Oath Bound
Page 85
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Kori closed one cabinet door and moved on to inspect the contents of the next. “That’s the best kind of family.”
I ignored the grin she shot me.
“No, the best kind of family is the kind you can count on.” Sera frowned. “My mistake was hoping that Lia would help me, just because we share the same blood.”
“Your only mistake was not knowing enough about the Towers,” I insisted. “And that wasn’t your fault. But if you’d known them better, you’d have known they never do anything for free. Even for family.”
She nodded pensively. “You’d think I would have picked up on that from the way she and Gwendolyn were arguing when you broke into the house.”
“You should have seen how pissed off Julia was about that!” Mitch’s eyes shone with malicious amusement from his corner and I wasn’t sure which of us he was talking to. “You’d have loved it. The bitch threw a full-out temper tantrum when you two disappeared through the closet, breaking shit and yelling at people. The rookies were quaking in their boots.”
I’d bet money they weren’t the only ones.
“I’m sure she’s regretting that now.” Kori shot a conspiratorial glance at Ian.
“Why?” I was already irritated that I hadn’t figured it out yet.
My sister pulled a half-empty bottle of whiskey from the cabinet next to the refrigerator. “Because the best way to bury a rumor is to shut the fuck up about it.”
“That’s why you believed me when I told you who I was?” Sera frowned at Mitch, fingering the grip of his gun on the tabletop as I began putting the pieces together for myself.
Mitch nodded. “We all saw how furious the Tower bitch was, and when you told me she wasn’t Jake’s real heir, it just kinda clicked. Nothing in the world would piss her off worse than having her entire kingdom yanked out from under her.”
“That’s why she wants you dead,” I said, and everyone glanced at me like I’d just figured out why water is wet. “Cut me some slack,” I snapped. “The evil machinations of a usurped mafia queen are a little new to me.”
“Me, too.” Sera stared at the gun beneath her hand, but her gaze seemed to lose focus.
“Oh, shit!” I sat up straight as a devastating piece of the puzzle that was the Tower family tree fell into place.
“What?” Sera said, and they were all staring at me.
“Julia did it. She put the hit out on your family. Only she wasn’t trying to kill them—she was trying to kill you.”
“What?” Sera sat straight in her chair, confusion warring with disbelief behind her eyes. “How do you know that?”
“Because it makes sense,” Kori said, looking impressed by my insight for once, and I could only nod. “Who stands to gain the most from your death?”
“Lia...” Anger took over Sera’s features as comprehension set in. “She tried to kill me before I even came to her. And when that didn’t work—when she got my family instead—I walked right into her hands!” She closed her eyes and scrubbed her face with both hands. “How could I be so stupid?”
“You’re not stupid.” I pulled her hand away from her face and held it for one self-indulgent moment. “You just don’t think like a mafia queen. Personally, I think that’s to your credit.”
“But not to my benefit. If I’d understood what I was walking into, I never would have gone in there in the first place.”
“So, what? You needed a favor and thought Daddy’s side of the family owed you one?” Kori unscrewed the lid from the whiskey and dropped it on the table, and I couldn’t tell whether she thought Sera was ballsy or stupid. Or both.
Sera held her gaze. “I wanted justice and she’s the only connection I had who could get it for me. At the time.”
Mitch snorted. “The Towers aren’t in the justice business. They’re more revenge kind of people. Vengeance, if you’re lucky.”
Sera’s eyes flashed and I got another glimpse of the hellcat who’d tried to castrate me with a steak knife. “Beggars can’t be choosers.”
“If you’ve really inherited a piece of the Tower pie, you’ll never have to beg for anything again. Once you get that target off your back.” Mitch leaned his chair back on two legs, balancing with one hand pressed against the wall. “Coincidentally, I happen to be in the market for a new job. Need some Skilled muscle?”
“I’ve got her covered,” I snapped, and both Sera and Kori glanced at me in surprise. “We,” I clarified, when I’d realized what I’d said, and how they’d probably—rightly—interpret it. “We’ve got her covered.”
Mitch shrugged and set his chair down, then launched into a pitch too polished to be spontaneous, eyeing Sera across the table. “What do you want me to do then? Personal chauffeur? No car needed. The dark is my highway, anywhere you want to go. Or maybe you’d like a more personal kind of service?” His brows rose and his gaze raked over her with the innuendo, and I wanted to beat him until his blood stained my cuticles and soaked into Cavazos’s expensive carpet.
“Ew, no!” Sera said, and I almost laughed at Mitch’s insulted expression.
“Like I said, we’ve got her covered,” I insisted, and then they were all staring at me again, and it took me a second to realize what I’d just said. “Not like that. This isn’t that kind of...” Damn it. I snatched the bottle of whiskey from Kori and started over, while Ian made no effort to hide a grin. “I mean we’ve already got two Travelers, and Sera doesn’t need you. For anything.” I tipped the bottle up and took two swigs, hoping they’d all think it was the alcohol that made my cheeks burn.
