Page 31 of Butcher

I looked over at Butcher. “Used to what?”

“Having people care about you.” His lips twitched as though he was as baffled, but amused, at the women as I was. “Not sure people like us will ever fully understandwhythey love us, but you do get used to it. As far as they’re concerned, you’re family now.”

“Butcher-”

“My office,” Lockout called out, pointing at Butcher. “Bring her.”

“Fuck, again?” he muttered. His hand went to the small of my back as he navigated me through the room and toward a back hallway.

Not everyone was here, Toxic and a few others stayed back to clean up the bodies.There goes my security deposit for my car.The women who were still waiting on their bikers sat down over on the couches and chairs off to the side and started chatting. It was all so...normal. Something that didn’t describe me. Nothing about me or my life was normal.

We sat down across from Lockout and he pinned me with a stern look. “What do we have to look forward to?”

I glanced over at Butcher. “Nothing good. In fact, it’ll be bad. Real bad.” I turned in my chair and stared at Butcher, willing him to understand. “Ihaveto leave. They’re going to rain hell down on me, and anyone I’m associated with. If I stay it’s going to put you in danger.”

“I’m already on their list,” Butcher said, not looking at all worried.

“You don’t get it,” I sighed. “Multiply their efforts by one hundred and that’s how hard they’ll be coming for me. You’re a contract, a paycheck. I’m a liability, worse, an insult. I betrayed them, a message needs to be sent. If they don’t come after me with everything then they look weak. It’ll puteveryonehere at risk.” I glanced over at Lockout, looking for someone to be the reasonable one.

He frowned at me. “Because you helped us.”

It wasn’t a question, but I nodded anyway. “But even more so, because I went against them.”

“Randal’s days are numbered,” Butcher growled.

“It’s not just Randal,” I snapped.

“His clients-”

“Listen to me,” I growled, glaring at Butcher. “Fuck Randal. Fuck his clients. They don’t matter here.”

“The assassins,” Lock said, catching on.

I pointed at him, giving Butcher a desperate look. “I killed my own kind. Do you know what assassins do to those of us who hunt other assassins?” My laugh was humorless.

“So what’s your plan?” Lock asked me.

Sighing, I shrugged. “I have a place up in the White Mountains.” I’dbought it years ago. There was always a draw to Arizona that I didn’t understand. I was born and raised in Texas, but came here often enough that I knew the state like the back of my hand.

“Fuck that,” Butcher snarled. “I’m not letting her go off on her own to deal with the consequences of helping us alone.”

“I didn’t say we were sending her away,” Lock told him, voice even and calm.

“You have to,” I told Lockout, then I looked over at Butcher. “You have families here. I’m not willing to let anything happen to them-”

“I’ll go with you.”

“No,” Lockout said, voice cutting through our squabble. It held a tone of finality. “Neither of you are leaving.”

I shook my head in disbelief. “None of you make any sense. You don’t know me. You owe me nothing.Whywould you do this for me?”

“It’s not for you,” Lock answered me, but he was staring at Butcher.

Butcher nodded in answer to some silent question he read in Lockout’s eyes.

“Besides, we’re stronger together.” Lock’s gaze moved to me. They were hazel, like Butcher’s, but they didn’t cause the same internal reaction when he stared at me. “You’re staying here. We’ll take this threat on as a team. You drop the contract against Butcher and agree to work with us and we’ll help you.”

My eyes darted back and forth between the two men. “Do I have a choice?”

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