16
Spence
“So, we kind of have a problem,” Jay whispers.
We watch Abigail walk laps around the large concrete room while she nibbles on her lip and replies to her texts. She wears wrinkled clothes and messy hair, but she’s responsive in bed and knows how to shoot.
I haven’t even fucked her yet, but I know once I do, I’ll be stepping into something new.
I never knew I could bethisin trouble when it comes to a woman, and it had to be my luck that she’s high-maintenance enough to be nicknamed Miss Priss.
“Spence?”
I angle toward Jay, though my eyes remain on Abigail. “Mm?”
“I wanted to talk to you.”
“So talk.”
“Sophia’s getting threats.”
That gets my attention. I turn to him and scowl. “Come again?”
“Someone has beef with me and Kane, and they’re getting noisy about it.”
“Everyone has beef with you and Kane. For fuck’s sake, what did you do this time?”
He shrugs and turns back to watch Abigail. “I don’t know. We don’t actively go out to piss people off.”
“That’s just bullshit right there,” I laugh. “You make a plan to piss people off. You execute your plan. Then you execute your man. Who has beef this time?”
“I don’t know that either,” he grumbles.
He doesn’t panic outwardly, but in my heart, I know he’s worried. He has something to lose now – Sophia – and protecting her and his brother is all he’s ever worried about. Now Kane has Jess and the babies, and Jay is feeling the pressure enough to come here and talk to me.
“I guess it could have something to do with the Infernos case,” he muses. “Maybe someone we sent away after that, or fuck knows, maybe it’s Hayes’ daughters, mad now because their daddy is dead and their bank accounts are empty. Whatever it is, it ties back to Colum. We know that for sure.”
“Colum’s dead.”
He scoffs. “I know, dipshit. I was there when he was executed. I’m just trying to think through everyone we really fucked with. It can’t be Ireland or Aristov. They’ve been taken out. It’s not Hayes himself; Kane took him out. It’s not Chadwick; he’s in maximum security, and Soph already has eyes on him.” He pauses and runs a hand through his hair. “Shit, Spence. It could be anyone, and there are so many enemies, I have no clue which direction to look. Whoever he is, he’s getting closer.”
I watch Abigail walk my shooting range, and find it impossible that I once considered her plain. Maybe it’s because I’ve held her ass in my hands, maybe it’s because her mouth was wrapped around my cock twelve hours ago. Or maybe it’s because I stopped pre-judging her, and instead decided to listen and appreciate her for who she is, rather than expect her to be like every other big-breasted, zero-brained bimbo I’ve ever taken to bed.
“You mean he’s getting closer geographically?” I look to him. “Or online?”
He shrugs. “Both? Angelo has been watching this motel we once stayed at. The Cherry Drop Inn… the owner annoyed Ang, acting like a creep and shit, so he’s been checking in every week and making sure the dude stops creepin’ on girls who want to be left alone. He found out someone stayed in the same room we did. Tossed the place.”
“Could be coincidence…”
He nods. “Could be. But turns out Kane was tagging almost everywelcome to townsign between here and the coast. He said he was doing it for me, back when he thought I bit the dust in Infernos.”
“Okay…” I turn to him with tight brows. “Point?”
“Kane’s tags have been crossed out.”
“Coulda been anyone.”
Again, he nods. But I know it’s not because he agrees. “Could be coincidence. And it could have been brushed off as no big deal. Except, right beside Kane’s tags, this guy has been replacing them with one of his own.”