I ignored the grin she shot me.
“No, the best kind of family is the kind you can count on.” Sera frowned. “My mistake was hoping that Lia would help me, just because we share the same blood.”
“Your only mistake was not knowing enough about the Towers,” I insisted. “And that wasn’t your fault. But if you’d known them better, you’d have known they never do anything for free. Even for family.”
She nodded pensively. “You’d think I would have picked up on that from the way she and Gwendolyn were arguing when you broke into the house.”
“You should have seen how pissed off Julia was about that!” Mitch’s eyes shone with malicious amusement from his corner and I wasn’t sure which of us he was talking to. “You’d have loved it. The bitch threw a full-out temper tantrum when you two disappeared through the closet, breaking shit and yelling at people. The rookies were quaking in their boots.”
I’d bet money they weren’t the only ones.
“I’m sure she’s regretting that now.” Kori shot a conspiratorial glance at Ian.
“Why?” I was already irritated that I hadn’t figured it out yet.
My sister pulled a half-empty bottle of whiskey from the cabinet next to the refrigerator. “Because the best way to bury a rumor is to shut the fuck up about it.”
“That’s why you believed me when I told you who I was?” Sera frowned at Mitch, fingering the grip of his gun on the tabletop as I began putting the pieces together for myself.
Mitch nodded. “We all saw how furious the Tower bitch was, and when you told me she wasn’t Jake’s real heir, it just kinda clicked. Nothing in the world would piss her off worse than having her entire kingdom yanked out from under her.”
“That’s why she wants you dead,” I said, and everyone glanced at me like I’d just figured out why water is wet. “Cut me some slack,” I snapped. “The evil machinations of a usurped mafia queen are a little new to me.”
“Me, too.” Sera stared at the gun beneath her hand, but her gaze seemed to lose focus.
“Oh, shit!” I sat up straight as a devastating piece of the puzzle that was the Tower family tree fell into place.
“What?” Sera said, and they were all staring at me.
“Julia did it. She put the hit out on your family. Only she wasn’t trying to kill them—she was trying to kill you.”
“What?” Sera sat straight in her chair, confusion warring with disbelief behind her eyes. “How do you know that?”
“Because it makes sense,” Kori said, looking impressed by my insight for once, and I could only nod. “Who stands to gain the most from your death?”
“Lia...” Anger took over Sera’s features as comprehension set in. “She tried to kill me before I even came to her. And when that didn’t work—when she got my family instead—I walked right into her hands!” She closed her eyes and scrubbed her face with both hands. “How could I be so stupid?”
“You’re not stupid.” I pulled her hand away from her face and held it for one self-indulgent moment. “You just don’t think like a mafia queen. Personally, I think that’s to your credit.”
“But not to my benefit. If I’d understood what I was walking into, I never would have gone in there in the first place.”
“So, what? You needed a favor and thought Daddy’s side of the family owed you one?” Kori unscrewed the lid from the whiskey and dropped it on the table, and I couldn’t tell whether she thought Sera was ballsy or stupid. Or both.
Sera held her gaze. “I wanted justice and she’s the only connection I had who could get it for me. At the time.”
Mitch snorted. “The Towers aren’t in the justice business. They’re more revenge kind of people. Vengeance, if you’re lucky.”
Sera’s eyes flashed and I got another glimpse of the hellcat who’d tried to castrate me with a steak knife. “Beggars can’t be choosers.”
“If you’ve really inherited a piece of the Tower pie, you’ll never have to beg for anything again. Once you get that target off your back.” Mitch leaned his chair back on two legs, balancing with one hand pressed against the wall. “Coincidentally, I happen to be in the market for a new job. Need some Skilled muscle?”
“I’ve got her covered,” I snapped, and both Sera and Kori glanced at me in surprise. “We,” I clarified, when I’d realized what I’d said, and how they’d probably—rightly—interpret it. “We’ve got her covered.”
Mitch shrugged and set his chair down, then launched into a pitch too polished to be spontaneous, eyeing Sera across the table. “What do you want me to do then? Personal chauffeur? No car needed. The dark is my highway, anywhere you want to go. Or maybe you’d like a more personal kind of service?” His brows rose and his gaze raked over her with the innuendo, and I wanted to beat him until his blood stained my cuticles and soaked into Cavazos’s expensive carpet.
“Ew, no!” Sera said, and I almost laughed at Mitch’s insulted expression.
“Like I said, we’ve got her covered,” I insisted, and then they were all staring at me again, and it took me a second to realize what I’d just said. “Not like that. This isn’t that kind of...” Damn it. I snatched the bottle of whiskey from Kori and started over, while Ian made no effort to hide a grin. “I mean we’ve already got two Travelers, and Sera doesn’t need you. For anything.” I tipped the bottle up and took two swigs, hoping they’d all think it was the alcohol that made my cheeks burn.
