Page 145 of Jensen

Brothers appears at my elbow. “He’ll fight you,” he breathes.

“What’s the price?” I say.

He looks me in the eyes, unflinching. “Fight for her life, Jen.”

Right away, I know he told Leland.

We’re at the crossroads where I first met the devil, in my front yard, offering to help fix my truck. The Good God Boyd has done it again, pulling at my strings until I have no choices left. I round on him, gripping his arm and pulling him to look at me.

He’s so tired, face hollowed, sweat dripping down his forehead.

I’m sick of this, sick of deception, sick of secrets.

“Tell me what you did,” I whisper. “The night I can’t remember. Tell me now, and I’ll fight.”

He blinks, slow. “Why does it matter, Jen?” he drawls.

“It matters to me,” I grit out.

He looks down, then back up. “I put a gun in your fist and told you to shoot Holly if you wanted to be my right hand. You couldn’t do it, we fought, and you left drunk and angry.”

One second, I’m in the here and now. The next, everything is flooding back with so much clarity, it could be a movie reel. A dam shatters, and an ocean pulls me under, deep into a part of my past my brain worked hard to keep from me.

BEFORE

“Jen, can you come in here, please?”

I’m moving down the hall, on a high. Everything in my life is going right. Brothers and I are running this operation like Kentucky’s criminal dream team. I finally told Holly we’re done, and I even sort of meant it. Brothers says he’s going to give me another promotion as soon as I can prove myself.

I veer left and step into the dining room, closing the door. My steps falter. The room is empty, save for Brothers sitting at the head of the table and Holly in a chair by the fireplace. Something is off. Why is everyone so serious?

“Everything okay?” I ask.

“Of course,” Brothers says, standing. “But it’s time we talk about that promotion.”

“Okay, but…why is Holly here?”

I glance at her, meeting her eyes. They’re huge, brimming with nerves like she wants to say something, but she can’t. Brothers walks past her and stands toe to toe with me at my end of the table. He reaches into his jacket and takes out a gun. It’s an original Ruger, still in mint condition. He lays it on the table.

“I want you to be my right hand,” he says.

Thatcatches me off guard. I thought his brother, Jem, had that spot on lockdown on account of being his blood.

“What?” I breathe.

“I want me and you to do this together, Jen,” he says, putting a hand on my shoulder. “Brothers Boyd and Jensen Childress. We can own this city.”

“Do you mean that?” I ask.

He nods, lazy smile turning up his mouth. “I mean it.”

“Thank you.”

“There is a catch,” he drawls, turning to face Holly. She swallows, lips parting. “I do need you to prove yourself, prove you can take orders without questioning me.”

“Okay,” I say slowly. “What do you need me to do?”

Brothers circles until he’s standing over my shoulder. “You fell in love with this woman, gave her everything. Now, I’m asking you for something more, and in return, I will give you everything, Jen.”