A shiver went through me. Alarm. But also awareness.
Desire.
I couldn’t suppress a full-body shiver.
I felt Cavers looking my way, but ignored him.
“What are you talking about?” Jake asked, but his shoulders were already slumped. I was thinking he knew.
“You know.”
Panic flashed in Jake’s gaze before he looked at me.
“She knows, too,” Raize growled.
Jake swallowed, his Adam’s apple bobbing.
Raize was not letting him down, making it clear who he trusted and who he didn’t.
I swung surprised eyes to Cavers. He slowly stood up and nodded, as if affirming my unspoken question. He shifted back, putting a few feet between Raize and himself.
Or no… Actually, he was giving Raize room to do what he needed to do.
“No.” The word wrung from me.
I couldn’t. Not Jake.
I couldn’t see someone else I knew die.
Just, no.
Raize ignored me, putting Jake down and stepping back toward me, putting himself between Jake and me. His hands were loose, at his pockets. I could see a gun in the bulge of his shirt.
He could grab it so quickly, so easily.
I wanted to fold over. “No, no, no.”
“I—” Jake looked around the room.
Looking for allies? Help?
Cavers had shut down now. I couldn’t see Raize’s face, but his body was primed. Ready. He’d kill Jake in a heartbeat, and he wouldn’t feel a thing while he did.
Jake saw this, knew this, and his face clouded over. “Fuck.”
His eyes found mine, and I knew we were both remembering that day the other henchman had been killed. Just one question. That’s all it took. One question from Raize and one answer from me, and Jake had to dispose of two bodies that day.
“Carloni wants you dead,” Jake confessed.
Raize didn’t move.
Jake studied him a moment and let out a bitter laugh. “Right. You already know that. You already know that he put me in your employment to report to him.” He continued to study Raize, and anger flashed in his eyes. His jaw went rigid. “You knew the whole time?” His eyes slid to me. “She knows, too? You told her, and that’s why she wants nothing to do with me?”
Raize moved now.
It was mesmerizing.
His back straightened, and his head rose, but it wasn’t just that. It was a whole transformation, as if he had shed his skin and a new Raize stood in front of us. A new predator. He had shed whatever was holding him back. We could feel his power rippling through the room.
“What’d you give Carloni?” he asked calmly.
“Nothing!” Jake’s nostrils flared. He was enraged. He threw his arms wide, yelling, “I gave him nothing! That’s the fucking joke here. I was loyal to you.” His chin jerked at me. “To her.” His eyes narrowed at Cavers. “Don’t know about that fucker, but yeah, you and her. I chose you guys. I wanted to work for you, not Carloni, but it’s the same shit. He owns me. He knows my woman, and he’s keeping her.” Some of the fight faded from him. His head hung down. “He’s keeping her.”
Raize shifted, turning to me.
No, no, no.
Oh no.
I shook my head. I didn’t want him to do what I knew he was going to do.
Betrayal was betrayal to him. He didn’t get involved. He did his job, and Cavers was one thing, but now Jake was muddying everything up. He wouldn’t keep both alive. He’d have to eliminate one.
“Is he telling the truth?” Raize asked me.
Relief hit me hard, making my knees rattle.
This question I wanted to answer. I nodded. “Yes.”
Raize took a step closer to me, lowering his voice. “Did he betray me?”
No! I shook my head. “You can’t word it that way.”
His eyes were hot, his jaw hard. “Answer me.”
I wouldn’t. “Ask it in another way.” Fuck him. He wanted to kill Jake. I didn’t.
Jake was like me—kind of. He was caught between one boss and another, but he didn’t have an agenda. I did.
This wasn’t right. It wasn’t fair.
“Answer the question.”
“No! I’m not answering.” I gritted my teeth, showing him. “Say. It. Another. Way.”
Jake’s voice was soft. “I never gave Carloni anything on you.”
Raize ignored him, now fixated on me. His eyes smoldered. “Answer the question, Ash.”
Ash. That fake name again.
I shook my head. “I won’t answer.”
“Fuck’s sake,” Cavers bit out, moving.
I sprang, leaping at Raize.
He caught me, but he didn’t stop me.
My arm was around him and I shoved away, his gun coming with me.
Everyone froze. The temperature in the room dropped.
Raize started for me, but I yelled, “No!” I hurried back, shuffling until I hit the wall. I gulped, shoving down a lump because I knew what I needed to do.
I wouldn’t point it at him. I’d never do that. And I’d learned today that I wouldn’t aim it at Jake or Cavers either, and I didn’t want to ask myself why not. I really only had one move here.