Page 124 of Clinch'd

Either way, I’d like to do whatever it takes to save the poor man facing death and then get the hell out of here before I lose my mind.

Once I’ve made this deal, I’m out of here. Cooper can clean up the rest of his own mess.

I’m circling the drain of possible places to run away to when we finally roll up to the diner. After Beast parks at the curb, I eye the facade before saying, “It’s better if you stay here.”

From the corner of my eye, I see Cooper opening his mouth, but he slams it closed when I say, “He’s not going to do shit if he thinks you’re threatening me.”

“Who?” he says, and I shrug.

“Does it matter?”

I wait for him to give in because he doesn’t have a choice and eye his ticking jaw until he says, “Fine. But we're right behind you and I’ll be watching you the whole time.”

“Goody,” I mutter before exiting.

Although it’s the last place I want to be, I can’t contain a wave of nostalgia as I approach. Once upon a time, this was my life and I embraced it with both hands. That is until, much like everything else, the shine wore off and I realized I was acting no better than the people I blamed for my shitty childhood.

I haven’t seen this crew in years and a kernel of both fear and excitement zings down my spine. They were hardened by life then and I’m sure now is no different.

However, I know the power he wields and if I had been smart, I would’ve gone to him from the beginning.

I hesitated because once I open the door, I can’t close it again. I guess I want to help Cooper more but it’s a fucked up shitty situation either way.

I do feel a small amount of satisfaction though because Cooper and even Castinetti know nothing about my past and the mayhem I hope to unleash.

Hate Callahan is not someone you mess with.

His bright blue eyes meet mine as soon as I walk through the door. For a moment I’m transported back to that little girl who both feared and revered this man before reality came crashing down around me.

Back then, I was a little princess, until the glitter from my tiara turned to rust and the men in my life revealed themselves to be the monsters I thought lurked under my bed.

“Minerva,” he says in his deep baritone when I sit down across from him.

He looks exactly the same if a little older and I search his features before exhaling. I hate what he does, but I also respect the power he wields.

If I want his help, I have to accept who I am and now all these years later, I guess it’s the only way.

And as I sit across from him, I feel the layers of the old me push against the facade until I’m that damn princess once again.

“Brother,” I say, and he nods.

“Tell me.”

I’ve never told Lorri about Hate. There was no reason to. Lorri came along after our dad died and so, Hate, my half-brother had no loyalty to her. Frankly, there were times I wondered if he was loyal to me, although deep down, I know beneath that cold as fuck exterior is the boy who used to carry me around on his shoulders.

Mom never cared for Hate, but if Hate knew, he didn’t let it bother him. I suspect his aversion to trust and with women at that, grew out of whatever happened to his mother.

I’ll never know because he’s always been a locked vault on that topic. Either way, I hope I haven’t stepped further into the fire by seeing him. Although I had little choice.

I can’t fight the bad guys without being a fucking bad guy. This I know from the years I hung out with him and his crew.

Sucking in a breath, I avoid looking over when Cooper and Beast enter the diner. Cooper’s head swings my way, and I don’t miss the way Hate’s eyes tighten before I say, “I need your help.”

He inclines his head because I wouldn’t be here for any other reason and shame fills me at that because now, I’m using him like it would seem the whole fucking world is using me.

“It’s two things, really,” I say. “I need help getting into Castinetti’s estate—“

“Sal Castinetti?” he says, and I nod.

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