Page 35 of Unwritten Rules

Why am I being so creepy?Usually, I would just dip out if they were too challenging.But not with her.

Fallon and Garrett stood at her doorstep. This time, I couldn’t hear their conversation, but I wanted to. Was she rejecting him or accepting him? I plotted something and stashed it in the back of my mind for later while I watched their body language. They were standing too close for the second time tonight. His hand found its way up to the left side of her face, caressing her jaw.

It was pretty much a movie in slow motion as they kissed again. Long and drawn out, I felt my stomach do something...weird. The way her mouth moved with his for too long before they pulled away made me want to punch him. He said something else to her before he turned to leave, and I watched as her eyes tracked him longingly while he went.

Does she look at me like that?

She closed the door after he drove away and I stood up, contemplating my options. I could march over there and kidnap her, but that would make me late to see Reaper.

Unsure of how long Iactuallystood there, I headed to my bike to show up late anyway.

Reaper was in my wing of the house when I arrived, lounging in my favorite chair and drinking my favorite bottle of whiskey. He wasn’t a very patient man.

Where did that fucking cat come from?It sat in his lap purring like a fucking engine.

“What the fuck are you doing?” I asked.

He shrugged. “Hanging out. Want some?”

“Considering that’s my fucking alcohol, I feel like our roles should be reversed. Doesn’t matter. What did you find out this week? Dictator is being ridiculously cryptic, and then he beat me within an inch of my life after he found out I went out with the ‘Montgomery girl’.”

His facial expression was hidden behind his mask. This time he wore a plain black balaclava. I didn’t complain; he once wore a silicone horse head. The shit he wore on his head wassostrange, but I was in no mood to comment on them. The only thing I ever saw were his green eyes and–sometimes–his thick brown eyebrows. When his eyebrows were visible, I could usually guess his facial expressions.

“Your fault for being late.” He threw back his glass and poured another. “As for the girl, she’s Maria’s heir. Mr. Vaughn had a close relationship with her.” He stroked the cat in his lap and lit up a cigar frommystash. He had no boundaries, but at some point, I got used to it. “Do you think...”

“Ew, what the fuck? That I just tried to bang my aunt? No way in hell. He probably sees her as another Maria. Whatever is going on with her, I’m not allowed to know.”

He shrugged. “The dirty side of the business has been in rocky waters from all these men we’re taking out lately. He probably wants to get to her first. I’ve been here since before Maria died and he sang her praises daily. They were strong partners in crime. The whispers, though, are about some ‘girl’ and how her being brought in needs to happen sooner rather than later. I assume that’s your fuck buddy.”

If only she was my fuck buddy.Well, I wanted more from her than that. She was interesting and mouthy–two things I never encountered with the girls on campus or around me in general. They all wanted to drop their panties for me as soon as they saw me, but she didn’t And damn, if that didn’t piss me off.

I leaned back in the chair, taking a swig of the drink while digesting his words. “What else is in these whispers? Dictator doesn’t tell me shit and you’re some of my only ears here.”

“You know them.” He cracked his neck and puffed from one of my expensive Cuban cigars. “I get orders and I’m happy with it, but thereissomething fucked going on in the dark side of the world. More stabbing for me and less questions to ask. If I were to take a guess from what I hear, there are more snakes in the grass than you’d think. We have old business connects turning into wolves for Maria’s company. Hence, your little fuck toy needing to come in now.” He turned his attention to petting the cat and swiping around on his phone. For someone who was just a hired gun, I kind of liked him. He was straightforward. If he ever let me see his face, maybe we’d be friends.

It made sense that there were people wanting Montgomery Group. People took to hostile takeovers all the time–especially in our part of society. It was always cutthroat, and you needed to stay on top of your game to play the right way. But what was with all the movement recently? Wouldn’t it have made more sense to act after she died and not five years later? Too many questions to ask for one night, but I shelved them to the back of my mind for more digging later.

Reaper laid his head back inmychair. “Enough talking about boring fucking shit. Tell me about that blonde girl you railed. Does she have a friend for me?”

“Big boy can’t find his own bitches?”

He threwmyglass at me. “Fuck you. If you weren’t my boss, I’d kill you for that.”

“I’d like to see you try, loser,” I laughed, dodging the glass.

“I have a few files of some men we were assigned.”

“And?”

He laughed. It was a cold and startling laugh that only a trained killer like him would have. “We have assignments, dickhead. Stabbing? Don’t mind if I do.”

I sighed, knocking back the rest of my drink. “You couldn’t have led with that?”

He tossed me a set of keys and a bright pink ski mask.Fuck this guy.“Giddy up, pretty boy. We’re going killing tonight and getting some more info. You need to at least know why gramps doesn’t want you fucking that pretty girl.”

Blondie flooded my mind. Those blue eyes and wicked smirk appeared, taunting me with that attitude. For her, I’d definitely kill a few people. Hell, maybe a lot of people. Intriguing didn’t even begin to cover what she was. A brat? Surely. A puzzle? Mine to solve.

She wouldn’t see it coming, but I’d have her begging on her knees for me soon. Dictator and her boyfriend be damned. No one has stopped me from doing what I wanted to anyway. Not even the law. And she had no clue...

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