Page 81 of City of Gods

“No, I swear to god I don’t. Nobody does. Everyone just knows there was a hit placed on you that didn’t go through.” His words trembled badly.

“How many people work for her?” I asked, clearing my throat.

“I don’t know….at least ten.”

“Is anyone in my family working with her?” Sanai asked, walking over to him, her hands clasped behind her back. Every stride she took was purposeful like a Jaguar stalking prey.

“N-no…” He shook his head sending droplets of fresh blood flying.

“You two need to know anything else?” Junior asked, almost sounding bored.

“Nah, I think we’re good,” I told him.

“Cool.” Without another word, Junior raised the gun and fired one shot into the man’s head, making his body go limp, slumping in the chair. I shut my eyes against the scene because it sent memories of watching Rob die coursing through my mind.

“Let’s go inside and have a talk.” Junior tucked his gun and led us inside the house where the heat greeted me instantly, warming my icy fingertips.

Before either Sanai or I could say a word, Junior walked up to Sanai, inches from her face, tipping his head down. “You didn’t flinch once when I shot that white boy in the head. You didn’t bat an eye when you saw him tied up in my backyard. Didn’t stumble over your words when you asked him a question.” His nostrils flared as he sucked in a breath. I rested my hand on the pistol tucked behind me, ready for whatever. If Junior thought I would let him hurt Sanai while I was standing right there, he had another fucking thing coming. I’d protect her however I had to. “Who the fuck are you, Sanai?”

“Someone you don’t have to worry about,” she answered calmly. She took her gun out and sat it on the counter. She took a knife out that she had tucked somewhere discreet and laid that beside the gun while Junior watched, his face placid. She bent over and took a gun from the ankle holster hidden beneath her pant leg and laid that beside the other two weapons.

I wasn’t taking my shit out. Fuck that. We needed to have some kind of insurance.

“I knew there was more to you than a quiet little church girl.” Junior shook his head and folded his arms.

“Look, if I wanted you dead, it would have happened several times already. I just want my mother.”

“And what about you, Doc? You leading a double life, too?” His cold stare was on me but I was so focused on making sure Sanai was okay that I held no fear.

“Nothing more than you already know. I’m trying to protect the Temple and set shit right for what happened to Rob.” Junior looked between Sanai and I for a while. He was contemplatively quiet as moments bled by.

“I believe you. Only because whatever the fuck Sinclair is into…she’s clearly a motherfucking beast. We’re going to have an agreement from here on out, though. Either one of you lie to me again and I won’t hesitate to kill you.”

“Fair,” I shrugged. Sanai rolled her eyes but nodded.

“According to the dead runner outside, Mrs. Sinclair was getting her weight up before she made a move on my territory. She wanted to secure the Temple and then start taking out my men systematically.”

“Wow,” Sanai breathed. “She kept all of us in the dark knowing that at any moment, any of this shit could have blown back on us. We wouldn’t have known a motherfucking thing, nor would we have seen it coming.”

“We’re going to fix all of this. Trust me.” I turned to Junior. “Thank you for your help.”

“Not a problem. All of this shit would have blindsided me, too. Another reason I’m not killing you two. You opened my eyes to an enemy and now I can cut her off at her connect and offer to buy him out for more than she was paying. Her plug is Iranian. He’s all about money.” Junior looked at Sanai’s weapons on the counter and picked up one of her guns, turning it over in his hand, admiring the quality.

His lips turned down, an impressed frown wrinkling his chin. “Nice, Sanai. You have good taste.”

“I know.” She smirked. She called me cocky all the time but clearly, like attracted like because she wasn’t exactly humble. It was one of the things I loved about that woman, though.

Loved…

I loved her.

Fuck. Even sober, the sentiment still rang true.

I had to show her I wanted her to be mine without leaving any room for doubt. Nobody else could have her. She was made for me. We fit too perfectly for me to let another motherfucker swoop in and take her.

It was time to get back on my shit.

Eighteen

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