Page 83 of Bidding War

“Discreet?”

“Da. It is good hospital. They have patched me up many times.”

I have no doubt about that. I smile up at him. “That’s not why you come here, though, is it? It’s all the hot nurses, right?”

“Now is no the time for jokes,” he says solemnly. Whatever humor had been on his face falls away as he comes closer. Too close for my liking.

“What’s going on, Moss?”

A glint of light draws my attention back down to his hands. He’s holding a small knife as he looms over me.

I start to cringe back from him, but I couldn’t. Not without hurting myself more. “Moss?—"

Without another word, he holds out the knife and cuts his palm before squeezing that fist tight and letting the blood run between his fingers onto the floor. “I vow to you my loyalty, Anderson West.”

I’m left blinking, utterly confused. “Yeah, I’m gonna need you to explain what the fuck you just did, Moss.”

“My loyalty is no longer to your father. It is to you. I do your jobs. I follow your orders. You saved my life. I am indebted to you and you alone.”

Oh, shit. How the fuck do I turn that down? “Uh, as much as I appreciate this, I don’t know that I can accept it.”

He frowns. “Of course, you can.”

I rub my temple, trying to figure this out. “They have me on some really good drugs right now, so I may need your help in sorting this out.”

“Whatever you need.”

“Think about it this way—if you stop listening to my dad, what will happen to you? To your family? I know you’re not Dad’s only … helper.”

His lips pucker to the side as he thinks. “You are wise man. I see your point.”

“Good.” But maybe I can use this. “That said, there’s no reason we can’t do our own thing sometimes, right? Until Dad passes me the reins, he doesn’t need to know what we’re up to.”

Moss nods. “I will keep your secrets from him. Always.”

That is exactly what I needed to hear. “Don’t keep too much from him, though. Tell him just enough to let him think he’s still on top of everything.”

“Da.”

“And can I use your phone?”

“A burner or my phone?”

That makes me smile. He doesn’t say, “My burner or my phone.” He said, “A burner,” because he has several on him even now.

“A burner, if you don’t mind.” I don’t know if Dad monitors Mosses personal line, and there’s no reason to drag him into this mess in case he does.

Moss pats down his coat a few times before he finds a burner for me. “This one has never been used.”

“You keep ones that have been used? That seems risky.”

“Exactly why to keep.” He nods once. “They make good evidence to plant at crime scene. I mark each one I have used—who I call on it, the date, where from. Much easier to blackmail someone with the right information this way.”

“Good god, man. What would happen if you used your powers for good?”

He huffs a laugh and passes me the burner. “Perhaps one day, we find out together.”

“I’d like that.” Now, the moment of truth. Can I trust him or not? “You know I’m still seeing June, right?”

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