Page 46 of Guarding Grace

“Then I should talk to your father,” Lucas said.

“I’m in charge of this.”

“Not if you don’t even know what’s in the case. I don’t deal with underlings,” Lucas said sternly.

Baldy pushed off the wall. “Don’t you dare talk to him like that, asshole.” Then he grabbed Lucas’s arm.Big mistake.

Lucas grabbed his hand and with a practiced twist, forced a yowling Baldy’s face down to the desk as his arm rose high behind him.

Mustache Guy reached for his gun.

Before he could get it out, Duke had his SIG aimed at the guy’s head. “Don’t even think about it.”

I’d drawn on Victor, who hadn’t moved, but his face showed the fear that Lucas brought out in anyone.

Mustache Guy slowly removed his hand from his jacket.

I noticed Victor move his hand below the desk. “Press that button and they’ll be calling you One-Ear Victor.” I shifted my aim slightly to one side.

He froze.

“Or maybe I can’t shoot straight and they’ll just call you dead.”

He pulled his hand back and placed it on the desk. “You’ll never get away with this. We’ll squash you all like bugs.”

“I came here to give you some friendly advice,” Lucas said. “But you aren’t being very friendly. Does your man here attack every guest and call him an asshole? I think an apology is in order.”

Baldy squealed when Lucas applied a bit more pressure. “I’m sorry.”

“I still think we should talk.” Lucas released him.

Duke and I lowered our weapons.

I relaxed, as Lucas did.

“Grace Brennan is Terry’s girl.” Lucas tapped me on the shoulder. “And she is off-limits. She doesn’t have anything of yours or know anything about it. Understand?”

“We have no interest in her. It’s her cousin we need to talk to.”

“Bullshit,” I exploded. “Your guys tried to abduct her this morning.” Lucas glared at me, and I shut up.

“A misunderstanding, I’m sure.” Victor laughed. He was an asshole. “I want the package her cousin, Elliot, stole. She can choose to be part of the solution or part of the problem.”

“Let me make myself clear,” Lucas bit out. “She is not a part of this. If you come after her again, you go through us.”

Victor let out a breath and leaned back. “You didn’t need to bring all your friends with you for such a simple conversation.”

Lucas shrugged. “I thought you might want to meet them before deciding to go after Grace again. My team is former special forces, FBI, and Secret Service. Constance is the only one who hasn’t killed multiple people who messed with us.”

“Hey,” Constance complained. “I aimed to hit the guy in the crotch.”

Victor and Mustache Guy winced. Baldy was busy massaging his sore shoulder.

“And my aim was true,” she added. “He’s singing soprano and won’t ever be getting his equipment up again,” she added.

Duke chuckled. “That’s as good a being dead.”

“But a lot less paperwork,” she mused.