Rogue snorted. “TJ’s harmless.”
Jacob sputtered. “He said… he’d…”
“He’s not going to hurt you,” Rogue assured me. “And he’s not going to kill anyone here.”
I rolled my eyes. “Keep your mouth shut. You’re only making this worse.”
“He said he was sent here and asked why I was. Why is he here if he…”
“Shit.” I scrubbed a hand over my face. Why the hell had I ever agreed to X’s proposition?
Because you needed money and something to do, and you needed a place for all the fuckers you call family.
But it wasn’t the place for Jacob, no matter how much my dick wanted to keep him with me.
“I can’t tell you that. We need to find somewhere else for you to stay.”
Rogue shook his head. “Jacob needs protection—”
“We’ll find you a place where you’ll be safe, but—”
“What is this place?” Jacob asked. “Why do you have a murderer here?”
“An assassin,” Rogue said as if that distinction would help.
I glared at my brother. “Didn’t I tell you to shut up?”
Jacob’s eyes widened, and he stumbled back. “I… I should never have…”
When he turned to run, I grabbed his arm. He tried to pull free, and I tightened my grip. “I don’t want to hurt you, but you can’t just run off. If you need protection, I’m going to see that you get it.”
“Please. Just let me go. I don’t want trouble.”
I took hold of his chin, turning him to face me. When his eyes met mine, I smiled. “Are you sure?”
He licked his lips, then he gave me a defiant stare. “Yes.”
I hoped to hell that wasn’t true because I wanted all kinds of trouble with him. I shouldn’t. I should send him away. I’d been using my brain when I told him he couldn’t stay, but I was going purely on instinct now, primitive animal instinct that had been responsible for all my worst—and best—decisions.
Jacob didn’t belong with the dangerous bastards we’d be babysitting, but I’d let him walk away once and regretted it. I didn’t know if I could do that again.
Rogue cleared his throat. I’d forgotten he was there, more proof that having Jacob around was dangerous. “Jacob, please don’t tell me my brother is the guy you texted me about hooking up with.”
Jacob’s cheeks turned bright red. “I… um…”
I scowled at my brother. “Get out of here. I’ll handle this.”
He shook his head. “I’m not letting you send Jacob away.”
I ignored him and focused on Jacob. “Tell me about Trey, about him calling you.”
Jacob shook his head. “I don’t need your help. I can handle it.”
“The bastard is looking for him. I helped him escape, but I couldn’t hide him well enough,” Rogue said, nearly cutting Jacob off.
I hadn’t thought about the Russos in a long time. They were allies of the men my father had worked for. I remembered Trey from high school. He was one of the worst in a family of horrible men. I would enjoy tracking him down and tearing him into tiny pieces. “Where is he?”
Jacob shook his head. “I don’t know. He got my number somehow. He said he was coming for me. I called Rogue, and he got me out of there.”