by Jami Gray
‘Let me check in with a couple of tables and then I can go let her know you’re asking.’
‘Much appreciated.’
‘No problem.’ Max rapped his knuckles against the table. ‘Need some time?’
‘Please.’
With that Max gave her a nod and left them alone.
Ruin picked up the menu and scanned the short list of offerings. ‘You think we’ll get any bites on our fishing trip?’
Propping her chin on her hand, she frowned. ‘Maybe. If nothing else we should get nibbles on who the shooter could be. Especially since it’s a well-known fact Lilith can afford the best.’
Too bad his belief in the possible results didn’t mirror hers. ‘And if our bait catches the wrong attention, or worse, no attention? You got a plan for that?’
‘Maybe.’
He arched a brow and reached for his water. ‘Going to share?’ He lifted the glass and took a long swallow, not missing her gaze drift and lock on his throat.
‘We corner Echo and force her to give up what she knows on River Man.’ The hard, unforgiving bite in her voice was at odds with her heated perusal. The strange combination was fascinating.
He set his glass down. ‘And that wasn’t your first choice, why?’
Her bright blue eyes locked with his. ‘I prefer my lines of communication remain undamaged as long as possible.’
Considering where those lines could lead, he could understand that. Which reminded him. ‘About finding a telephone.’
She shifted in her chair and sat back with a smile. ‘I thought you were hungry?’ She laughed at his mock glare. ‘Max’s mom has a working phone.’
To know that meant she was more familiar with Kennewick than he suspected. Add in the friendly reception, and he couldn’t stifle his curiosity. ‘How often are you here?’
Her humour faded, replaced by a careful wariness. ‘I stop in whenever work brings me by. Max’s family are good people.’
Something in her voice indicated there was a story there. ‘So they know who you work for?’
Her lips twisted with self-directed mockery. ‘Working for Lilith causes people to pay attention.’
Ah. ‘Your reputation precedes you.’
A tiny bit of colour drifted over her cheeks, and she reached for her water, mumbling, ‘Something like that.’ Then she took a drink.
He waited until she set her glass back on the table. ‘Tell me something.’
She met his gaze, her face tight with caution. ‘Depends on what you’re asking.’
Fair enough. He held her gaze and tackled the question driving him nuts. ‘What did Lilith do to gain your loyalty?’
She opened her mouth to answer, but before she could, Max was there. ‘You two ready to order?’
Ruin picked up his menu, while Charity gave her order. ‘I’ll take the BLT.’
‘Want a side?’
‘Apples and peanut butter, if you have it.’
Max nodded and turned to Ruin, who said, ‘Make it a double.’
The kid collected the menus. ‘Mom’s dealing with a delayed order, but she said she’d stop by when she’s done.’
‘Thanks, Max.’ Charity flashed a smile.
The kid flushed, nodded, and turned away. Ruin gave a silent snort. Looked like someone had a crush going on.
Once they were left alone again, he turned back to Charity, determined to pick up their conversation.
Correctly reading his expression, she held up a hand before he could say a word. ‘I’ll make you a deal, my story for yours.’
Surprised by her condition, he took a moment to think it over. Considering how bad his curiosity was, it was tempting as hell. It wasn’t as if he was hiding any deep dark secrets. Giving a mental shrug, he took it. ‘Sure.’
She began twisting the sweating glass of water in a slow circle. ‘My parents bounced around a bit, mainly sticking to the west coast territories, following whatever grift was working at the time. We landed in New Seattle about a year before I lost them. Things were good then, which is probably why they got sloppy.’ Her restless movements stilled and she visibly swallowed.
When she resumed the story, she continued to play with the wet rings on the table. ‘I finally made some new friends who wanted to hang, but my parents didn’t want me going out that night.’ She gave an awkward shrug. ‘I snuck out. When I finally came home, I walked right into Reznik’s payback.’
Despite her flat words, he caught the flashes of pain her memories invoked. Images of a younger Charity walking into a bloodbath scraped over his heart. He kept his voice gentle. ‘Rough scene for a teen to walk into.’
