“Legit?”
“Confirmed and legit.”
“Go on…” I grit my teeth, hating how eager I am for this information. Bryant’s “intel” comes at a high price. He’s had me do some shit that my brothers don’t even know about. The kind of stuff that really would get me sent away to prison for life.
“I’ll need a favor, of course,” he croons. “You understand. Family takes care of each other.”
Family.
This fucking guy.
He might be running through my blood, but he’s not my family. The only family I have is my mother, who was wrongly taken from us, and my brothers. Everyone else is irrelevant to me.
“Of course,” I mutter. “What do you need?”
“A property needs dealing with. The Morellis have many enemies and I make sure they’re cut off before they become a problem.”
“Deal with…how?” I implore. “Break in? Vandalism?”
“The latter.”
“Elaborate.”
“I want you to burn their building to the fucking ground.”
That’s a little more than vandalism…
“If I were to get caught…” I trail off. “Your intel better be good.”
“Don’t get caught. Look but don’t touch or Winston won’t be the only man who will rip you to shreds,” he clips out. “And my intel is well worth the risk.”
Look but don’t touch.
Sure thing, Uncle. I’ll be on my best behavior…
“I’m listening.”
“Winston’s little wifey. She’ll be at a baby shower this weekend for a friend of the Constantine family.”
Ash.
My ex-stepsister.
It’s about time we’ve caught up…
“I’ll do your dirty work. Now tell me everything.”
“Thatta boy, son.”
I’m not his son, but I’ll let him call me whatever the fuck he wants as long as he gives me the information I need.
Chapter Eleven
Sparrow
I thrum my fingers on my desk, my stare fixed on the doorway to the classroom. Energy buzzes beneath my skin and I’m not sure why. Maybe I’ve had too much coffee this morning.
Or maybe you’re just excited to see Landry…
A derisive snort escapes me and the dude beside me whips his head my way. Ignoring him, I continue to wait for my target to arrive.
It’s not excitement to see her…it’s excitement to get back to doing my job.
Fuck with her.
Make her fall in love with me—us.
Scout learned that Ty Constantine went to her house last night. Alexander Croft isn’t wasting any time. I suppose trying to marry off his daughter to one of the wealthiest families in not only the country, but the world, would be high on his list of priorities.
My mind drifts to fantasies of defiling her in the backseat of my car. I’d keep her bratty mouth quiet with my dick. If Ty is already on the move, going to dinners and shit, then I need to up my game. I don’t usually have to work so hard to get a chick into bed with me.
Annoyance ripples through me.
Landry is difficult.
Sassy and prissy and kind of fucking rude.
A flash of blonde in the doorway steals my attention. It’s her. Little Landry. This morning, though, her prickliness from before is gone. Beneath her heavily made-up face is a tight, tortured expression. Her eyes are bloodshot like she’s been crying.
Irritation burns in my gut, this time, no longer toward her. Someone made her cry. I don’t know why that bothers me—a girl I’ve literally only just met—but it does.
I sit up straight, clenching my jaw as I watch her make her way willingly toward me. She sets her bag down on the desk and sits down. After a huff that seems to be an effort to ward off more tears, she begins gnawing on her bottom lip, blue eyes searching mine like I have answers.
Just ask the right questions, baby.
“Laundry.” I smirk at her. “Looking good.”
“Chevy. And you look all right yourself.”
All right.
The gall of this girl.
“I see someone woke up and took their bitchy pill this morning. Do you ever forget it?”
“Never.” She makes a sour face but it doesn’t hide the slight tremble of her chin. “You left our house in a hurry yesterday.”
I blink at her in confusion for a moment until I remember that she’s referring to Sully, not me. This acting gig is hard sometimes.
“Homework,” I lie. “Why are you sad?”
“Sad?” Her head shakes and her upper lip curls slightly. “I’m not sad.”
I lift a brow, waiting for her to elaborate. She doesn’t. I swear to fuck she likes being difficult.
“You’re going to make me beg for details, Laundry?”
“Can anyone really make you do anything? Didn’t think you were the type.” She studies me for a beat, something akin to respect gleaming in her eyes.
She really is going to make me drag this shit out of her.
“Come on. Let’s go,” I say as I push my chair back.
Her brows pinch together. “What? Class is about to start.”
“Like either of us are in the mood to concentrate on class today. Something’s up and you need to vent. We’re leaving.”
I reach for her hand, but she jerks it back, shaking her head almost violently. “I can’t leave campus with you.”
Ouch.
“I’m not going to kidnap you,” I grit out. “I just want to buy you some fucking coffee.” She doesn’t move, so I throw my hands up on the air in exasperation. “On campus.”
Her lips press together. She thinks about it all of three seconds and then she’s rising to her feet. This time, when I reach for her hand, she lets me take it. I think it surprises the both of us because her eyes dart to mine, widening.
I don’t give her a chance to back out and tug her along with me. A chick with a nice rack smiles at me as I pass, but I don’t return it. If I’m going to derail Ty Constantine’s efforts, I need to make sure Landry has someone she’d rather be with.
Me.
Checking out the tits of every hot girl I encounter isn’t going to help me in my cause.
We pass our professor on the way out. He shoots me an irritated scowl, but I don’t give a fuck. I’m not actually trying to get a damn degree here. I give Landry’s hand a comforting squeeze. She’s quiet as we walk, never attempting to pull her hand from mine.
“Grab us a seat over there,” I say when we reach the campus coffee shop.
She surprisingly obeys without a fuss. While she commandeers the loveseat nestled away from all the other tables and chairs, I order our coffees and a couple of muffins.
“What’s this?” she asks when I approach with our tray.
“Caramel macchiato.” I flash her a taunting grin. “Since you’re salty all the time, I figure you might like something sweet.”
She rolls her eyes, but she can’t hide the cute smile tugging at her lips. Noted. This girl likes sweet treats and a little flirtatious teasing.
“Spill, woman.” I settle on the cushion beside her. “I’m listening.”