it open and saw assault rifles packed neatly inside.
No. No! No! NO! He was just a thug after all! Just another criminal! And I fucked him, thought he loved me, listened to him lie to me! NO!
She backed her way to the stairs and began to climb again. It wasn't until she was near her floor that she heard voices. Holding her breath so no one heard her, she leaned towards where the voices were coming from and listened, her heart breaking at every muffled word.
"You're going to fuck it all up for us. You've got your eyes on her and that is all that matters."
"Are you fucking kidding me? You guys think I would fuck this up? I'd never do that. Not for anything."
"Tell me. When have I ever put you guys in danger?"
"How about when Manny was here? You told him that the bitch was dead. He expects her to be dead. But no, her ass is upstairs. Alive . We’ve got no use for her. Why the fuck is she still here?"
"Dakota. You know it's good, right?"
The man named Dakota started. "Guys—"
Another voice interrupted him. "She has everything to do with this. Every fucking thing."
"How?" Asher asked.
"She's a goddamned fed. She was hiding in the fucking closet when we found her. She's not here because she wants your dick, Hudson.”
"Well, she does.”
***
Looking around the room he realized none of the guys believed him. They knew. They knew that he was too involved with her. They didn't know just how involved. But they knew it was a safety concern. None of them wanted her around.
The hard part of this was that Asher knew he had feelings. But he knew his brothers. They'd made a pact that anyone who threatened the mission would be taken out. It was the cost of achieving their goals.
Fuller was the biggest threat as far as they were concerned. If he even showed a hint that he cared about her, he would turn into their biggest concern. Nothing blew up a plan quite like battling over whether or not to kill a man’s girl.
Not that she was his girl. Not yet.
"You either make her one of us." Nelson offered. "Or we do what we should’ve done weeks ago."
"No.” Asher. "Out of the question."
"Why the fuck not?" Charlie asked.
"Don’t you fuckheads see? He doesn’t trust her either. Ain’t the right?" Mike inserted.
Asher had to think quickly. He didn't want her dead. He didn't want himself dead. He wanted them to exist together. But the guys wouldn't hear of it. So he had to think about a way to answer that and keep them from killing her. He knew what to do, but it tore his gut apart to do it. Fortunately she couldn't hear him from upstairs otherwise he couldn't have done it. Just saying the words made him feel sick.
"I need her.” He paused and then added. “For my plan.”
***
Melissa waited in her spot to see what he would say. To her, he seemed to be avoiding the question. Plan? He needed her for some goddamn criminal plan? Was that all she ever was to him? Just some part of an elaborate plan?
"You mean you are lying to protect her?"
"No. Okay look," Asher’s voice started up again. "Big picture. What’s our goal here?"
"Get ATF out of town." A chorus of voices rose up.
"And it so happens that I have a fucking ATF agent in my bedroom. Someone who knows the inner workings of the agency. Someone they trust."
"And?" Dakota asked.
"And she thinks she’s in love with me."
***
Even though he wore a smile on his face for his brothers, every word out of his mouth was a lie. There wasn’t any plan. He was just making things up to keep the heat off her, to keep her alive, keep her safe. He prayed that somehow she didn't find out he'd said that. He'd lose anything he had with her. And what he had with her meant more to him than anything. She'd never understand that he was protecting her. Not with the way he was talking.
"Aren’t they all?" Dakota laughed. “Prosecutor Carruthers,
No. No! No! NO! He was just a thug after all! Just another criminal! And I fucked him, thought he loved me, listened to him lie to me! NO!
She backed her way to the stairs and began to climb again. It wasn't until she was near her floor that she heard voices. Holding her breath so no one heard her, she leaned towards where the voices were coming from and listened, her heart breaking at every muffled word.
"You're going to fuck it all up for us. You've got your eyes on her and that is all that matters."
"Are you fucking kidding me? You guys think I would fuck this up? I'd never do that. Not for anything."
"Tell me. When have I ever put you guys in danger?"
"How about when Manny was here? You told him that the bitch was dead. He expects her to be dead. But no, her ass is upstairs. Alive . We’ve got no use for her. Why the fuck is she still here?"
"Dakota. You know it's good, right?"
The man named Dakota started. "Guys—"
Another voice interrupted him. "She has everything to do with this. Every fucking thing."
"How?" Asher asked.
"She's a goddamned fed. She was hiding in the fucking closet when we found her. She's not here because she wants your dick, Hudson.”
"Well, she does.”
***
Looking around the room he realized none of the guys believed him. They knew. They knew that he was too involved with her. They didn't know just how involved. But they knew it was a safety concern. None of them wanted her around.
The hard part of this was that Asher knew he had feelings. But he knew his brothers. They'd made a pact that anyone who threatened the mission would be taken out. It was the cost of achieving their goals.
Fuller was the biggest threat as far as they were concerned. If he even showed a hint that he cared about her, he would turn into their biggest concern. Nothing blew up a plan quite like battling over whether or not to kill a man’s girl.
Not that she was his girl. Not yet.
"You either make her one of us." Nelson offered. "Or we do what we should’ve done weeks ago."
"No.” Asher. "Out of the question."
"Why the fuck not?" Charlie asked.
"Don’t you fuckheads see? He doesn’t trust her either. Ain’t the right?" Mike inserted.
Asher had to think quickly. He didn't want her dead. He didn't want himself dead. He wanted them to exist together. But the guys wouldn't hear of it. So he had to think about a way to answer that and keep them from killing her. He knew what to do, but it tore his gut apart to do it. Fortunately she couldn't hear him from upstairs otherwise he couldn't have done it. Just saying the words made him feel sick.
"I need her.” He paused and then added. “For my plan.”
***
Melissa waited in her spot to see what he would say. To her, he seemed to be avoiding the question. Plan? He needed her for some goddamn criminal plan? Was that all she ever was to him? Just some part of an elaborate plan?
"You mean you are lying to protect her?"
"No. Okay look," Asher’s voice started up again. "Big picture. What’s our goal here?"
"Get ATF out of town." A chorus of voices rose up.
"And it so happens that I have a fucking ATF agent in my bedroom. Someone who knows the inner workings of the agency. Someone they trust."
"And?" Dakota asked.
"And she thinks she’s in love with me."
***
Even though he wore a smile on his face for his brothers, every word out of his mouth was a lie. There wasn’t any plan. He was just making things up to keep the heat off her, to keep her alive, keep her safe. He prayed that somehow she didn't find out he'd said that. He'd lose anything he had with her. And what he had with her meant more to him than anything. She'd never understand that he was protecting her. Not with the way he was talking.
"Aren’t they all?" Dakota laughed. “Prosecutor Carruthers,
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