Her gaze flicked up, and she gave him a faint smile. ‘Yeah, rough’s one way to put it.’ Her lips twisted down, and she went back to studying the table. ‘Afterwards, I wasn’t in the greatest of shape.’
‘No surprise there, darlin’.’ As comfort it sucked, but it was all he had to offer.
She sighed and sat back, her hands dropping to her lap. ‘After their death I became rather obsessively focused.’
He’d have bet on that.
She continued. ‘Unfortunately I was so keen on taking out Reznik, I made a stupid mistake. Ended up in the wrong place at the wrong time.’ Her eyes lifted to his and held. ‘I went to where I thought Reznik had a deal going down, instead I stumbled into one of Lilith’s transactions with one of his lackeys.’ She winced. ‘My sudden appearance in the midst of a delicate deal left Reznik’s man jumpy. She talked him off the edge and managed to get what she needed. No harm no foul.’
Somehow he doubted that. ‘What? She just let you hang around while she finished up?’
That earned a chuckle. ‘Nope, she nailed me a good one that left me seeing stars and meeting the pavement up close and personal. Then she put her knife to my throat and told the Reznik’s guy she didn’t appreciate him trying to fuck her.’ Charity’s fingers drifted to a small scar on her neck and shook her head. ‘He was so worried she’d turn on him, he all but pissed his pants trying to convince her that he had no idea who the hell I was or why I was there. When he finally left, she turned her attention to me. She was quite explicit about what would happen if I didn’t answer her questions. Since I didn’t want to end up at Reznik’s feet in bloody pieces or in chains, I answered.’
‘I’m surprised you’re still breathing.’ Lilith wasn’t one to take interference lightly, whether it was intentional or not.
‘Me too.’ She frowned a bit as if still puzzled by Lilith’s behaviour. ‘In the end, instead of turning me over to Reznik, she offered the one thing guaranteed to get me to pay attention.’
He didn’t have to guess. ‘Revenge.’
She nodded. ‘In just that brief time, watching her was a revelation, the way she worked and went about getting what she wanted. The woman has mad skills.’
There was no missing the admiration in Charity’s voice. Ruin couldn’t help chiming in, ‘She’s also a cold-hearted, calculating bitch.’
This time Charity’s grin was cheeky. ‘Yes, she is, but the things I learned from her were worth every icy minute.’
‘Explains why you stayed, not why she didn’t dump you.’
‘Initially I think she took me under her wing because she viewed my obsessive need for vengeance as a potential tool against Reznik’s games.’
Ruin had to agree. Charity’s tenacity would go a long damn way if it was channelled correctly. She was a world away from that enraged teen, though. ‘And now?’
The grin softened. ‘Now she relies on my skills. I’ve worked hard to be who I am and I’m damn good at it.’ There was no missing her unapologetic confidence. There was a hint of mischief in her eyes as she leant forward as if sharing a deep secret. Unable to resist, he leant in, and Charity added, ‘Plus it’s fun.’
With mere inches separating them, he held her sparkling gaze. ‘Fun?’ His voice dropped low. ‘You admitting to getting off on danger?’
He didn’t expect her to reach out
and tap his nose, but she did. ‘Don’t you?’
He blinked and gave her question due consideration. Since he currently sat across from a woman guaranteed to blow his world to smithereens with no urge to walk away, guess he should admit his addiction to adrenaline. ‘Is this where I do the ‘danger is my middle name’ shit?’
Her grin grew. A plate hit the table accompanied by Max’s squeaky, ‘Here you go.’
Ruin slowly sat back as Max set another plate in front of Charity with more finesse. While the little shit managed to sneak a glare or two at Ruin, he could barely look Charity in the face. Ruin stifled a sigh and hoped Max hadn’t spat in his food. After Max left, Charity nabbed an apple slice, swiped it through the generous side of peanut butter, and took a bite. He picked up half his sandwich and took a healthy bite. His stomach rumbled with appreciation. They continued their meals in companionable silence as they filled their stomachs.
When he was down to just a few apple slices and a plate covered in crumbs, she finally broke the quiet. ‘Your turn.’
