Page 243 of Hate Mates

The guy’s hard, dark eyes drift over Will’s shoulder to me. “Maybe you just can’t do the fucking job. Maybe you don’t have the balls your father…or hers…did.” He leers, the clear intent in his leer making my skin crawl. “Why don’t we call War and Rion and see if they’re ready to come out of retirement?”

Like that would ever happen…

If that’s what they’re looking for—cooperation and help from the Great Lakes pirates—then they are going to be waiting for a very long time. They quit thirty years ago for very important reasons—who are now standing here in the exact situation they tried to keep us away from.

Will releases a dark laugh that sends a shiver down my spine. He sounds nothing like the man I once loved—and that’s almost scarier than not knowing what he’s neck-deep in. “They’re out of the business and have been for a very long time. They’re enjoying retirement. Leave them be.”

Rocky takes a step toward him, until their chests almost brush, and I inch closer to Will, my hand at the hem of his T-shirt, ready to lift it if I need to.

“I don’t have time to fuck around and play games, Will. I need that shipment. I needed it last week. I have a lot of very unhappy customers who are going into withdrawals. The longer you put this off, the worse the position you put me in. And trust me, you don’t want to be putting me in a bad position. The last person who did that regretted it.”

I suck in a sharp breath, both at the threat he doesn’t even bother to try to veil and the fact that I’ve finally figured out what’s going on.

Will is smuggling drugs for these men?

My head spins.

The Will I’ve known my entire life wouldnevertouch drugs, not after what War went through with Will’s grandfather. And Will certainly wouldn’t help anyone bring them in to get distributed on the streets.

It’s the type of thing our parents left the life to ensure we’d never get tangled up in.

Will gives him a tight smile. “The marine forecast looks more positive in the morning. I should be back here with your shipment by this time tomorrow night.”

“You better be.” Rocky drifts his gaze from Will’s to meet mine. “If you don’t have it, I’m going to have a little talk with Emilia and see how she can…assist.”

Goosebumps pebble across my skin, and Will retreats toward me a step. He wraps his arm around me to nudge me toward the kegs in order to allow Rocky and his goons to walk out.

The moment they do, Will stalks to the door and sticks his head out, presumably watching them leave the bar before he pushes the door closed. I sag back against one of the kegs with my legs shaking so badly that I can barely stay upright.

Will doesn’t say a word.

“You want to tell me what the fuck that was?”

He stares at the door for a minute, unmoving, shoulders tense, hands fisted at his side so tightly that his knuckles whiten before he slowly turns to face me. The look in his gray eyes is one I’ve never seen before. Some strange mix of fear and regret…and maybe something else I can’t quite pinpoint.

“That”—he jerks a finger toward the door—“was what I’ve been trying to keep you from getting sucked into for the last year and a half.”

“What?” I shake my head.That doesn’t make any sense.“What the hell is going on, Will? How can you be working with those assholes? How the hell can you be touching drugs and helping them bring that shit here?”

He takes a step toward me, his eyes practically glowing even in the dim light from the single bulb hanging in the center of the room.

They plead for me to understand.

But he keeps his lips pressed together tightly, as if he can’t orwon’toffer the explanation I so badly need.

Why would Will do this?

His grandfather OD’d. His father got pulled into a criminal world quagmire because of shipments just like the one they discussed here tonight. And Will despises anyone who would put that toxic shit onto the streets.

So WHY?

Suddenly, his words from earlier flash through my head, like he’s screaming them at me instead of whispering into my ear discreetly the way he did in the bar.

Remember how your mom met your dad…

I didn’t understand them only a few minutes ago when he said them. That was twenty-eight years ago. And it couldn’t possibly haveanythingto do with what went down tonight.

At least, that’s what I thoughtthen.

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