Page 30 of The Mafia Assassin's Redemption-

Do we have a new arms dealer who sells cutting-edge, military-grade shit? That’s dangerous and something of a slippery slope. Callahan definitely didn’t mention anything to me, not that weapons are part of my current arsenal.

“What are you doing?”

“I’m dismantling this before you kill someone. You were just supposed to scare her, for fuck’s sake.”

“I wasn’t trying to hurt her. So fuck off and give me my gun.” He reaches for the rifle and I turn away with it.

“What the fuck do you mean it’s yours?”

“Well, now that Cal’s gone and gotten all domesticated, and while I love me some Lucie—” He stops himself. “Ah, shit. Not like that.” He shoots a pleading look at me. “Don’t tell Cal I said that.”

“I’ll think about it.”

“Whatever, Tor, someone’s gotta take over the clan. Might as well be me.”

“Not. You.”

He scowls.

“You can’t be using this thing, Declan.” I finish putting it away and zip up the bag. “The name of the game is to be anonymous when shooting. Have a favorite gun, fuck, get a custom, but military shit is for war. We’re not at war. And we’re not terrorists.”

I let out a breath. What I don’t want is what Callahan worked so hard to prevent, and that’s Declan dead. Or caughtby the cops because a stolen, high-end military rifle used for hits and shootouts is something of a calling card for the police.

“Look, all I’m saying is that I’m the one who can handle these jobs. You’re getting married to that lass, so you’ll be busy with other things, I guess.” He shrugs. “I mean, she’s not hot, but maybe she’s into?—”

I move so fast that I cut off his words as I slam him against the wall and squeeze his throat. He gurgles and clamps a hand over mine.

“I’d kill you. but Mam might get sad and I don’t want that.” I lean in, squeeze a little harder, and say, “You also don’t talk about Harry like that. Ever.”

I let him go and he swings a punch at me. I let it land, the ricochet of pain mild but needed. For him.

Christ, I just grabbed his throat for hinting she might be kinky when I taunted her with the same. I shake my head, trying to dislodge the thought.

Dec tries to hit me again, but I catch his fist a hair of a second before it crashes against my chin. “Don’t push it, kid.”

“Why’d you volunteer for that marriage, Tor?”

Because I let her mother get killed and raped. I got her father killed. I almost let her burn alive. I watched Shiv die from a bullet that was meant for me. In short, I fucked up and destroyed a lot of lives. And this is the only way I can make up for any of the losses.

“Because I decided to step up.”

Nobody knows the truth. And I can’t let them in on my dirty secret.

Arnold whines and Clawzilla lets out a meow.

I look at my brother with a lifted eyebrow. “You brought the pets?”

“They wanted to come. They have theirown minds, you know.”

I need to get back to Harry. I don’t trust her not to run again, and all it takes is one time for her to get enough of a head start where I lose her for good.

Maybe later I can give myself the luxury of admitting just how hot it was on the floor, feeling her against me, feeling how aroused that tight body was with my hand between her thighs. And how strangely, perversely good it felt to have her point a gun at me.

But right now, I focus on the issue. Myeejitbrother. “Just how close did you mean to aim? Because you need to go to the range for more lessons. Do you want to know how close you got to shooting her? And me?”

He makes a face. “You called and?—”

“I called, Declan, and asked you to help me out by stressing how serious the situation is. I didn’t give you the order to kill anyone.”