He knew where her thoughts had gone. “It’s possible he meant he would physically make you pay.”
“I’m not anyone’s punching bag. I don’t belong to anyone but myself.” Her shoulders straightened. “He’s the one who is going to pay.” Her eyes were burning with a dark fire. “He could have hurt you, Jinx. If we’d hopped on that bike, took the twisting roads around here, then crashed, you could have been killed. We just got lucky.”
“It wasn’t luck,” War clarified. “It was a big-ass Viking named Odin. We’re a team. We’re watching out for each other. That’s how we’re taking him down. He thinks he can isolate you. Make you weak.”
He had isolated Ali, for far too long. “He might think he’s upping the stakes, but all he is doing is digging his grave, one foot at a time.” A grave that Jinx would be using to bury the bastard.
War tossed him a set of keys.
Surprise jolted through Jinx even as his fingers automatically fisted around the keys. “Are you actually going to let me drive the Impala?” That 67 classic was War’s pride and joy.
War blinked. Squinted. “Hell, no, I’m not. You crazy? Those are keys to Odin’s Jeep. You can drive that home, and we’ll take care of switching you out with a new ride tomorrow.” He huffed out a breath. “Am I letting you drive the Impala? Only when hell freezes over.”
Right. That made more sense. No one touched War’s ride.
War headed for the door. “You can sneak out the back—”
“No, thanks. I prefer to make a glorious exit via the front door.”
War threw him a fast glance over his shoulder. “Are you kidding me right now? Because I need you to be serious for like, five minutes.”
“I am serious.” Dead serious. “He was watching. He’s probably still watching somewhere. I intend to make sure he has one hell of a show. The more we push him, the more of an advantage we have.” Because if they could make the jerk lose control, he’d be weak.
War’s gaze flickered to Ali. “You agree with this?”
“I don’t like it.” Her voice was crisp. “But I understand Jinx’s reasoning.”
A swift knock rattled the door. War jerked the door open to reveal a big, giant blond wall. Odin had joined the party.
One look at his face, and Jinx knew their bad guy had slipped away.
“No trace,” Odin said. Just that, nothing more. That was typical Odin. A man of ever so few words. Even though his voice was flat, Jinx knew Odin was pissed. Odin fired a fast, worried glance at Ali.
Odin had always viewed Ali as a little sister, so that meant his protective instincts were definitely in overdrive when it came to her. Jinx had very much not viewed her as a sister, but his protective instincts were screaming at him, too. Demanding that he charge out, find the freak, and rip him apart.
And I will. It was all a matter of timing.
“I’ll take care of the bike for you,” War promised. “It will be fixed in no time.”
Ali began to pace. “He sure does like playing with people’s rides, doesn’t he?”
Seemed that way.
“The plan still the same?” Odin asked as he crossed his arms over his massive chest. He didn’t move out of the doorway.
Jinx watched Ali for a moment. Her steps were quick and obviously angry. It probably wasn’t the time to tell her she was extra gorgeous when she was mad. “Still the same. We drive the guy to the edge and then push him over.”
“Provided he doesn’t push you over first,” War noted.
Jinx rolled one shoulder. “That is the goal.” And it was time to get moving. Odin might not have been able to find the guy on the streets, but Jinx knew he was going to be staying close.
All the more reason for my show.
He tossed the keys onto the desk. “Thanks for the offer of the Jeep, but I have a different idea for tonight. I’ll take care of the ride.” He pulled out his phone and fired off a quick text. He’d actually had this transport as a stand-by, anyway. Just in case.
“What’s the idea?” War wanted to know. He slanted a suspicious glance Jinx’s way.
“Why spoil the surprise?”
“You’re kidding me.”
He wasn’t. And…Jinx snapped his fingers. “I almost forgot.” No, he hadn’t. He waved toward Ali. “Ali and I have a question for you, War.” He braced his legs apart and kept his body deceptively loose and relaxed. “Why the hell do you have an undercover cop working at your bar?”
War’s shoulders stiffened.
Jinx smiled at him. “I’m sure a guy like you wouldn’t miss the tells that woman was sending out.”
War shook his head.
“So, that means…you deliberately hired a cop.”
“Imari’s not a cop.”
Odin was silent. Just watching.
Ali edged closer to Jinx’s side. “If she’s not a cop, then what is she?”
“She’s an old college roommate of my wife’s. Imari was looking for a fresh start, I gave her one.”
Jinx brought his hand to his mouth and coughed. “Bullshit.”
Odin’s head moved in the faintest of nods.
War’s expression was hard. “That’s the story she told me, and she is a friend of Rose’s. Because of that, I couldn’t throw her out on her ass. Someone wants to keep tabs on me. Don’t know why, so I figured…hey, keep your friends close and keep the assholes who want to spy on you closer so you can spy on them.”
Jinx had figured it was something like that. “You’re thinking it’s the same off-the-book group we did some favors for?” The same group that had employed Ali.
“Either them or perhaps someone who is interested in the ties you have.” War’s gaze didn’t waver.
Jinx didn’t let his expression alter. He didn’t even blink.
“You see, Imari came looking for the job right after I brought you on at Trouble. Interesting timing, am I right?”
He was certainly right. The timing was suspicious as hell. “It would have been helpful if you mentioned her to me sooner.”
“It was on my to-do list.”
“What are we talking about right now?” Ali demanded to know.
He’d probably have to get around to telling her. Sooner or later. Currently, Ali believed that she’d accessed his files and learned everything there was to know about him. Such a cute belief. One that was totally wrong. Most of his files were fake. Most of his life was fake.
But if Imari was there because of Jinx’s ties, then someone knew the truth. Someone other than War and Odin. Because staring at his friends, it was obvious they knew about his skeletons.
When Ali wasn’t watching and listening, he’d get around to figuring out how they’d discovered the truth—and just how long they’d known. But Ali had asked a question, and he had to give her some sort of response, so he disclosed, “I’m tight with some dangerous people.”
She just stared at him.
“You know me, everyone wants to be my friend. Because of that, people in shady government agencies think they can use me and my connections for their own gains.” He waited a beat. “They’re wrong.”