Page 39 of Ruthless Beasts

“It’s all I’ve got going in this life.” He gestured to the rope. “Going down first?”

“Might as well.” I bent down and grabbed the rope, gripping it tightly as I adjusted my feet, then began the walk down the brick, praying I didn’t fuck up and smash my head on the cement below.

When my feet touched the ground, I blew out the breath I had held, thankful that today wasn’t my day to go. Max grabbed the rope, beginning his descent, when I turned away, strolling to the door that was bottle necked with oozing bodies. Tryingto avoid getting blood on my shoes, I looked down. “You kept Vinnie alive, right?”

Drew snorted. “Was I supposed to? I believe you said, ‘Do not let a single man out of these doors.’” He changed his voice to mock me.

“Do not fuck with me. Anyone else and you’d be dead.” I glared at Drew, who was completely unfazed by my temper. He was used to it. He’d been a friend nearly as long as Adam and Mercer.

He rolled his eyes. “Someone needs to loosen up, maybe get laid.” If only he knew. “Yes. He’s alive. Can’t you hear him crying like a hysterical school girl who just got dumped before prom?”

“That’s Vinnie?” I let a laugh loose, unable to contain it. “Jesus Christ, how pathetic. And he was supposed to be leading one of the major local crime families?”

“Bellamy has cried less.” Drew smirked and I sobered.

“We don’t talk about her.”

He raised his hands up, feigning helplessness. “Sorry, man, I meant nothing by it. You know I have nothing against the girl. She’s sweet. And she makes a mean ass sandwich.”

“She’s made you food?” Lead settled in my stomach.

“Um.” He was looking everywhere but at me. “Hasn’t she fed you?”

No. The answer was no. And I didn’t know why it angered me so much that her guard had gotten special attention from her when often I didn’t even get a fucking glance. But that was a circumstance of my making, wasn’t it? I intentionally held myself back, giving her the bare minimum because even though Adam said she was ours, I was afraid of the rejection, the ridicule, the pieces I’d have to collect of myself if I allowed myself to care too much.

“Are you fucking her?” The words were out before I could stop them, before I registered the jealousy and betrayal I felt over what I knew was absolutely nothing.

“What?” Drew looked shocked and maybe I felt a little guilt over it, but I’d never admit it out loud. “You three are some of my closest friends. Without this job, the loyalty of the family you’ve created, I’d probably be dead. I’d never betray you like that.”

I swallowed the lump in my throat. “I’m sorry. I know that, it’s just…“

I let my words hang because I didn’t know what the fuck I was about to admit. It’s just… I’m crazy? It’s just… I’m jealous? It’s just… I might want this girl, knowing I shouldn’t? Was that it? Did I want her or did I just like the idea of having her?

“It’s just that it’s been a while since you felt.” Drew finished through me, calling me out on all the bullshit I always tried to hide, and why wouldn’t he? He’d known me longer than most of our men, known me before I’d even fully skipped out of the awkward stage of puberty. He knew my lies and my truths, maybe before I even had.

“Yeah.” I clapped him on the back and stepped over the body at my feet. Such a fucking mess. It’s what I hated the most about this job.

I strolled casually over to Vinnie, who was kneeling between two of my men. Two guns pointed at his skull. Someone was courteous enough to tie his arms behind his back. How fucking degrading to go from the leader of men to a sniffling snotty mess on a dirty warehouse floor. When I got close enough, he dared to lift his head, meeting my gaze.

“I—“

“Don’t fucking talk.” I reached forward, pulling his hair to tilt his head back, making sure he had eyes on me and only me. “I don’t know what the fuck you did to make your capture a priority, but I can fucking promise it’s a long time coming. Was itthe wedding? The scout you had outside my gate? What else did you do to make your son-in-law so fucking mad?”

He tried to shake his head, but my grip was too tight for him to move. “I hadn’t done nothing.”

I laughed. “We both know that’s a fucking lie. Men like us are rarely innocent.”

“She’s a bitch like her mother. Whatever she told you, it isn’t true. From one man to another, you fucking know that. Females can’t be trusted.”

My knee to his nose reminded him that the female in question belonged to us. No thanks to his protection. Blood sprayed outward, splattering my clothes, and I tried not to cringe. “I’d suggest you not talk about Bellamy like that again. In fact, keep her name off your lips and out of your mind because she’s a hundred times the person you’d ever be, and I knew this within ten seconds of knowing her.”

“She’s a whore. Haven’t you heard by now?” His bloody grin begged me to remove some of his teeth. “Have you taken care of it yet? Gotten rid of the evidence of her whoring ways?”

I leaned down. “Why would we do that? Something you’re hiding, Vinnie?”

For a moment, his eyes flashed, and the tiniest spark of fear shined through before he hardened his gaze. “Nothing that concerns you.”

My grin was sinister. “Anything that involves her concerns me.”

---