Page 61 of Twisted Trust
Our gazes meet and I see nothing but honesty in Naz’s dark eyes. “I’m choosing to believe you, yes.”
“Because you don’t trust me?”
“No. Because it’s what my gut is telling me is the right thing to do. Everything we’ve done, everything we’ve worked for… it doesn’t make sense that you would try to blow it up by killing my fiancée.”
“But you don’t trust me completely.”
My brow dips faintly. “You wouldn’t either if the roles were reversed.”
Naz grunts softly. “But someone wants you to think that I am trying to kill you and your woman.”
“It has to be the Red Serpents.”
“Indeed. A few of my men clocked a couple of their guys a couple of nights ago at the Casino on the corner, so they’re definitely in town.” Naz drinks slowly and lowers the bottle. “How certain are you that they are not here for your girl?”
“I’m certain,” I reply with more sincerity than I feel in my heart. “The more time I spend with her, the more I get the feeling that something isn’t right with what happened back then.”
“A gut feeling?” Naz teases.
Snorting humorlessly, I nod. “Maeve seems lost. She doesn’t strike me as the mastermind all that history painted her as.”
“If you are correct, my friend, it means someone has been trying to pull your strings for a long time. Someone who knew what she meant to you even back then. And that someone knows she is back in your life and is trying to separate you.”
“But why?” My untouched beer rolls slightly between my palms. “That’s what I can’t work out. Five years ago, sure. It’s clear they wanted to destroy relations between us, and it nearly worked.”
“Itdidwork,” Naz reminds me. “But you worked at it and we fixed things. Although to anyone on the outside, I assume we still look like shaky enemies.”
“So why now? Why me? If they want to destroy our relations again, then surely, they would know we’d be running a tighter ship this time around.”
“Perhaps the answer lies with Maeve,” Naz replies. “If she was important to a plan back then, it’s reasonable to presume that she holds some importance now. Maybe she knows something.”
“She’ll hate me if I accuse her.”
“Maybe she knows something she doesn’tknowshe knows.” Naz swigs his beer. “But I will say one thing for sure. The Red Serpents are trying to infiltrate both of us, so keep your circle close. I’m digging into where those assassins came from and you should do the same, but watch out for yourself. And I’ll let you know if anyone tries to kill me while wearing an XXX Syndicate pin.”
We laugh together, but there’s not much humor to be shared. One wrong move and the tentative peace I’ve curated with The Wolves could shatter. Choosing to believe Naz when he insists the assassins aren’t his is a choice I stand by, but that doesn’t mean I’m going to take another hit lying down.
Leaving the bar, I meet up with Chip around the block, and he knows better than to question where I was. Instead, he hands my phone back and smiles grimly. “Antony is on the warpath.”
“Why doesn’t that surprise me?” I mutter, dialing Maeve’s number. “What is it this time?”
“Apparently, quite a few of the older families are excited to see you present your fiancée, and on top of that, there’s been a lot of praise and relief that there won’t be a turbulent exchange of power between families.”
“If they were so concerned about that, then why even entertain the idea of voting for Antony?” I mutter as Maeve’s phone rings out. Is she ignoring me?
“You know how these families work. Antony was presenting them a future while you looked like a dead end.”
“Thanks,” I snort, dialing the head of security at the complex. “Kind of fucked up how the prospect of a baby can change things.”
“Agreed. Well, he’s set out to make waves. He’s making it hispersonalgoal to track down the culprits who attacked you.”
Our eyes meet. “Does he know about the tattoos?”
“Not yet, but it’s surely a matter of time.”
“Fuck.” The line clicks and security buzzes down the phone. “Yeah, link me to Maeve.”
“I’m sorry, sir,” says the man who answered. “She isn’t here.”
