Page 142 of Princes of Carnage

“Just like that?”

“What do you mean, just like that? We broke up months ago, Zoey. If I hadn’t been drunk and fucked up in the head, nothing ever would’ve happened between us that night at the party. Nothing should have happened between us. We’re done. It’s not my fault you can’t seem to wrap your head around that.”

“I thought you just needed some time. I thought we could still fix this. I didn’t know you were ready to move on so fast.” Her voice takes a hard, bitter tone. “I mean, honestly, you’re fucking her now?”

“What the hell is that supposed to mean?”

“Nothing. It’s just…” Her voice drops a little, and I have to strain to hear it. “You’re playing a dangerous game here. She’s Nico’s wife. You’re risking fucking with the gang just to screw Nico’s wife behind his back?”

“It’s not like that.” Atlas’s voice is sharp. “Nico knows everything.”

There’s a moment of silence, and I can imagine how Zoey’s face must look while she digests that bit of information.

“Oh. I didn’t realize you were sharing her,” she says, sounding shocked. “So, what? You’re just passing her back and forth like a common who—”

“I’d think twice if I were you before you say another fucking word about her.”

Atlas’s voice is low, almost dangerous, like he’s angry and not afraid to act on it.

Zoey breaks off, not finishing her sentence, and there’s only silence for a long moment. When she speaks again, it’s in a low murmur that I can’t make out. Atlas answers in the same tone, the two of them going back and forth.

A few minutes later, Zoey shoves the door open and leaves the room.

She glares daggers at me as she passes but doesn’t say anything else, walking toward the main part of the club. I hear the slam of a door as she goes, and then silence fills the clubhouse again.

Atlas emerges from the storage room a second later.

“Is everything okay?” I ask, turning to face him.

“Better than okay.” He strides over and pulls me into a quick kiss. “Let’s grab the gear and head out.”

I look toward where Zoey left, not entirely convinced by his assertion that everything is fine. I’ve never really thought of this thing between me and the guys and between our gangs as something super long term. It was supposed to be just business. Just something that would last as long as we needed it to, to make us strong enough to outlast the threat we were all dealing with.

But if it turned into something different, something with staying power, then there would probably be challenges and issues that I haven’t considered.

Zoey being pissed off could just be the tip of the iceberg, and just because Nico knows that Atlas and Killian are also fucking me, that doesn’t mean things won’t get messy anyway.

“Ready?” Atlas says, coming back with the case all locked up again. He must’ve gone to get it while I was distracted by my thoughts.

I blink, brushing off those worries for the moment as I nod.

There’s too much at stake right now to get bogged down in more problems, so whatever all of this might mean, it will have to wait.

44

QUINN

“No sign of him yet, boss,” Cabby says, shoving his hands into his pockets and shrugging. “We’ve had eyes on the pawn shop this whole time, but no one matching the description you gave us has come in or out.”

It’s not good news, but it’s not surprising either. It’s only been a week or so since I put people on duty keeping an eye on Smith’s pawn shop for any signs of Silas.

It would have been too good to be true for him to have shown his face already, but I can admit to myself that I did hold out hope.

“Okay. Thanks, Cab,” I say, nodding to him. “Keep me posted, and switch up the rotations a bit if you think we need to. I don’t want it to get suspicious.”

He nods back, giving me an easy grin and a messy salute. “Will do.”

“What other business do we have?” I ask the rest of the small group gathered around me. I called several Enigma members in for a meeting at Blood and Ink to debrief on some things, and I try to give them my full attention as they give me their reports.

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