Page 75 of Unhinged Cravings
This time, he laughed, and I joined him.
“Sorry for shooting you,” I added.
“Now that was a dick move.”
“I purposely missed your vital organs, and I doubt you would have become such an expert shot if I hadn’t motivated you.”
His head shook, and he said, “So, Cade Slaughter is calling a truce with Greyson Tides?”
I put my hand out, offering it to him. “I think it’s time for Cade Slaughter to retire. Emerson Tides is making a truce with his brother.”
He stared at me for a second before he extended his hand. When our hands met, I had a sense that I was returning home after being adrift for decades. The bond between us repaired, the frayed edges of it sealed, and emotion washed through me.
“Let’s get your girl back,” he said, a knowing twinkle in his eyes as he released my hand.
“Tell your men to come off the plane and tell Brinks to stop being such a baby and grow some balls.”
Another laugh as he pulled his phone out, and I took mine out. My muscles twitched for just a second before I saw the phone and his grip on the phone clenched until he saw mine. I called my men off, telling them to stand down, and he did the same.
“Brinks, you and Raines come out first. No guns. His men are standing down, but if they see a gun, I can’t guarantee they won’t shoot. And I may not stop them if it means I won’t have Raines aggravating me anymore.”
I heard the bitching on the other end, then listened to him make another call. This one to Den, Ava’s uncle. The doors opened, the stairs folding out.
“How safe are we out here, Mer?” he asked me. His eyes trailed on the plane he’d emerged from and when I saw thefamiliar black hair of Riley Brinks, I knew why he was still on edge.
“Very. No one, not even my regular men, knows about this place. They’re all at my other safe house. Only my most loyal are here.”
“If any of your men shoot, I won’t hesitate to kill you,” he said, glancing over at me.
“Understood. Why did you bring your woman with you? And two other women? Is that Angela Donelli?”
“Yes. It’s a long story, but all three of them are stubborn.”
“Must be something in the water because Ava’s the same way.” Saying her name hurt, and I rubbed my chest.
“You fell in love with her,” he stated, as if it was nothing, his eyes still fixed on Riley.
“I don’t know what I did.” It was an honest answer. We’d never said the word, although I’d sensed it pushing for recognition. It had seemed too early, although now I wished I had told her it had been taking root and burrowing into my heart.
“So this is the infamous Cade Slaughter.” Mason Brinks was a tall man, solid build, muscles that weren’t as prominent as his partner’s, but still imposing. His green eyes mirrored the ones on his sister.
“And this is the not so infamous Mason Brinks and his lapdog, Tyson Raines.”
Raines snarled, but Brinks put his hand out to stop him. “We’re here because you let a rat into your ranks and now you’ve lost Ava. Don’t go pulling some kind of rank of me, Slaughter.”
“Considering you let a rat in your ranks who took your sister, I wouldn’t trade barbs with me, Brinks.”
“Enough,” Greyson said, his voice with an authority he had still been developing when I’d seen him last.
A pile of ebony hair ducked around Greyson’s arm, her green eyes so bright they almost shimmered. She was a beauty, but I’d known that from pictures even if they didn’t do her justice.
“Did you two make up?” she asked. Serious and confident. This woman matched my brother perfectly. Not the spirited bundle of energy that Ava was, but still just as bold.
“Yes,” I answered. “Let’s go inside.”
I led them into the house.
“So that makes you my brother-in-law,” she said, her eyes perceptively taking in the room.
