced with a gunshot. But there’s no reaction. Not in understanding or threat. If the guard has any inkling Luther left here to attack Cole and Luca this gun-toting asshole isn’t showing it.
“You shouldn’t be here unannounced.” He repositions the rifle at his hip. “What do you want?”
I let out a long breath and swallow to alleviate the desert in my mouth. The guard’s question is the first sign of our possible success. He has no idea we’re a threat. And yet the progress only adds more pressure to my insides.
“Luther requested some private family time with his boys. So he sent us here to enjoy ourselves. You know—” Luca gives a cocky chuckle. “—With the women.”
The weight increases, the discomfort squeezing my stomach, shoulders, neck. I ignore how easily Luca plays his role, not wanting to drown in my thoughts of how he can keep effortlessly switching from protector to predator.
“No. I know nothing of this.” The guard jabs his rifle toward the car. “Leave.”
“Leave?” Hunt leans forward to meet the guy’s line of sight. “Even when we’ve got one of Luther’s girls with us?” He jerks a thumb toward me. “I’m pretty sure he’ll be pissed if we sate our boredom with this one.”
The guard leans down, his dark features peering into the window opposite mine, his narrowed eyes raising goosebumps on my skin. “Why is she with you?”
“We just fucking told you. Luther asked us to bring her back. He said he wanted uninterrupted family time and when the big guy gives an order, you obey, right?” Luca reaches into his jacket and pulls out a gun, pinching it between two fingers so it dangles without threat. “And he reminded us of the no-weapon rule, too.” He hangs the pistol out the window. “If you don’t believe me, call him. Just be aware he’s going to be fuckin’ pissed at the interruption.”
The guard’s attention flicks between me, the gun, then Luca, and back again. He’s weighing up the bluff. “Léne tin alítheia?” He speaks my way, his question asking about my chauffeur’s honesty.
“Fysiká,” I sneer. “Why else would I be here?”
His lip curls, his hatred unhidden as he steps forward and snatches the gun before jamming it into the waistband of his pants. “Give me your gun, too.” He lowers the barrel of his rifle while he speaks to Hunter. “If you’re caught with a