Page 94 of Keep You Close

“We’re not going to corrupt her,” Fiona Mallick said, coming out of the kitchen with two mugs of ‘Boozy Hot Chocolate’ and handing one to AJ. “Much,” she added with a wink.

Oh, if there were any women in the world who were capable of corruption, it was these ones.

My sister.

Fiona, the former phone sex operator and current owner of a phone sex operator business.

Lea, Shane Mallick’s wife, a former biker old lady.

Autumn Mallick, the proprietor of a sex toy store.

And Autumn’s sister, Peyton. Who was married to an outlaw biker. Drove a hearse. And, so I heard, had a collection of alien and monster dildos that she would bring out and show to her friends.

I couldn’t help but wonder if she had one in her giant bag.

And how the hell AJ would react to that batshit crazy shit.

The girls hadn’t come over to ‘meet my girlfriend’ and ‘have a girls night’ like I’d claimed when I’d told AJ about them calling.

The fact of the matter was, I was going out.

And I might not be back until the morning.

I wanted someone with AJ. But bringing in my brothers or the Mallicks would immediately make her suspicious.

But the girls? With booze that meant they’d have to sleep over because they couldn’t drive? That could work.

To AJ, I was going out with my brothers. And maybe we’d drink too much to drive too.

I hated lying to her.

But I didn’t want her to know the truth.

“What did you find out?” I asked Kingston as I stepped into his office, finding not only my other brothers gathered, but the Mallicks as well.

Charlie Mallick, the patriarch of the family, the OG, included.

“What’s this?” I asked, head cocked to the side.

“An option,” Kingston said, nodding toward the Mallicks.

“Look,” Charlie said, nodding at me. “I know your past. I know violence isn’t in your nature. But me and mine?” he said, nodding toward his sons. “Violence is our job.”

“Are you offering to kill Joss for me?” I asked, straightening.

“It wouldn’t be my first kill,” Shane said, shrugging. “Had to do something like this for my woman once. Dunno if you will be able to do it and sleep well at night. I wouldn’t have a problem with it.”

“This is my fight,” I said, shaking my head.

“Atlas…” Kingston said, shaking his head.

“Would you kill for Savvy?” I asked, knowing the answer before he spoke it.

“Yes.”

“So you get it.”

“Killing in the moment, and tracking someone down to take them out in cold blood are different things,” Charlie reasoned.

---