Page 73 of Devil's Claim

Why was it that at that moment, every inch of my skin prickled with anticipation?

CHAPTER 18

Kruz

Rebellion.

It rarely occurred in my line of work. People who worked inside cartels would be in an irrational state of mind if they believed an act of defiance wouldn’t go unpunished.

Granted, a few bottom-of-the-barrel soldiers had believed they could get away with it. They’d suffered the consequences in ways even they hadn’t believed possible.

There was no room for either error or arrogance in the lower ranks.

Death meant nothing to me; at least it had up until now. It was a simple end of a conversation or an argument. It was those who betrayed me who faced the most painful consequences.

Over the years, my reputation as a brutal killer had had an amazing trickledown effect. While in the early days, acts highlighting testosterone had seemed like a daily occurrence,the incidents of today numbered a couple in a year. That allowed for a better workflow, additional profits, and some goddamn peace for a change.

I knew how to handle troublesome men.

Then there was Christine.

The ebb and flow of constant crackling electricity shared between us was often painful. Tonight was one of those nights.

She wasn’t just defiant. She was standoffish even though it was difficult to keep our hands off each other. Maybe this was the true meaning of opposites attracting.

Only in our case, my possessiveness required taming her. At least that’s what I’d ordinarily do with a woman creating havoc in my life. And Christine was pure chaos. At least when around Maverick, she had some sense of verbal control. She made up for being remotely demure by keeping daggers in her eyes.

I’d suffered a hundred deaths that night alone.

While I hadn’t mentioned our upcoming marriage in hours, the subject too intense around the child, I’d sensed the entire night that was the only thing she’d had on her mind.

The deal was a good one. Damn good. And she’d pushed a hard bargain. The woman had even more resolve in her than I’d originally believed. She could make a good partner. I laughed to myself from the thought. Partner.

With what Genevieve had suggested, the idea might work.

If I could find a way to control the woman.

Fat chance.

“You spent half the night scanning the streets,” she said as we neared the area where I lived.”

“A necessary evil.”

She continued to stare out the back passenger window. Maverick was curled up with his head on her lap, Christine stroking his hair. While she appeared more serene, the tension remained thick between us. “That must get exhausting.”

“What in particular?”

“Always being on edge, uncertain who you can trust or if tonight is the night someone will try and end your life.”

“The reality can be unnerving, but you get used to it.”

She turned her head and even in the darkness, I could feel the intensity of her stare. “I don’t want to finally get used to worrying about my son’s life, Kruz. Until you have a child, you’ll never be able to understand that, but maybe on this subject, you can trust me.”

“I do trust you, Christine. At least with regard to certain aspects. I don’t mean to paint a bad image. Danger isn’t always on my mind.”

“Answer me this. Do you sleep with a weapon near you or under your pillow?”

“Yes, I do. Usually on my nightstand.”