Page 92 of Collateral Claim

I would never. “Any motherfucker?”

“That’s what I said.” Endo rolls his shoulders and cracks his knuckles, then shoves more chewing gum into his mouth. He’s freaking me out now.

“What if that mofo is you?” I ask, gun still dangling from my fingers.

In a second, Endo maneuvers the gun into my palm and points it under his chin. His eyes are wild. Completely feral. Idon’t know if there’s a man or a beast under his skin. “You want to end me? Do it. Do it right now so I can hunt you down and have my way with you in hell. We can spend an eternity together. I’m in. You in? Let’s do this.”

My hands sweat. I try to tug away, but he holds my wrist for a few beats before smiling and putting the gun away in the back of his pants.

“You want gum?” he asks as if shoving a loaded gun under his chin is normal.

Jesus.“No.”

“Good, I have no more left,” Slada says, then she leaves the cabin, closing the door behind her.

Once we’re alone again, I expect Endo to say a few parting words, but he moves toward the exit.

“A gentleman would let the lady go first,” Endo says. “He would open the door for her. You want me to be a gentleman now and open the door so you can take the first bullet instead of me?”

I suck in a breath. Endo Macarley is a living wall. He’s protecting me and being very grumpy about it because it shows he cares. Or maybe I’m romanticizing him, and all he needs is for his collateral to survive so he can get his brother back.

“My dad won’t shoot me.”

Endo gives me his profile. “That’s not your dad out there.”

Chapter 37

Who is out there?

Scarlett

“Who else would it be?” I ask. Of course, it’s my dad. He’s the one we’re meeting here. I’m going home. That’s it. The end. My Nightmare on Endo Street is ten minutes from being over.

“You saw eight SUVs, and you assumed it was your father, but it could be anyone. For example, it could be Con and Dec’s father, my half brother whose territory I landed on without invitation or a call ahead. He could interpret my landing as a hostile act.”

“I didn’t think of that.”

“I know you didn’t. I’m the villain here. You’re the innocent.”

Endo grips the large handle of the airplane exit door.

“Hold on,” I tell him in a rush before I lose the sliver of courage I gathered.

Endo turns his head, eyebrows raised, teeth grinding the gum instead of enamel. “Did you forget something?”

“No, no. Just… I want to tell you that if any of those car windows open, I will assume a gun barrel will protrude out of it,and all bets are off. I’m jumping into the cockpit with the pilots and we’re flying out of here.”

“Good plan.” Endo pulls the exit handle.

“I’m serious.”

“You’re scared.” Behind his back, he offers me his hand. When I just stare at it, Endo wiggles his fingers. “I’ll hold your hand.”

This is such a childish, stupid gesture, but I take it. It’s my lifeline.

Endo pushes open the door and steps out, pulling me with him.

A window of one of the SUVs starts to slowly roll down, and I turn to get back inside the plane. But I can’t because Endo holds my hand. His grip is tight, and there’s no escape. It occurs to me that Endo is five steps ahead of me and playing me the way a villain might play an innocent woman who knows nothing of his world. It’s a good thing I don’t have to live in it.