Page 85 of Cross & Crown

them. Then Kelly went in for the kill, leaping at Julian with a kick to the chest that should’ve leveled him. Julian brought

up both hands, though, catching Kelly’s foot. Kelly went with

the momentum, kicking off the ground and using Julian’s hold

on him for leverage. He caught Julian under the chin as he

flipped himself backward, and he landed in a crouch several

feet from his opponent.

He was breathing hard, body tense in expectation of

Julian getting up again. He heard Nick’s footsteps behind him

and he stood slowly. Nick patted him on the shoulder as they

both stood over Julian, who was holding his face and lying on

his back, cursing in an Irish accent.

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“That’s a lot more fun to watch when it’s not me you’re

doing it to,” Nick told Kelly, his voice warm with pride and

possibly a little lust.

Kelly smirked at him.

Nick grabbed Julian by his elbow and hefted him off

the ground, then jerked his arms behind him and shoved

him against the wall of the nearest building. He patted him

down from head to toe, taking special care around his wrists.

Kelly wound up holding an armful of weaponry and other . . .

implements. Then Nick slapped a pair of handcuffs on Julian

and hissed in his ear. “Welcome to Boston.”

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Chapter 5

elly sat in the backseat with Julian, watching him

Klike a hawk. Nick could see them in his rearview

mirror as he guided the car toward the marina. Any other

col ar, and he’d have taken him right back inside to the

precinct, but Nick had dealt with Julian Cross before. He

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