Page 26 of Lethal

He’s not wrong. The door is wide open, hanging on one hinge. It might have been painted once upon a time, but now there’s not a single flake left. There are rusting objects littered outside, all of which are indistinguishable from what they used to be. There’s not even a car parked in the overgrown grass driveway. The only things that appear to be in working order are the two airboats waiting behind it.

“This is it,” Jasper rumbles in reply. “We wanted a place where they won’t ask any questions.” He doesn’t actually roll his eyes, but the action was clear in the tone of his voice. Jasper doesn’t seem to appreciate being questioned on his choices.

Vander continues driving until he’s next to the ramp leading to the airboats, and as soon as he stops, Jasper climbs from the car to handle getting the key we need. The rest of us work on unpacking the car, grabbing duffle bags full of weapons, equipment, and the protective gear Cole had stashed on the plane.

Cole also packs his computer items into water safe containers. He rushes through putting the items into a hardshell box and curses when they don’t fit the way he wants them to. He takes the box and shoves it farther into the car with a loud bang. Frustration evident with every movement he makes. When he catches me eyeing him, he gives me his cocksure smile, trying to act like everything is normal. Tilting my head to the side, I raise a brow, telling him without words that I don’t buy his smile.

“What? I don’t want them to get ruined if they get knocked from the boat,” he tells me, trying to blow off his emotional response.

“I’m sure you don’t.” He turns toward me as I step into his space and run my hands along his chest. My touch seems to melt the mask he tried to hold in place. Perhaps it made him think of what he told me in the shower. “We’ll find your sister, Cole. It might be today, or it could be next week. But we’ll find her and kill the bastard who took her.”

His hands land on my waist before moving to cup my ass, drawing me tightly against him. I drape my arms around his shoulders, cupping the back of his neck. “Thank you again for helping me. I can’t do this without you.”

I scoff. “Yeah, I know. Because you already tried and failed.”

This time when he gives me a weak smile, I believe it’s his real one. “You’re the most unexpected thing to have come into my life, the one thing that makes me feel like I’m living again.”

He brushes a kiss across my lips, and when he pulls back, I lightly shove him in the shoulder. “Enough with the mushy stuff. Let’s go find your sister.”

Cole smirks and reaches into the car to grab the case with all his computer equipment, then follows me to the airboat where everyone else is waiting. “I call first kill,” he says from behind me.

“Oh, good. You already got that when you started the war without us. That means I get dibs on the next ten.”

He jogs to catch up, barking out a laugh. Each of his hurried steps makes the wood under his feet creak. The sound doesn’t lend to my confidence in the structure holding our weight. “I don’t think so, my bloodthirsty little serial killer,” he purrs, reaching my side.

“I think it’s my turn to get the next kill,” Jasper shouts from the boat.

“No way. You got to teach her how to disguise a hit by making it look like a suicide without us. It’s my turn for sure.” Cole throws his arm around my shoulders, and I can’t help my amusement. Grayson seems to share it, too. He smiles and shakes his head, not wanting to join in, but happy to watch the argument play out before him.

“Please. I only got to do that because you ran off without us. That’s your fault,” Jasper throws back.

Vander crosses his arms over his chest, muscles bulging with the movement. “I was on babysitting duty and wasn’t allowed to participate. I should get the next fifteen.”

“Actually,” Grayson cuts in, deciding to join our conversation anyway. “I should get the next one. I haven’t helped kill anyone since my dad.”

I bite my lip, searching Grayson to see if he really means it. He tucks his hands in his front pockets, and quirks his head to the side, squinting into the Florida sunlight. “Really?” I ask, not willing to trust he means it.

“Maybe, you’ll have to wait to find out.” He winks, and it might be the sexiest wink I’ve ever seen. “But I’m calling dibs on the next kill.”

“We can’t all call dibs,” Cole complains, but I pay him no mind. I’m already running for Grayson. He yanks his hands from his pockets just in time to catch me as I launch myself at him, wrapping my limbs tightly around his body.

Grayson’s hands land on my ass, squeezing right away as he moves in a circle. He shines his broad smile at me, eyes glittering with amusement as he stares into mine. “What did I do to get you to throw yourself at me? I need to know so I can do it more often.”

“Did you really mean it?” I thread my fingers through the hair on the top of his head, tilting it back so I can see him better. “You want to join my fun, Grayson?”

“I think I’m more of a long range type of guy. Maybe a sharpshooter keeping my eye on you from afar in the future. I’m sure one of you can teach me.” I slam my lips to his, kissing the shit out of him, wanting him to know how much I love the idea of him killing with us.

He’s out of breath by the time I break the kiss. “We won’t be able to teach you that by the time we reach the compound.”

“Hmm,” he hums, a smirk twisting his lips. “Maybe not. But I like the idea of always protecting your back. It’s my turn to join the ranks of Ravenmaster.”

Warmth brews in my chest, an odd sensation that I’m not used to in the slightest. I never could’ve thought in my wildest dreams that the hard, seasoned killers I’ve surrounded myself with would be as accepting as they are of Grayson. But they have been. We’ve all slid into the normalcy of being a family as if this was our destined path all along.

“That’s right,” Jasper says, slamming a hand against Grayson’s back in the bro form of solidarity. “It’s about time you take your place with us.”

I can’t help but dart my gaze to each of my men, searching for their reactions to him brazenly admitting to them all being Ravenmaster. They continue loading our items onto the boat, not even acting surprised at him saying it. What a change from all the times they shied away from talking about who my stalker was.

“You make it sound like a brotherhood.” I don’t realize I voice my thought out loud until Cole responds to it.

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