Page 69 of Betrayed

Gregory pats the seat beside him. “Sit, Luce. Let me kick your gigantic ass in the only way I can. A game of skill.”

And he does. Gregory wipes the floor with Erin and me both, and the two of them consume more sugar than I would have thought possible. When Erin leaves us to make more popcorn, I grab the opportunity to tell him what I’ve been thinking since he showed up.

The pressure in my chest is unbearable. “I never wanted you in this world, Gregory.”

“And yet here I am.” He smiles showing the dimple in his left cheek I’d forgotten he has.

“I sent you to school. Set you up for any legit career you wanted. You were never supposed to look back.”

He looks down at the cards in his hand. “You don’t get to decide that.”

My jaw ticks.

“I have blood on my hands,” I whisper. “You deserve clean ones.”

Gregory’s eyes drag back up to mine. When he speaks, his tone is a man’s, not a child. “I can never pay you back for what you’ve done for me.”

“Yes, you can. That’s what I’m trying to say. Go back to the clean world. Be happy.”

“How can I be happy when I don’t have my brother?”

His words make an intense jolt rip through my chest. We stare at one another for a beat in our silence.

Gravel crunches under heavy tires.

Standing, I press a heavy hand onto his shoulder. “You have me now, brother. I promise.”

Erin comes back, a smile on her face and a large bowl brimming with popcorn in her hands. “Where are you going?”

“Outside. I heard a car.” I kiss Erin’s cheek and toss a gummy at the back of Gregory’s head.

It hits him, bouncing off onto the floor. “Hey!” He picks it up with a grin. “Waste of precious candy.”

More heavy tires rolling over gravel. Bayne’s at the door, his big black SUV behind him. We bypass the pleasantries, but I tell him for the hundredth time how many favors I owe him after this.

“All good, lover boy. Just wanted to let you know Raphael and his men are here. Your army has doubled.” He glances over his shoulder. “Not that you can see a fucking one of them.”

I stare out into the night. “It’s better that way. Anything to draw less attention to Red Shutters.”

“You mean the green shutters?”

“Callum’s idea. A little joke between the Kings. That our enemies are dim-witted enough to pass over this place, confused by the name.”

We share a laugh, then the night goes quiet.

“Thanks,” I tell him. “For everything.”

“I hope it works out for you two,” he says.

I can’t find the words to tell him how hard I’m wishing for the same thing.

CHAPTER TWENTY-SEVEN

Erin

I never thought I’d be the kind of girl to demand to be invited to an execution, but here we are.

I guess I’m not as afraid of being a part of a mafia as I thought.