Page 185 of Merciless

“I can’t promise you that.”

* * *

“What is on the menu tonight?” Alana asks the second I let myself into her cell, once again, with a tray in my hands.

“Reid’s special barbecue chicken wings, sweet potato fries, and coleslaw,” I announce happily, lowering the plate to her lap.

“Wow. He really is full of surprises, huh?”

“You’ve no idea,” I mutter, stealing one of her fries despite the fact I’ve already eaten mine.

“Hey,” she complains, swatting my hand.

She eats in silence, savoring every bite, and I can’t do anything but watch. She’s mesmerizing. Completely and utterly enthralling.

Sensing my attention, she glances over. I’ve no idea what she can see on my face, but it’s enough to clue her in that everything isn’t hunky-dory above our heads.

“What’s going on?” she asks curiously.

I pause and it doesn’t do anything to alleviate her suspicions.

“Victor shot Kane.”

“What?” She gasps, shooting up from the cot so fast, I almost don’t catch the plate before it crashes to the floor.

She begins pacing back and forth. Every time she moves, I get a nice shot of her body through the gaping armholes of my tank.

Fuck. She’s delicious.

“Is he… is he—”

“He’s okay. He’s upstairs. Been patched up by Doc. It was a clean shoulder wound. Few weeks of rest and he’ll be fine.”

“Fuck. I know he wants out, but he’s been one of Victor’s best men and he just shot him.”

“He walked away over the weekend. Told Victor to pull all his favors, everything.”

“Shit. Why would he do that? College? Football?” she asks with genuine concern.

“Gone. All he’s got is Letty.”

The second I say her name, Alana pauses and stares at me. “They’re okay?”

“Seems that way. She’s up there right now being his nurse.”

“Fuck, Julian.” She gasps, sinking her fingers into her hair and looking up at the ceiling. “I never wanted any of this. I just wanted a simple, happy life. All this gang bullshit, it—”

“I know,” I say, getting to my feet and closing in on her.

“He should have let me run. He should have just let me go and none of this would have happened.” Tears spill over her lashes, racing down her cheeks.

“What? Who should have let you go where?” I ask, confused.

“M-Mav, he should have just let me run.”

Cupping her cheeks, I wipe under her eyes with my thumbs.

“Where were you running, little dove?” I whisper, terrified that I’m going to scare her off from talking.

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