Page 77 of The Cleaner

“Thanks, Doc,” Jer says once Grainne is finished. “I’ll send payment tomorrow.”

Grainne nodsand quickly exits the house, no doubt not wanting to be around when this shit hits the fan.

“So,” Jer says, his voice filled with anger. “Where the fuck do I begin?” He turns to Lisa, his eyes dark with rage. “You’ve been on a killing spree, young lady. Do you have any idea what could have happened if anyone found out or if any of those men you killed got the jump on you?”

Cowboy scoffs before Lisa can answer Jer. “She’s been trained since she was sixteen. Lisa is more than capable of taking care of herself.”

I tag Lisa’s hand and pull her close to me once again. Jer's eyes narrow as he looks between us. "You're okay with this, Mav? With her being the Hanging Reaper?"

I take a deep breath, choosing my words carefully. "I'm not okay with her being in danger," I admit. "But I understand why she does it. She’s good at what she does. And I respect her choices."

"Fuck," Emmanuel mutters from the couch. "This is some serious shit."

Travis, who's finally finished his phone call, joins the conversation. "You’re all a bunch of sexist assholes," he says, his voice vibrating with anger. “If this was a man, you wouldn’t have this problem. Besides, Lisa is damned good at what she does. Now, I won’t have to tell you all how serious it is to ensure that Lisa’s identity remains anonymous.”

Jer rolls his eyes. “Like I’d tell anyone,” he grunts. “I just want to ensure that my new niece isn’t in harm’s way.” I grin. Jer’s smooth as hell, and the soft smile he sends Lisa’s way helps her relax. I feel her shoulders sag and she leans against me. “Now, young lady, are you sure?—”

"I appreciate the concern, but I've been doing this for years. I know the risks, and I know how to handle myself," she says, cutting him off.

"That may be," Jer counters, "but now you're part of this family. That means we look out for each other. No more solo missions without backup."

I feel Lisa stiffen beside me, ready to argue, but I squeeze her hand gently. "He's right, babe. We're in this together now."

She looks at me, conflict clear in her eyes, but after a moment she nods reluctantly. "Fine. But I'm not giving it up entirely."

"Wouldn't dream of asking you to," Jer says, his tone softening. "Now, let's talk logistics. Travis, who else knows about Lisa’s true identity?"

Travis grins. “The six of us in this room, along with Melissa. That’s it and that’s all it will be.” The warning’s clear in his voice.

Jer nods. “Good. We’ll ensure it stays that way.” He turns back to me. “You take Lisa home and rest. While you’ve been kicking back with that bitch Tanya, Stephen and Freddie were beyond pissed. Along with Denis, they decided it would be best to take out the entire Jennings’ organisation.”

I raise a brow. “Oh, and how did that go down?”

Cowboy grins. “Perfectly timed hits. The pub went up in flames, not to mention their houses. There are no more assholes with the name Jennings left.”

I smile back at the fucker. This is good news. Now I don’t need to worry about retaliation against Lisa.

“You’re up to speed, so now you’re going to go home and get some rest,” Jer instructs. “The both of you.”

Lisa rolls her eyes. “Am I going to have to listen to him boss me around from now on?” she whispers so only I can hear her.

I chuckle. "Probably," I answer truthfully.

"Maverick, take care of my girl," Travis says, a dark gleam in his eyes. "Darling, I'll call you in the morning," he tells Lisa.

"Now go," Jer says, waving his hand, dismissing us.

I turn on my heel, pulling Lisa with me. It's time to get home and forget about this fucked up day.

As we step outside, Lisa lets out a long sigh. I can feel the tension in her body, coiled tight like a spring. We walk to her car in silence. She’s deep in thought so I leave her be for the moment.

Once I pull out of Jer’s drive, I turn to her. "You okay?"

She nods. "It's just... a lot. I've been doing this alone for so long. Having people know, having them worry... it's strange."

I grin. I’m glad she’s getting it. "You're not alone anymore, Lisa. We're in this together now, whether you like it or not."

A small smile tugs at her lips. "I think I like it. It's just going to take some getting used to."

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