Page 57 of Hate Mates

“I’m so sorry that happened to you, Irena,” Andrew says, sounding choked up.

“You’re safe now. You’re all safe,” I reassure them. “Our people will help you get back home, or wherever you want to be. Right?”

Andrew raises a brow at my question. I mimic it, because I’m obviously not in the know here.

“Yes, a team will meet us at the hotel.”

I don’t say anything else. There’s plenty I want to say, this isn’t the right place. These girls have been through enough, they don’t need to witness one of Andrew and my knockout drag out battle of words. I’ll be damned if I let this go, though. What we do is dangerous even when we have every detail available. What don’t I know about this job? And why?

We get to the hotel, secure the women with a team after a longer goodbye than I think Andrew was prepared for. They all thanked him profusely. His discomfort with that being the highlight of my night.

When it’s just the two of us left, I stare him down.

“We need to talk.”

“Privately,” he says, eyes narrowed. “We have long standing business to discuss,sweetheart.”

FOUR

Andrew

“Call me sweetheart one more time, motherfucker…” Beth says as soon as I’ve ushered her into my hotel room and have secured the door behind me.

“And what? You’ll steal more of my money?”

“I’d have never stolen any if you hadn’t stolen my jobs,” she snaps.

“You’re going to give it all back.” Lifting her over my shoulder, I haul her into the bathroom. She doesn’t go easy, of course. My solar plexus will likely bloom with bruises by the end of the night. She could have gotten loose if she really wanted to. Unceremoniously, I drop her to her feet in the shower and turn the water on.

She still has brain matter stuck in her hair, so she needs this. However, it’s the sound of running water I really want. It’s not likely this room is bugged, but I’m not a very trusting man.

“Asshole,” she says as she shivers in the water. I turn the knob to warm it up, then strip my shoes and pants off. She stills when I thumb off my boxer briefs. “What are you doing?”

“Joining you, so we can talk.”

“We can do that with clothes on,” she says, her eyes darting down, then quickly back up. Beth likes to look at me despite how much she hates me. I like her looking, despite how much I want to hold her head under water.

“Keep yours on then.” I grab the small bottle of hotel shampoo and drop some on the crown of her head. “Wash and listen. Those jobs you think I stole were personal. They should have always been mine.”

“Why?”

“Maclain sucked my little sister, Franny, into his world. She was barely twenty-one but looked younger. Fresh faced and naïve,” I tell her, pausing to swallow down my own guilt. I should have taken better care of her, taught her about the dangers of the world, how to protect herself. I took it for granted, I took her safety for granted. “She died before I found her.”

“Andrew.” Her voice is soft, her eyes sad as I tilt her head back to rinse out the shampoo.

“Don’t fucking pity me.” I don’t deserve that, nor do I want it. I’d rather she rage at me for being stupid enough to let my sister fall into such a trap. “I’ve spent every day since her disappearance on a mission to make everyone involved pay. Those jobs? Were men who were involved. That money you took? Was my ticket to a seat at the table with The Agency.”

“I didn’t know.”

My hand finds her throat, small beneath my palm. Her pulse is wild under her skin. I walk her back against the tiled wall.

“You delayed everything,” I say through gritted teeth. My fingers tighten. She’s not scared. Instead, she looks curious. “I should have had him a year ago. I could have saved so many.”

“You should have told me,” she snarls. “I would have helped.”

“I don’t trust you.”

“You don’t even know me,” she snaps back.

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