Page 85 of Overstaying His Welcome

“That’s why there’s no online presence for either of you. It’s why you’ve been able to hide so easily too. Because you’ve had people hacking from both ends.”

Pratt tapped his nose. “You got it. I’ve got a buddy in IT who helps me. And Lune hired some thug ages ago to wipe what my guy couldn’t. It’s been a beautiful setup.”

“That it has,” Lune agreed. “We wouldn’t be here without it.”

I shook my head as I tried to think of something else to ask. The obvious question was, “Have you been holding a grudge all this time, Pratt? Or was it only when I started taking out Gilded Ones that you decided I needed to be stopped?”

“You sure do have a smart mouth for someone at a disadvantage.” Lune noted.

I shrugged. “What have I got to lose?”

He pulled a gun from inside his suit jacket. The barrel was aimed directly at Chance’s head. There was no surviving a shot like that.

“Now then — what’s this about not having anything to lose?”

CHAPTER 31

TANK

Shit.

Ok, so maybe I’d been a little too cocky. In my defense, they hadn’t pulled any weapons yet. And the key rule in buying time is to not freak out unless there are weapons present.

So much for keeping my cool.

I widened my eyes to make myself appear scared. “Please don’t,” I said.

It was part real and part acting. The key to a believable lie was to make sure there was a touch of truth in there. Enough that even you could believe it despite knowing you were lying.

Maybe I was the delusional one.

“He’s much more agreeable when we threaten his loved ones, huh, brother?” Lune looked over to Pratt who was still staring at me.

“Obviously. It’s not like he’s used to being on the other side. How many of your guys has he taken out? You’re the last man standing.”

Lune waved the words away with his free hand. “I would have always been the last one standing. Those idiots thought I was only the killer-for-hire when really I was smarter than all ofthem. They were a shield meant to keep me in hiding until just the right moment.”

“And that moment is now?” I asked curiously.

He nodded. “It is. I’ve always hated that my brother had to suffer while I was trying to build a life for us. Even after I got to him, things were never the same. Do you know what it does to a child’s confidence to have to live in someone else’s shadow? Do you understand the long-lasting effects neglect can bring?”

“Hey!” Pratt shouted. “Don’t go saying all that shit! We agreed I was fine. This isn’t just about me.”

Lune threw back some kind of logic that I missed because I noticed something I hadn’t before. Mindy was moving. It was a slight thing, though noticeable enough to steal my attention.

Her eyes met mine in a flash before closing again. I saw determination in that glance. One that told me she had a plan of some kind.

I wondered for a minute if she wasn’t affected by the drug or if she was, and it had worn off quicker. Had she drunk any water at all earlier? Had Stabler? I tried to remember, but the shouting before me was distracting.

Tuning back in, I heard Pratt tell Lune to “stop parenting him,” which didn’t seem to help the situation. As their fighting picked up, the gun aimed at Chance became part of the show. Lune waved it around as he spoke. The larger his hand gestures became, the more the weapon moved.

I would have been worried if I weren’t so relieved to see the focus off my boyfriend. Chance still hadn’t moved much. As I glanced at him, I watched as his chest moved slowly up and down.

It was enough for now.

We’d all get medical care as soon as possible after this fucking issue was handled once and for all. By handled I meant we had two dead bodies.

Two bullets. One conclusion.

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