The man sitting on the bike had the same confidence, but there was nothing else that reminded me of Connor. And when he pulled off the helmet, I saw it was Deck.
He lifted his leg over the back of the bike and stood. The doors of the SUV opened and Tyler, Josh, and Vic hopped out.
But it was Deck who had all my attention, his eyes intense as he asked, “Was he here last night? And I don’t mean at the bar.”
Shit. He didn’t dick around. And why did he ask me that? Had Ernie seen Connor leaving?
Kai put his hand on the small of my back and guided me toward the house. “Wait until we’re inside, asshole. Your unstable friend more than likely has a sniper rifle on us right now.”
Deck snorted.
My eyes widened for three reasons, the possibility that Connor was still around, that he had a sniper rifle, and that Kai thought we’d be targets.
“If he is, you’d never see him,” Deck said from behind me. “Fuckin’ ghost. And now he’s a pissed-off ghost with nightmares for memories.”
Kai held the door open for me. “Then maybe you should’ve listened to me months ago and ended this shit when we had him.”
“We don’t end any of our men,” Deck retorted.
“I should’ve finished this last night,” Kai muttered, shaking his head.
I stopped on the top step of the porch and looked at Kai. Finished? Finished what?
Deck glared at Kai then his eyes cut to me. “No one is finishing anything, Alina. We have a deal. Kai isn’t allowed to touch Connor. He’s trying to piss me off.”
I found it hard to believe that Kai wasn’t allowed to do anything. And if it was true, then there had to be one hell of a good deal.
Kai shrugged but there was a mild play at the corners of his mouth as he held the screen door open for Deck and me. “Deal is a rather strong interpretation. It was more of a suggestion.”
“A suggestion that if you don’t follow, puts you in a body bag.”
Kai laughed. “I think you’ve already forgotten how easily I broke into your penthouse and held a knife to your throat.”
Deck glanced over his shoulder at Tyler and chin-lifted to the right side of the house.
“Sure thing, boss.” Tyler veered off toward the basement apartment.
I bit my lip uncertain what was going on between Deck and Kai. They were working together, but London was right; it looked like the kinks would take a while to smooth out. If that were even possible.
I was cautious who I trusted because the reality was, in the world I’d been exposed to, money was more important than loyalty. And loyalty was due to fear of getting cut into pieces and fed to the sharks.
Connor wasn’t the only one who’d changed.
Deck led us into the living room then walked to the bay window and closed the curtains. Kai’s brows lifted and he smirked. Deck ignored him.
Did Deck think Connor was outside watching? That he’d really put a bullet in one of us?
“No, I don’t think he’d kill us,” Deck said as if reading my thoughts. “He might Kai.”
Kai stood off to the side, in the archway and out of view of the window. Even with the curtains closed, he took precaution.
Vic came in the house and stopped in the foyer. Deck nodded to him and Vic in return disappeared. I heard him jog up the stairs. Josh followed. These guys didn’t have to say anything and they knew what the other wanted. Being in the military, they had to read one another’s signals.
“What’s going on?” I asked.
“We’ve decided you can remain at the house, but with precautions.” Huh? They’d considered me moving? “If Connor wants to find someone, he will, and we aren’t here to piss him off. We want to help him. But if we suspect Connor is a risk to you, you’ll be relocated. For now, we’ll install an alarm as long as Deaglan gives the okay.” I guessed from my earlier conversation with Deaglan that he now owned the house since his grandmother passed. What I didn’t get was why he rented out the upstairs while he stayed in the basement. “The alarm won’t stop him if he comes here. But it will slow him down and give us warning,” Deck said.
Tyler said, “Vic is checking the windows and doors that will need wiring.”
I thanked God I’d covered the hole in the drywall above my bed with a picture because if Vic saw that, he’d be questioning it.
Deck stood with his legs braced, arms crossed and looking like an immovable tree trunk. Even worse was his eyes were on me. And they weren’t friendly eyes. They were narrowed and dark. Intimidating as hell. “Are you going to answer my question now?”