Page 30 of Grave Games

“I had no idea what kind of attention my actions would bring me.” All at once, the facade of the vicious, hard-bitten biker dropped, revealing just another scared guy struggling not to get crushed under the weight of Hades’s might. “But now… Look, I’m just going to say it. I’m the bad guy, okay? I’m not your hero, Shiloh. I never was. All I can do now is try to save you. That means getting you away from this bastard here, because I promise you he’s a drop of poison as far as you’re concerned. There’s nothing good he can bring to your life, because you’re nothing more than an assignment to him.”

Chapter Ten

Chapters

Shiloh

Just when I thought the world couldn’t get any darker, it turned around and switched off the sun.

Years. That was how long I’d punished myself for what had happened to Josh. For friggingyearsI’d believed my horrible life choices had destroyed my brother in a tragic domino effect. But come to find out, the opposite was true. It washishorrible life choices that had destroyedme.

What was I supposed to do with that?

“Coffee.” I slammed mugs down in front of Josh and Romeo, who had crowded around the small dinette table I’d wedged into a corner of the apartment’s miniscule kitchen, then limped to the chair farthest away from both of them. Hopefully I hadn’t actually broken my toe when I’d kicked the gun out of my brother’s hand, but it still hurt, and that was just one more layer of misery I could lay at Josh’s doorstep. “Creamer and sugar’s in front of you.”

Josh grabbed for the creamer while Romeo went for the sugar. “Thanks.”

“I’m just trying to be efficient so you can focus on answering my questions.”

“Such as?”

Oh, where to begin. “For starters, how did you get into my apartment in the first place?”

Josh shrugged while doctoring his coffee. “I waited for someone going out so I could catch the front door. Then I picked the apartment’s lock. Your lock’s useless, by the way.”

“Thanks for the tip,” Romeo said casually before I could open my mouth. “I’ve already spoken with her landlord about fixing the front door, so I’m sure he won’t have any problems with me changing out her locks. I’ll have it switched out by the end of the day.”

“You talked to my landlord?” That was news to me.

Romeo nodded. “You were right about him, Shy. He’s a genuinely good guy who understands my concerns about a pretty young woman living on her own here on the first floor with a faulty door buzzer. The buzzer issue should be fixed by the end of the week.”

“Look at you, putting on this act like you actually care about my sister.” Josh sneered at him while I tried to pick my jaw up off the floor. “We both know she’s nothing but a scam to you.”

Romeo sat so still it was terrifying even as Josh’s words stabbed me somewhere painful. “Say that again.”

“It’s obvious, asshole.”

“How did you even know Romeo was in my life?” I asked, trying to diffuse the situation before these two knuckle-draggers used my kitchen as their own personal caged octagon.

“One of the Chicago Gravediggers saw you two together. Obviously he recognized you from when you were held in the Rumpus Room, and he couldn’t wait to tell me about it. After he told Hades, of course.”

“Fucking Radar.” Romeo’s lip curled. “You sure he told Hades?”

“Positive.” My brother hunched over his mug, gripping it so tightly I half-feared it would shatter. “But even if Radar hadn’t spilled his guts, Hades still would’ve found out about it. He’s got eyes and ears everywhere, you have no idea.”

“You’re right, I don’t,” Romeo said, still not moving. “Why don’t you tell me about it?”

“Why don’t you tell me about how you and my baby sisterjust happenedto meet?” Josh shot back, rage once again bubbling to the surface, and I had to work at suppressing my alarm. This fury-filled creature sitting in my kitchen bore almost no resemblance to my easy-going brother. I barely recognized him as human, much less my sibling. “Out of nearly three million people in this city, you—a renegade Gravedigger who’s super-tight with Hades’s nephew Tyr—just happened to start dating my sister? I can’t even calculate the odds of that happening organically, so I know it didn’t. You targeted her. Why?”

“That’s a good question.” I glanced at Romeo while my stomach tied itself in knots. “I’m sure you have a good answer.”

“I’m not the one answering questions now, because I’m not the one who pranced in here waving a gun around like a damn amateur,” Romeo returned, turning a look of such contempt on Josh it was a wonder he didn’t shrivel up and blow away on the spot. “You could’ve shot your sister dead with moves like that, dumbass.”

Josh actually laughed, though it held no humor. “Don’t pretend you care about that.”

“Oh, I care. I care because she’s my woman, and no one puts what’s mine in danger. I don’t care who you are to her,” he went on, while everything inside me seemed to leap at his unbelievable statement. “If you ever put Shiloh in danger again, I’ll kill you.”

Josh stilled, the bitter humor draining from his face as he regarded Romeo. “Bigger badasses than you have threatened me with death, pal. You’re not even in the top ten.”

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