Ax reached for my hand.
I gripped it so tightly I was afraid I was going to break every single tiny bone in my fingers.
The door opened.
Laughter followed.
Sweat made my hand clammy as I waited for them to come into the room. I waited, and waited. The laughter got louder.
I started praying.
And clenched Ax’s hand tighter.
I saw Nixon first, and then Tex.
The rest followed.
All eyes were on me. The room was silent as death. Was I supposed to say something? Bow? Cry?
“So.” Tex, the giant, took a step toward me, he flashed a bright smile. “We finally meet.”
My knees knocked together.
“Shit, could you not scare every guest we have?” Phoenix mumbled from across the room.
Tex rolled his eyes and kept approaching. Like a lion does to its prey. He could kill me with his bare hands.
Why did I feel like that was exactly what he was going to do?
Ax released my hand.
Traitor!
Tex gripped the hand that Ax released and then gripped the other. Without hesitation he leaned forward and kissed both my cheeks, then whispered in my ear. “Welcome home.”
I collapsed, but Tex’s arms were strong enough to kill, so yeah he quickly helped me to a chair.
“What the hell, Tex!” Chase shouted.
Tex rolled his eyes and held up his hand. “Two kisses on the cheek, imagine what happens when I kiss Mo on the mouth and—”
“And what?” Nixon asked in a calm detached voice. “No seriously, Tex. Keep talking, I’ve been itching to pull a trigger for days.”
“Sex,” Chase said in a helpful voice. “It’s called sex, keeps the trigger happy—er… happy.”
Mil rolled her eyes and pushed through the guys. “Ignore them… swear we let them out at least three times a day for walks and they still get fidgety.”
“My walk was only ten minutes.” Tex grinned. “Just saying.”
“Weird, mine was two hours.” Chase winked in my direction. “Hey Phoenix, ask what we did. Ask, ask!”
“Huh?” I finally found my voice. “Are you guys talking about what I think you’re talking about?”
“Like I said—” Mil pulled out a chair and sat next to me. “—ignore them. Now, how was your trip up here, uneventful I hope?”
“Er… yeah.” I nodded, lying. “Totally uneventful.”
“No body count?” Chase shook his head in Ax’s direction. “You losing your touch, man?”
“Tickle me and we’ll see.” Ax said in a bored tone.
“Don’t tempt me. I stole a feather from Tex’s bed.”
“I shake in fear.”
“Boys!” Mil rolled her eyes. “If you’re going to bicker at least take it into the kitchen.”
They winked at me, making me feel… relaxed.
“So?” Mil asked. “Anything else?”
“You’re the De Lange boss?” I asked instead of telling her information about me and Ax.
She smiled warmly. “Yeah, kind of badass right?”
“You’re a girl.”
“I think I speak for men everywhere when I say I appreciate that,” Chase interjected.
Phoenix groaned from the side of the room.
“Have you heard from your father?” Mil leaned forward. “Or your brother?”
“No and no.” I swallowed nervously; after all my brother was most likely dead—dead people couldn’t talk. “I haven’t had any contact with my so called family since they abandoned me five years ago.”
“Good. This will make it so much easier.” Mil stood and looked to Tex. “I think it’s best we stick with the original plan.”
“Right.” He pulled out his cell phone and walked out of the room.
“Um, plan?” I squeaked.
“Bait.” Mil grinned. “We need something to drive them out…”
“Wait.” Ax held up his hand. “I thought you said she had something you guys needed?”
“She does.” Mil’s smile was deadly. “A heartbeat.”
“That’s what I was afraid of.” I mumbled.
“Like hell!” Ax roared. “You can’t put her in the line of fire! Not after I just got her back.”
Nixon moved to the center of the room. “She won’t get hurt.”
“How do you know that?” Ax spat. “Is there some sort of mafia guarantee she won’t get grazed by a bullet?”
“You want her alive, right?” Nixon said smoothly. “Then we need to take out the only two people that want her dead.”
“Why?” I shook my head. “It makes no sense. Why would they care if I live or if I die?”