Page 82 of Burning Daylight

He lifts his chin, nostrils flaring the slightest amount.

Guilty.

Craig sniffs. “Get off my property and don’t come back, or you won’t like the consequences. Tell your father I don’t appreciate surprises, and I don’t appreciate being lied to.”

I smirk.

His eyes narrow. “I hope you understand that your father has no real power here anymore. It’s pathetic, really, how he clings onto that tiny little hill on the west side of town. Tell me, has he told you just how much he’s given up to us over the years? How difficult we can make his life if he wants to keep playing these games?”

Benjamin scoffs beside me.

“Did he warn you how difficult I could makeyourlife?”

My heart kicks against my ribs, my spine stiffening.

“Are you threatening him?” Benjamin spits, stepping forward.

Merrick slips between us, both of his hands raised. “Now, now, kids, let’s all play nice.”

“I have no reason to go after you, Roman,” Craig continues. “If you want to come back from the dead and play like the Montgomery name still means something in this town, then by all means. But a word of advice: stay away from my family, and don’t get in my way.”

He stares at me like I’m a bug that needs to be squashed, and then he turns on his heel and walks away, snapping at the others with him to follow.

They all do, dutifully, except for the tall and bulky one up front. Lance, I think his name is.

He tilts his head, staring at me with his arms crossed. “How do you know my sister?”

The question stings like a papercut. I force the smirk to stay on my face, but it isn’t genuine.

“I don’t.”

He lifts his chin, jaw tensing. “Let’s keep it that way.”

I give a quick jerk of my chin.

And then he turns and walks away, too, until there’s empty space where they all were standing. Quickly, the security guards who were off to the side during the entire exchange take their place.

I throw up my hands. “We’re gone, boys. No need to get excited.”

Spinning around, I give a look to Benjamin, and we move down the drive.

Merrick jogs until he’s next to me, throwing his arm around my shoulder, laughing loud enough that it carries through the sky and over the trees. “Goddamn, you’re about to make things more fun around here.”

I give him a small grin, although I’m not really feeling anything close to happy on the inside.

He watches me, his dark eyes flickering.

We reach the car, and Benjamin pats me on the back, nodding his approval. “Villain looks good on you, my guy. Your dad’s gonna eat it up.”

I look at him, trying not to be offended at how easily he wraps an insult in a compliment. “How do you know that?”

Benjamin shrugs. “He’s family. I know him as well as I know myself.”

If he intended that to be a knife to the chest, he succeeded. I light the joint I’ve been holding, my anxiety crawling around my spine like spiders.

Merrick leans against the door of the passenger side of his car. “Nobody cares about how far up Marcus’s asshole you are, Benny. I want to know the gossip.” He watches me, curiosity brimming in his gaze. “How do you know Juliette Calloway?”

I blow out a cloud of smoke and smirk. “I don’t kiss and tell, Merrick.”