Page 49 of Deranged (American Street Kings 3)

I scoffed. “I’m already on a job, or did you forget?”

“This is different.”

“How?”

“I have a client—”

“No.” I held up my hand, my heart suddenly lodged in my throat. “We agreed. No more jobs like that.”

“It’s a very important client, Dahlia.”

I pulled my hand through my hair. “I don’t care. You promised me.”

“I know. But I need you to do this one last job for me.”

“No. Okay? No. Our agreement was—”

“I know exactly what our agreement was. But things changed.” He stepped out of the dark corner, and I knew by the look in his eyes I would have no choice in the matter.

I swallowed hard. “You promised, Glenn. You promised me this job with the Kings would be my last.”

With weary eyes, I watched as he walked closer, his shoulders broad and eyes determined. “Like I said, things changed. Now we all need to adapt.”

I bit my lip, my skin cold, yet sweat beaded at the back of my neck.

“Talking about the Kings,” he rubbed his hand across his chin, “I’m assuming you spent the night there, so I take it our plan is working.”

I nodded hesitantly. “Yeah. You were right.”

“About?”

“Onyx’s weak spot. He seems to have a thing for broken women.”

A smug grin spread on Glenn’s face. “He sure does. Out of all of the Kings, he’s the weak—”

“The one with the biggest heart,” I interrupted. “He’s not weak. In fact, I think he might be the strongest one of them all.”

Glenn narrowed his eyes, the grin still curving at the edges of his mouth. “Oh, dear. You’re not falling for the wild one, are you?”

“Of course not.”

“Good. Don’t be fooled by those fuckers. They’re part of the bad people.”

“Are they?”

He balked, and his eyes narrowed. “What?”

“Are they the bad people? Or are we?”

He held his arms wide open. “Where is all this coming from?”

I shrugged. “I’m just wondering.” I didn’t want to tell him what I heard, about what the Pythons did to one of the Kings’ girls. What my brother did to her.

Glenn lit a cigarette, his whiskey eyes etched on me. “What’s going on with you? Kings getting to your head?”

“No.” I didn’t hesitate to answer. “Things aren’t adding up, is all.”

He walked closer, reaching out and tapping a finger on my forehead. “Stop trying to figure out what’s one plus one, and just do as you’re told.”

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