He leant back in his chair. ‘Don’t remember much of my mom except that we lost her when Vex and I were about five. Know her death was hard on our old man. He wasn’t much for gentleness or smiles, but after Mom died, even those were rare. He was a hard-ass, but solid, and he gave us a good life. We lived outside of Portland, on the edge of the Dalles.’
Charity propped her chin on her hand. ‘Been through there, it’s beautiful, all those waterfalls and gorges.’
Yeah, the land was wild but gorgeous, and sometimes he missed it. There was a simplicity to his life before things went to shit, but he was old enough to recognise that what seemed great to a kid, wasn’t the same when viewed through adult eyes. ‘Just before winter, when we were about ten, he went out to hunt. He didn’t make it back.’ Catching the sympathy darkening her eyes, he forced an unconcerned shrug. ‘It took a bit before we finally admitted something bigger and meaner got a hold of him, but it left us on our own.’ That first winter had been hell, and there were quite a few times he wasn’t sure if he or Vex would survive until spring, but they did. ‘We knew we couldn’t stay put, so we headed out on our own. Eventually, we made it to Portland. We ended up joining one of the street gangs and ran wild for a few years. Eventually, a bigger group moved in and our little ragtag gang was given a choice.’
‘Join or die,’ Charity cut in.
He nodded and his voice flattened. ‘We liked breathing, but as things do, it didn’t take long before shit went south.’
Dark knowledge seeped into Charity’s face leaving a distinct shadow. ‘Let me guess, whoever ran things decided Vex was more valuable as a commodity.’
Even years later, his gut soured as memories of what almost happened to his twin came slamming back. Swallowing hard and shoving the sickness back, he gritted out, ‘Sounds like you know the feeling.’
Her lashes dropped, but not before he caught a glimpse of the same nightmares he saw in Vex’s eyes. ‘Yeah, seems as if females hold only one value on the street.’ She paused, both of them caught in things better left alone. ‘So, how did you hook up with Reaper and Havoc?’
Grateful for the conversational redirection, he latched on to it. ‘We fucked up. The head of our gang decided to send Vex and I in to repo their bikes.’
Serious thoughts flew behind her considering gaze. ‘His way of eliminating problems?’
Ruin shrugged. ‘Probably, but in the end it worked out.’
‘How so?’ Genuine curiosity coloured her question.
‘We weren’t as smooth as we thought we were.’ He scratched his chin, his lips turning up slightly as he remembered the outcome of their failed robbery. ‘After we picked our asses up, Reaper offered us a choice—go down with the gang or make amends.’
Disbelief left her blinking. ‘Wait, let me get this straight, you joined the Vultures as penance?’
When she put it like that …’Yeah, seems that way.’ Time to switch subjects. ‘Tell me how you met Boden.’
She took her time answering. ‘Didn’t Simon share?’
‘He said something about a cat, and alley and a woman.’
‘That about covers it.’
‘Really?’
She blew out an aggrieved sigh. ‘Yeah, I was heading home and ran into him—literally—as he was out in the rain looking for his current lady friend’s pussy …’ She deliberately paused and aimed a wicked smile in his direction, then finished with, ‘cat.’
There was no stopping his chuckle at her wit and no harm in joining it. ‘Chasing pussy’s a bitch.’
Heat and carnal knowledge crawled over her face. ‘You’d know all about that, wouldn’t you?’
The male beast inside him sat up and took notice of the jealousy in her voice. Hmm. Undaunted, he kept pushing. ‘At least I know how to make one purr.’
The heat in her face took on colour, but she picked up the last slice of apple, dragged it through the peanut butter, then leant in to offer him a bite. He took her offer and caught her husky, ‘Best be careful, Ruin, some of them come with sharp claws.’
Enjoying the sexual byplay, he nipped her fingers. ‘Screw being careful. Told you, I enjoy the added kick of danger.’
She gave a throaty laugh, drew her fingers back, and brought them to her mouth to lick away the traces of peanut butter. Damn tease. ‘That explains it.’
He wiggled his eyebrows. ‘Don’t knock it, babe, you do too.’
Suddenly she was all mock innocence, deliberately twisting his words. ‘Hate to shatter whatever fantasy you’ve got going, but women aren’t my thing.’
