Page 97 of X's and O's

Levi’s and X’s laughter followed me.

I’d always hated group assignments.

Iwas in my favorite spot on the couch, papers spread out on the coffee table in front of me, when Levi and X finally came inside.

“That was more than five minutes,” I muttered at the two of them.

They both ignored me, which wasn’t unexpected. X flopped into the armchair next to me, kicking up the footrest and letting out a groan of relaxation when he tilted the chair back into its fully reclined position.

Levi hovered.

I glared at him. “Sit down.”

He wandered over to a bookshelf. “I’m fine.”

With a start, I realized he was mere fucking inches from a framed photo I should have put away. I pushed to my feet, snatching it from beneath his nose before he could pick it up.

Eye to eye again, this time there was no hint of the attraction I’d felt earlier.

“Sit down,” I repeated, frost clear in my voice.

To his credit, he actually fucking listened. He dropped down into the spot I’d vacated, and I ground my teeth, tucking the photo frame into a drawer and then taking up the spare spot at the other end of the couch.

X clapped his hands. “So what’s the plan of attack? We just go hardcore, murder spree, and take out the entire list?” He grinned, like he was imagining leaving a trail of death and destruction in his wake. “I vote for that.”

“Sounds like a great way of getting caught,” Levi mumbled.

I agreed. “Slow down, Stabby McGee. If you want to go in all guns blazing, you probably should go join Trigger’s team.” I already knew the three of them weren’t the type to put any thought into narrowing down the list to the people most likely to turn the tables and target us. That wasn’t any of their styles.

Nor was it X’s.

But he wagged a finger in my face. “Nuh-uh. You can’t get rid of me that easily. Not when the two of you are trying to date my wife. I’m onto you. I’m keeping my enemies so close it’ll be like I’m a mother hen and youtwo are my chicks, and I’m just sitting right there on your heads.”

Levi swiveled to stare at him. “I know the words that just came out of your mouth were English, but I still can’t make any sense of them.”

I shook my head, picking up the list again and handing it to Levi. “Honestly, better that you don’t try to figure him out. Just smile and nod. Or better yet, go through that list and see if anyone sticks out to you. Any names you recognize?”

Levi’s gaze ran over the list. “That one. That one. That one…” He lifted his head. “I know half of these guys from inside.”

Well, I suppose that made sense, considering our list was almost fully made up of released criminals Gray thought were likely to reoffend. There were a few extras, whose names we came across on the dark web message boards, or who were highlighted by the press but ignored by the cops.

He tapped the page. “This guy, Dickson. He was staying at the halfway house while I was there. He’s a piece of shit. Probably not related to those notes Gray has been getting. I don’t think he’s smart enough to write his own name, let alone make up threatening rhymes. Can we take him out just for fun though?”

X held up his hand for a high five. “That’s what I’m talking about! Petty revenge killing! What he do to you? Shank your cellmate? Nark on you to the guards?”

Levi frowned and ignored X’s outstretched hand. “You’ve been watching too much TV. Nothing like that.”

X’s face morphed into one of concentration, and hestroked his chin like he was some type of old-timey detective considering a case. “Ah. Fart in your cell then?”

I let out a sigh of frustration. “Okay, we aren’t going after anyone for fun—or for their gas issues—when we’ve got a whole list of people who actually might be dangerous to us. Focus.”

X leaned back and plucked up a golf ball that had been sitting on my shelf for so long I couldn’t remember how it had gotten there. He tossed it into the air a few times. “You play golf, Whip?”

“No. The list, X.”

“What about you, Levi?”

Levi shook his head. “Rich dude sport, and I’m broke.”