"Yes we did," I agreed. "That's one of the benefits of being the boss. You get to make those choices." I'd made them so often in the last few years I barely gave them a second thought. Speaking to her reminded me how much I enjoyed the power. I liked things done my way. My way made sense to me. Neat, orderly and organised.
"Some people would suggest we're fucked up," she said.
"What do you think?" I was genuinely curious as to how she saw herself and our lifestyle.
"I think it's who we are," she said. "Who we'll always be."
She understood. This was exactly what I'd been trying to tell Zeke for years now. This was who he was as well. He could try to put it behind him, but he never would. Not completely.
I'd never wanted to kiss her more than I did right then. I wanted to slam my lips down on hers and claim her right here, in front of everyone, beside pools of blood on the tiled floor. Was there a more appropriate setting?
I settled for placing a small kiss on the centre of her forehead. "You're so fucking beautiful."
"Because I'm fucked up?" she asked.
"You said 'perfect as fuck' wrong," Gianni said, crouching beside me. "I've never had the hots for a woman like I do right now. Seeing you kill that bitch was spank bank material."
I looked at him sideways and arched an eyebrow.
"Don't say you don't agree," he said.
"It was the wording I was questioning," I said. He sounded like the twins, using an expression like spank bank. Mina deserved better than to be talked about like that.
Admittedly, I didn't have a better term for it. I would be thinking about her when I curled my hand around my cock later tonight.
Gianni grinned. "What can I say, I'm classy as fuck. That's why you love me so much."
How could I respond to that but to roll my eyes and shake my head.
"Boss, the cleanup is finished," Damon said. "We just need to get someone in here to wash up the blood. I've already made the call." He stopped beside us to regard Mina. His expression was one of grudging respect, with a healthy dose of heat.
He'd be the last to admit it, but he felt the same way about her as Gianni and me. Right now, he was all professionalism as he pushed his expressionless mask back into place.
"Good." I rose to my feet, taking Mina with me, my hand gripping hers. "Keep an eye on this place. Kurt might return. If he doesn't, someone else who works for him will."
"Got it, boss," Damon said.
Gianni pushed himself to his feet. "I have to admit to being disappointed. Not only did we not find out where Kurt was, I didn't get to kill anyone. Although, watching Mina kill someone was almost as much fun. Maybe we can do it again sometime. A good date night isn't complete without a few corpses."
"Try to keep the killing to a minimum," I told him. "Unless they're involved with Kurt." Then he had free reign to deal with them however he saw fit. I knew I could trust him to be discreet and clean up after himself. And that he'd let me know whoever he killed, in great detail. He enjoyed giving those reports almost as much as doing the actual deed. His eyes always glazed like he was reliving the moment, step-by-step.
I also knew he didn't go around killing indiscriminately. It wasn't the death he enjoyed dispensing, it was the justice.
"I'll do my best," he said easily. He took half a step away before he stopped and frowned at Mina. "What's wrong?"
She stood with her back completely straight, frozen to the spot, staring at nothing in particular in front of her.
"If I hadn't acted so quickly, we might have been able to get her to tell us who else was with her that night," Mina said. "I screwed up."
Her face was paler again. Her blue-green eyes and dark hair were a stark contrast against her skin, almost making her look ghostly. Beautiful, but haunted.
I took the chance of putting an arm around her shoulders. When she didn't pull away, I squeezed lightly. "Chances are, she wouldn't have told you anything else. She already knew her time was done. I doubt she would have thrown anyone else under the bus."
"She was quick to point out Benny's involvement," Gianni said.
"I screwed up," Mina said again. "I screwed up. I screwed up." She put her hands over her face and pressed the heels into her eyes like she was trying to rub them out of her head.
I grabbed her wrists and pulled her hands down. "You did not screw up," I said firmly. "We will find the others if they're still alive. We'll make them pay for what they did to you. I promise you that. We'll find them."