Page 36 of Fire for Effect

And Griff did not like to fail at anything.

“Your buddy at the bar is looking at me pretty hard for a guy who’s just a friend,” Cobra said with a smirk.

“He’s probably my best friend, actually.”

Again, I wasn’t sure why I was confessing everything to this… Cobra. But here I was.

“What’s your daughter’s name?” I asked, finally. Trying to pull a shred of information from him, if I could.

Then the door burst open, and a breathless Riley scanned the room, his baby blue eyes landing right on me.

Chapter 9

Big Hero

Griff

I fucking watched as the Chris Hemsworth look-alike stormed in and beelined straight for Taz. He stopped short of her, his hands out as if he was going to give her a hug.

I placed my hand in my pocket, my fingers pressing on the two challenge coins. The President’s… and my own.

Did I reevaluate my approach to Taz after I took a bullet to the chest? Yes. Yes, I had. Two bullets in a single year was a fucking sign to get my shit together and stop waiting for the right time. With the pending threat from Matthews, I needed to clear this shit up now, right this instant.

This Fireman had to get to the back of the line. Or better yet, go fuck himself.

“Hey, sorry, rain check on dinner? I gotta go, big fire near the Sawmill. Need all hands on deck, ya know?”

Well, aren’t you a big fucking hero?

He leaned forward and took her shoulders in his hands, bending down to give her a kiss on the cheek.

“Of course!” she said with a smile.

“Before I bounce, I just gotta ask… did you ever figure out the equation?”

I needed to get my coin in her pocket. Or better yet, my name tattooed on her ass. Then these Riley scumbags would back the fuck off.

“Yes!” she snapped her fingers. “It’s five pounds of C4 for every pound of body weight.”

What the shit? I remembered that conversation. Was she talking to him the way she talked to me? That was going to end now.

“I thought so.” Riley snapped his fingers, mirroring her gesture, as if it was a real Eureka moment. “When I get back, I want to talk about a thermite solution, alright?” Riley turned ready to bolt out the door, but turned around to yell, “Remind me later, okay?”

“Just come by when you’re through,” she said, before giving him a flirty finger wave.

What. the. Fuck?

I will fuck her right in front of him if that’s what it takes to mark my god damn territory.

“Alright, sweetheart. See you later!” Then he was gone.

My blood boiled, fists clenched at my sides.

I shouldn’t say something.

I shouldn’t.

But I did.

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