Page 25 of Deceptive Games

“I just said?—”

“If you get a gun, you get it through us. The last thing you need is a registered one. We’ll teach you how to use it properly too,” he said seriously, waiting for my reaction.

Did I like being told what to do? Absolutely not, but I understood that he was right.

“You’ll teach me how to hit targets properly?” I finally asked, his shoulders relaxing as he nodded.

“And how to pull it apart, clean it, and put it back together again,” he confirmed.

“I don’t think bossman would like that. How will he murder me in my sleep if you turn me into an assassin?” I huffed, toying with my knife as I sat beside him.

“Maybe you should stop pissing him off and you won’t have to worry about it,” he replied dryly, and I shrugged.

“I’m not worried. I’ll stab that big bastard right in the eye if I wake up to find him hovering over my bed.”

“I have a new lesson for you. It’s calledKilling Crew Leaders is a Bad Idea,” he deadpanned.

I went to reply but his phone rang and he groaned, fishing it from his pocket. “Hey, Skeet. You don’t need to worry about me nailing your girlfriend, stop checking in. Yes, I saw your three messages. They didn’t warrant a reply.”

I giggled, knowing Diesel was enjoying pissing him off. “Is he coming over?”

“No,” Diesel snorted, returning his attention to the phone. “Listen, man. She’s fine. I stuck around for a coffee to make sure.”

Skeeter yelled a bunch of shit before ending the call, and I raised an eyebrow. “What’s his problem?”

“He really hates people calling you his girlfriend. I don’t see the big deal. He fucks you, and won’t let anyone else fuck you. Sounds like a girlfriend to me,” he chuckled, his worried gaze running over me. “Will you be okay on your own?”

“You’ve seen the security here, right? I’m safer here than the Shed.”

“Doubtful,” he mumbled, scanning the room one last time before sighing. “I’d better go before someone comes and drags me back.”

“Thanks for bringing me home. Be careful. I know something’s going on, I can sense how unsettled you guys are,” I said gently, his hand resting on my shoulder.

“Your attentiveness is both a skill and a curse. It’s going to get you killed. We’re fine though, don’t worry about us.”

“It might save me too,” I smiled, watching him walk towards the front door and leave without a backwards glance. The stairs creaked, and I flicked my gaze to the hallway, my voice somehow steady. “Are you coming out or fucking hiding?”

It was difficult not to react when an unfamiliar man entered the room, a smirk on his lips and the threat of danger radiating off him. His short, black hair looked damp from a shower, andhis golden-brown eyes studied me like a hunter watching its prey.

“D’s losing his touch.” He moved closer, stopping a few meters away and leaning against the wall to cross his arms. “I didn’t know Skeet was into rich girls.”

“He’s into pussy, that’s it. I’m not a rich girl,” I scoffed, running my eyes over him. He was in jeans and a white T-shirt, tattoos covering every inch of visible skin, other than his face. “Are you a friend or foe?”

Animal skulls and inked blood spatters were down both arms, his throat having a skull surrounded by leaves and roses that disappeared under his shirt. I couldn’t see anything else, but I’d bet money on him being just as covered as Skeeter.

“I can be a friend to you if you ask real nicely,” he murmured, finally taking his eyes off me to look around the room. “You look rich to me.”

“Not my house. I broke in too,” I joked, trying not to let him know that he was starting to freak me out. I had no idea if he was here to hurt me or not, and for all I knew, he was hired by Max to kidnap me or something. “What are you doing here? Who are you?”

“The real question is, who are you?” he chuckled, sliding his eyes back to mine. “And why didn’t you tell your guard dog that you knew I was here?”

“I don’t want this place turning into a bloodbath.”

“It won’t if you stay still.”

My eyes narrowed just as he darted forward to grab me, but I’d been expecting it. The second his fingers wrapped around my bicep, I swung my knife at him and got him in the shoulder.

He hissed out a breath, grabbing me by the hair and shoving me down on the table.