Enjoying himself, he snapped his teeth at her. ‘Not what I meant and you know it.’
Caught in the light-hearted moment, their gazes locked and something indefinable passed between them. Their smiles faded until they were simply staring at each other, neither one able to look away. Finally, Charity whispered, ‘Told you before, you’re dangerous for me.’
He reached out and covered her hand, stroking it gently. ‘Yet you’re still here.’
She tilted her head to the side and whatever thoughts spun through her head were hidden behind an impenetrable mask. ‘You expecting me to run for the door?’
Actually, he found himself hoping for a different outcome. As unsettling as the thought was, it didn’t stop him from asking her, ‘You willing to see how far this goes?’
She studied him and he found he was holding his breath. ‘I could ask you the same.’
Whether she meant it or not, it came across as a challenge. One he refused to back away from. ‘Think I can’t?’ Come on, darlin’, take a risk with me.
She narrowed her gaze. ‘Think you won’t.’
Three words and he knew he had her. Now it was just a matter of keeping her. ‘Going to be fun proving you wrong.’
Chapter 19
Charity couldn’t shake Ruin’s warning as she perched on the edge of the desk in the bar’s back office as Ruin filled Havoc in on the latest. And it was definitely a warning. Since denying her feelings could lead to dangerous things, she acknowledged it wouldn’t take much for her to fall hook, line, and sinker for his improbable promise.
It wasn’t just his screw the devil attitude which gave hers a run for its money, it was how she felt with him by her side. Since losing her parents, a hollow ache settled deep in her soul, cold and unforgiving. It kept her from fully embracing the emotional ties offered by those like Boden, hell, even Lilith and Tabby. There was always a piece of her holding back and waiting for shit to fail. At first, the heat of her fury kept it in check, but lately it had grown, pushing her closer and closer to a line she never wanted to cross. No-one managed to tempt her enough to pull free. Until Ruin.
Like some world-altering wildfire, he burned through all her reservations and dared her to dance in the flames. Hell, she was so twisted up in him now, she didn’t want to consider how much worse it could get.
She tried practicality—once this mess was cleaned up, the
y’d part ways. Considering the antipathy the Vultures held for Lilith, doing her job would be problematic. Besides, Ruin’s home, or the closest thing to it, was Pebble Creek and her’s was down by Boulder. But the Vultures were Crane’s de facto heirs. Which meant they couldn’t avoid dealing with Lilith, regardless of their reservations. Maybe there was a chance for Charity to finagle a way to become the liaison between Reaper and Lilith, with the added benefit of staying close to Ruin. Long distance relationships were doomed from the start. Her mind stuttered, then took a sharp right. Oh dear god, was she really considering the ‘r’ word in connection with Ruin?
Before she could face the question, Ruin set the phone back in its cradle with a muttered curse. Grateful for the distraction, she half-turned to see him leaning back in the chair. ‘What?’
Ruin rubbed the back of his neck and blew out a breath. ‘Havoc’s a stubborn ass.’
‘Tell me something I don’t know.’
He pushed to his feet. ‘Havoc and Vex are already heading in, should be here late tonight.’
‘How late?’
‘Between midnight and two.’
She couldn’t dredge up surprise. ‘I thought Reaper wanted them to stay while he got things handled?’
He came around the desk and took a spot next to her, folding his arm across his chest as he leant against the desk’s edge. ‘He’s claiming things are handled.’
Oookkaay, sounded as if Ruin thought differently. ‘You don’t believe him?’
That earned her a grimace. ‘I believe he believes it, but …’ he trailed off.
‘You’re worried there’s another strike coming?’
He glared at the space in front of him. ‘You heard the same things I did. Someone is determined to keep us occupied.’
She understood his ‘us’ meant Fate’s Vultures.
He turned his glare to her, the skin around his eyes drawn tight. ‘Having Vex and Havoc on the road doesn’t sit well with me. Neither does leaving Reaper holding the fort on his own.’
Recalling his sharp responses on the call, she offered, ‘Didn’t sound as if they shared your worries.’
