“Fine,” Jinx growled. “I deserved that one. But I was actually being the hero tonight.”
“Heroes don’t toss women over their shoulders and carry them out of bars!”
“Sure, they do. If the bar in question happens to be a criminal cesspool and the woman is in serious danger—a true hero would totally help her get out of that situation.” He braced his legs, ignored the throbbing in his shin, and stared at her. “What the hell were you doing in a place like that?”
“Oh, come on. I’m hardly some innocent. You and I both know that.” She sniffed. “I’ve been in more hotspots in this world than most people can ever—”
“You’ve always been behind a well-trained team that watched your sexy ass.” He wasn’t playing. Not teasing. This shit was serious. “I didn’t see a team in there with you. I just saw you, walking straight into more trouble than you could possibly realize.”
“I knew exactly what I was walking into!”
“Really?” He could practically feel steam burning from his skin. “You knew you were walking into a bar filled with some of the roughest criminals in the area? Guys who would as soon stab you as look at you?”
Her mouth parted. Closed. “I—”
He edged even closer. It was all he could do to keep his hands off her. His fingers flexed and clenched. “What the hell was your plan? People go to a place like that if they want to hire someone for a job. For a theft, a smash and grab, or even a murder. Now you and I both know you can steal anything you want without someone else’s help.” That was part of her talent. A talent that he also possessed, and that was why they’d been teamed together before. “Smash and grabs have never been your game. That leaves our third choice.” A dark choice. “It makes me damn curious, baby, and I just have to know…who do you want killed?”
Chapter Two
The night surrounded her. Insects were chirping in the thick woods around the rundown bar. The parking lot was filled with an assortment of vehicles—from high-end rides to cars that had duct tape keeping taillights in place. Music blared from inside of Ramsey’s, not that she could see the bar any longer. She had a giant, angry wall in front of her that blocked her view of everything else.
The wall was Jinx. A Jinx she’d never seen before. One that made her nervous. She forced a light laugh. “I’m hardly looking to have someone killed.”
He didn’t smile. None of the fierce tension left his body. They were in the shadows as they stood next to the motorcycle, so she couldn’t read his expression clearly. Ali thought that might be a good thing.
“Who were you meeting in there?”
She needed to get out of that place. And get away from Jinx. “Look, none of this is really your business.”
“I happen to think you’re my business.”
“I’m not. We had a one-night stand, and that’s it. What we did—one time—does not give you any say regarding what I do with my life.” The words trembled a little, but she thought they came out pretty cold. Ali was grateful for that win. She wanted Jinx away from her, stat.
For his own safety. He wouldn’t get that, though. Because she wasn’t sharing that bit of information.
Anyone close to her? In danger. She didn’t want danger touching Jinx. Not danger that came because of her.
“You’ll want to think the fuck again on that.” Anger vibrated in his voice. “When it comes to you, I’m very damn involved in what happens.”
Where was the normal laughing, teasing Jinx? “Who are you?” she whispered.
“I’m the guy who wants to know what the hell is going on.” A pause. “Were you there for Ramsey?”
Yes, she may have been. Because word in the dark corners of the world was that for the right price, Ramsey could make problems disappear. She had a problem that needed to vanish. One that she hadn’t been able to handle on her own, despite her attempts.
“Shit.” He’d obviously taken her silence as an affirmation. Which, sure, it was. Jinx backed up a step and raked a hand through his hair. “Not happening.”
“Well, yes, unfortunately, it’s not happening. Because of you.” He’d ruined her fine plans.
He froze with his fingers in his hair. His head turned toward her.
“You got us kicked out. The man shouting obviously hates you, and since he thought we were together, he didn’t want me in there, either.” What a mess. “So now I’ll have an even harder time meeting Ramsey—”
“You already met him,” he snapped. “He’s the bastard who said you could never come back. That means any business you wanted to conduct with him? You can forget about it.”
Her stomach knotted. “Why does he hate you?”
“He doesn’t. He freaking loves me. Just has a twisted way of showing it some days.”
Her hands flew up in frustration. “Now you’re back to your jokes? Seriously?”
“Not joking about a damn thing.”
Uh, yes, obviously, he was. “The man threw you out of his bar. He threw us both out. Not exactly showing the love.” Since she’d been with Jinx, she was painted as guilty by association. There would be no help coming from Ramsey or his associates. Dang it. She’d have to switch to Plan B. A plan she didn’t like because it meant dragging people she cared about into her mess.
But not Jinx. He won’t know. She squared her shoulders. “It’s been, uh, not fun, Jinx, so you will understand why I’m leaving.” She took two steps to the left.
He dropped his hand. Moved immediately into her path. “We aren’t done.”
“We are.” She swallowed and fought to keep her voice steady. “In fact, we’ve been done for several months.” Break the tie. It’s safer this way. Better for him. “You stay out of my way, and I’ll stay out of yours.”
He looked down, glancing at their bodies.
“Uh, you’re in my way right now,” Ali pointed out softly.
His head lifted. “You think I don’t know?”
There was a lot she thought he didn’t know…about her. Because she was working hard to keep her secrets. Instead of answering, she remained silent.
“I can all but feel your fear, baby.”
That knot in her stomach grew tighter. “What could I possibly have to fear?”
“I don’t know…why don’t you tell me?”
A truck’s engine revved to life. A loud, bursting growl of sound that told Ali someone had been playing a whole lot beneath the hood of that particular vehicle. The growl had made her jerk in startled reaction, and Ali heaved out a long breath. She didn’t intend to tell Jinx about her problems.
As it was, the longer he spent with her, the greater the potential for a target to get painted on his back. If one isn’t already there.
Had she been watched at the beach? Seen with Jinx? Was she being watched right now? She’d tried to be careful when she came to Ramsey’s. Ali knew how to check for tails, and she thought that she’d done a good job.
But the guy after her always seemed to be several steps ahead.
You don’t know he followed you down here. You were careful. The vacation gift from Odin had seemed like a godsend. She’d thought she could vanish down in the coastal area. Maybe she had. Maybe she was jumping at shadows when she was actually safe and just needed to calm down.