Hunt

“What would you have done if you were her?”

“We already know.” She gave me a sad smile. “I would have watched you three to see if you would still rob Lush. Then, when you did. . .”

I grinned. “You would have stolen the money from us.”

“Which isn’t that smart either as proven from our current situation, but it’s better than coming to the three guys’ hidden spot and getting butt naked in the pool.”

I inhaled more of the blunt. “Do you think the Syndicate knew about the job?”

“My understanding of the Syndicate is that when they kill a person, there is no body left behind.” She shrugged. “Add the fact that you’re chilling in the North of Paradise now and no one has bust the door down and shot us. . .I would say they still have no idea.”

I exhaled. Lines of smoke spilled out of my nostrils and swarmed around my face. “I think it’s a bad idea to do the Lush job.”

“It is. Pandora thinks Dimitri Ivanov will be distracted with Johnny’s killing. I believe the opposite. He’ll be even more on guard, especially when it comes to his businesses.”

Unease ran through me. “I still want confirmation that the Syndicate has no idea.”

“I know someone involved with the Syndicate. It’s a recruiter. I could ask him about this Johnny Cupcakes in a non-direct way.”

“Him?”

“His name is Mason. He used to be Quin’s sort of assistant back when we were living in the bathrooms.”

“He was a runaway teen too?”

She nodded. “Only for a few years.”

“How did things change for Mason?”

“He had the silly idea to rob some guy in Glory’s Chinatown long ago. Suddenly, he disappeared. Quin and I thought the guy killed him. We mourned him and everything. That was a sad summer.”

“But Mason was never killed.”

“Two years later, Mason rolled up to Victory Park in a blue corvette and said he was working for the Syndicate. Quin walked up to Mason and punched him in the face. Then, she left, refusing to talk to him. I still don’t think they’ve spoken.”

“But you?”

“I wanted to know how Mason got that corvette.” Phoenix put her plate down and rose. “We stayed in contact. Nothing too serious. Every other month he might text me a picture of him in the club, holding stacks of money, or surrounded by chicks.”

“It sounds like this Mason is big on bragging.”

“I get it. Mason didn’t have anything. Once he did, he wanted to show it off.” Phoenix came to me and grabbed the blunt from me. “I’m too scared to be that flashy, always thinking someone would rush up and take it from me.”

“Smart thought.” I looked down at her. “Did you two ever have a relationship?”

“Never, but. . .” She gazed at the blunt in her hand. “Mason has been hinting at the fact that he wouldn’t mind having sex with me, but that’s a typical single man around a single woman.”

“Hmmm.” I sneered. “I’m not a fan of you going to him about this.”

“I think it’s the easiest option, but I don’t know your contacts.” She took a hit of the blunt and then blew smoke over her shoulder. “Do you have people in the Syndicate you can call?”

“None. Johnny was my only connection with the Syndicate and that wasn’t intentional.”

“You like to stay far away from the Syndicate?”

“It’s a wise decision. I don’t like gangs or mafias.”

“I get it.” She handed me the blunt.

I took it, but didn’t smoke. My attention remained on Phoenix. “You’re being helpful after I threatened to cut off your feet. Should I wonder about your contacting him?”

“I think that it is in my best interest for you not to be hunted and shot down by the Syndicate because that means the same will happen to me too.”

“Fair point.”

“Also, Mason is a recruiter now for the Syndicate. That means he knows what’s going on, but doesn’t have much power.” She frowned. “If you’re thinking that I’m planning to use Mason to escape you, then you’re wrong. I don’t think he could protect me from you.”

He sure can’t.

“Do you really need to be protected from me?”

“I like my feet.” She glared. “And I like my skin smooth and silky, not scarred.”

“And you like to cum from my knives.”

Pandora’s scream sounded from the house.

Phoenix glanced that way. “If they rape her, I’ll find a way to kill them.”

“They wouldn’t rape her.” I stepped close to Phoenix and leaned forward. “But you don’t get to threaten my brothers’ lives again.”

She gazed up at me with not one ounce of fear in her eyes. “And you don’t threaten my feet again either.”

A smile spread on my face. “You didn’t like that. Did you?”

“Not at all.”

Pandora’s laughter came next.

“See.” I gestured to the house. “She’s fine.”

“What will you do with her?”

“I don’t know yet. Johnny’s body should be found soon. The news will say something. We have less than a month at this place. We’ll have to take this day by day.”