Page 94 of Hell or High Water

Than stalked toward the cabin door ahead of me. He’d stayed silent on the drive back here from Linc’s. And all I could do was think about what he’d said to Linc about me—what Wayon had seen and how he had gotten obsessed. Linc’s response to him had been equally interesting.

I was probably reading into it, but…well, when it came to Than, I was weak. Desperate for him to feel even a tiny fraction of what I felt for him.

Emotions I’d never meant to have.

They’d just shown up, guns blazing. Taking over my good sense and my heart.

When he reached the door, he unlocked it, then held it open for me. I glanced at him as I passed, and the wild gleam in his eyes was similar to the one he had on the night he’d read the letters. Except it was much darker. There was a ferocity to it now.

The door closed, and I wasn’t sure what to say or do. I wanted to talk. I had questions, and he was wound up so tight. I wanted to know why.

Was there bad blood between him and Wayon? Was that it? Maybe it had nothing to do with me at all.

“What will Linc do? Who’s Blaise?” I asked him the easier questions.

“Blaise is the boss. There are those who lead each branch, but only one boss. And Linc will do whatever Blaise tells him to do.”

I licked my lips nervously. This was a lot to take in. “Um, how do you get to be a boss? Or the boss?”

He tossed the keys to his truck on the coffee table. “You don’t get to be one. You’re born into it. Jediah Hughes started the Southern Mafia in the early 1900s. It’s been handed down to the oldest son in Jediah’s line since then. Blaise is Jediah’s great-great-grandson. He took over a few years ago when his father wanted to retire and spend more time with his new wife.”

Than cut his eyes to me. “You’re handling it better than I expected.”

I let out a strangled laugh. “Am I? Because I can’t decide if I should freak out or not.”

He smirked, then sat down on the sofa.

“So, all of you—Gathe, Oz, Bane…”

When I said Bane’s name, I realized he had a young wife and baby. Did she know? Of course she did. She lived with the lot of them. She had to know.

“Yep. All born into it. Our fathers and their fathers.”

“Oh,” I said, thinking back to the night I’d had dinner with Wayon. “I don’t think Pax knows about Wayon being a part of the Mafia.”

Than sneered. “Not just a part, but the next leader of the Louisiana branch.”

Wayon was handsome and charismatic. Now that I knew he was wealthy and powerful, I wondered, why would he stalk me? That made no sense. It couldn’t be him.

“I don’t think it’s him. He wasn’t the kind of person to stalk someone. And the things he said in those letters, I can’t imagine he’d—”

Than shot up off the sofa, and I stopped talking. His eyes narrowed as he moved toward me. Okay, so I hadn’t been scared of him before, but the look in his eyes right now was frightening.

“Are you defending him?” he asked. “Are you fucking defending him?”

I shook my head. “No, I—”

He continued closing in on me, and I backed up until I hit the wall and couldn’t go any further.

“Do you like him? Were you attracted to him?” His tone was dark and sent a shiver through me—I wasn’t sure if it was from fear or arousal. Maybe both.

I jumped as he slammed his palms against the wall on either side of my head, caging me in.

“Answer me.”

“No! I don’t. He was nice and attractive, but I didn’t—”

He hit the wall again, and I closed my eyes. Okay, now, I was scared.

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