chapter one
“If you’re done chatting with your boyfriend, it’s showtime.”
Rafe pocketed his phone and rolled his eyes at his sometimes partner, Oskar Mueller, from Blake Security.
“What’s the matter, sweetheart, you don’t want me having anyone else to talk to? It’s okay to be jealous, you know. You just have to tell me and you can have all my attention.” Rafe blew the German a kiss.
It was sure to piss the guy off, but Oskar’s anger was better than his asking questions Rafe wasn’t ready to answer. The phone calls that wouldn’t stop needed to remain his secret for now.
Oskar bared his teeth and flipped the safety off on his weapon. The two had a slightly contentious relationship, but Rafe was certain the German would come around eventually. Rafe had once tried to kill him, sure, but how long could anyone really stay mad about that?
“Whatever. Let’s do this. I don’t want this asshole getting away again.”
Rafe nodded briskly. No one was getting away on his watch. Oskar headed north and Rafe went east, as they’d planned. The company tech guru, Matthias, had already given them the route Douchebag would be taking.
Douchebag’s real name was Nathan Miller. Normally Blake Security would let the cops deal with a drug dealer, but Nathan had an interesting forced-recruitment scenario going on. He also had a history of pulling women into his schemes, women that he abused and kept against their will. That ticked off every single member of the team, so Rafe and Oskar had been sent to deliver a cease and desist letter of sorts.
Rafe stepped out from the alley just as Nathan rounded the corner.
Douchebag sneered even though Rafe had a good two inches on him. “Watch where you’re walking, asshole.”
Rafe cracked his neck even as a shot of adrenaline flooded his veins. He would never admit it out loud, but he fucking lived for this shit. “You know what? I don’t think I will.”
His first jab sent the guy’s head snapping back.
“What the fu—”
Poor Nathan didn’t get another word in because he was tasting Rafe’s knuckles again. “Now, Nathan… you, me and my associate, if he ever gets here, are going to have a heart-to-heart about your business practices. And the way you treat women.”
At his words, a small blond head peeked out from behind Nathan. In one smooth motion, Rafe shoved Nathan to the side and stepped in front of the girl.
“Hi, Callie. Your brother sent us.”
Her eyes immediately filled with tears, but she nodded frantically.
“I don’t think you know who the fuck you’re dealing with,” Nathan growled from behind him.
Before Nathan was even done with the sentence, Rafe had his gun in the guy’s face. That shut him up pretty quickly.
“Callie, I need you to wait for us beside that Dumpster. And close your eyes. Okay?” He didn’t take his eyes off Nathan, but he listened to the soft fall of Callie’s footsteps as she obeyed.
Nathan glared at him even as Oskar strolled down the opposing alleyway. When he saw Rafe’s gun out, he looked pissed.
“Oh hell, you got started without me?”
“Next time don’t bother to pretty yourself up for me. It’s no use really. Your face is your face. And you can relax. I left plenty of ass kicking for you.”
Oskar just grinned. “You’re so good to me,” he said as he unsheathed his knives. As his partner moved forward, Rafe walked to Callie and held out a hand to her. He led her around the corner so she wouldn’t have to see what came next.
Callie flinched and peered up at Rafe from tired eyes. Her makeup had run, so there were dark smudges on her cheeks. It was a look he’d seen many times before, the universal expression of defeat. That was what it looked like when good people gave up hope.
“What happens now? Nathan will never let me go.”
Rafe wasn’t good at this part. The comforting, the drying of the tears. Years ago he had been. He’d been the person who held his baby sister when she cried and told her that everything would be okay. Then he’d had to leave her, and all that emotion ceased to exist.
But this was supposed to be a new beginning, wasn’t it? Going forward, he could decide what kind of man he would be.
“He will let you go. I’m going to make sure of it.” Rafe didn’t touch her, wasn’t sure if it would frighten her, but he did gesture the other direction to let her know that it was safe to walk that way. They didn’t need to stay; Oskar had things well in hand.
As Rafe turned to walk behind her, his skin prickled. He paused, then glanced over his shoulder. Oskar already had Nathan on the ground and was securing him with zip ties. Rafe’s eyes scanned over the alley and then up to the roof of the buildings above. It was dark, and only a few of the windows in the building were lit up. Most people were asleep right now, completely unaware of the things happening floors below. People in this neighborhood didn’t want to be aware of what was happening outside. The less you knew, the safer you were.