Perfect Rage (Unyielding 3)

The answer was no, but I wasn’t saying that aloud. I hadn’t decided yet what I’d say. I owed Deck my life for getting me out of Colombia, but I did Connor, too, and I’d protect Connor no matter what.

So, I remained quiet.

Deck continued, “He was at Avalanche.”

“Briefly.”

“Why?”

I knew this was coming. I’d been thinking about what to say all the way here in the car. Connor was Deck’s best friend, well, had been, and he’d want to know everything Connor had spoken to me about, even if it wasn’t significant.

He continued, “From what Kai told me went down at the bar, I think you know Connor is unpredictable.” I did know that. “Since he’s here, his memory is returning or has returned and it will be fragile at best.” He paused. “I’ve known Connor since we were kids, Alina. Know him better than just about anybody and the shit he’s done for Vault won’t sit well with him. Goes against everything he is. That means we don’t know what he’ll do.”

Kai moved to sit on the paisley pink couch, his arm resting on the back and his feet up on the coffee table, ankles crossed. “A man doesn’t come home and walk into a bar filled with friends he wants to believe he’s dead. Not without a purpose.”

Even I didn’t know his reason for doing that. But I suspected Connor didn’t need a reason. As Deck said, he was unpredictable and his rationale for doing anything right now was skewed.

“And if you’d told me last night, instead of keeping it from me, maybe we’d know his purpose,” Deck directed at Kai.

Kai sighed. “Been through this. Not doing it again.”

“Then I hope you listened because I’m not merging companies with an asshole who keeps shit from me.”

“You know about it now,” Kai casually returned, unconcerned that Deck was seriously pissed off.

They were both Alpha men and Kai was Vault, meaning he’d worked alone much like Connor had done while on the drug. Deck was all about working with a team.

Kai scowled, but not at Deck. He was eyeing a shelf beside the TV with an array of porcelain animal figurines. London was right; he’d never live in a place like this and he definitely wouldn’t be good with kids hanging off him. He turned to me and nodded to the shelf. “You good with seeing that shit around?”

He really didn’t like the knickknacks. “Yeah. It’s kind of nice. London was admiring them this morning. She mentioned setting up a cabinet or something in your place to put a few in.”

Kai’s brows dropped and his gaze darted to the porcelain figurines then back to me. “That won’t be happening.” He shook his head. “No fuckin’ way.”

The screen door squeaked open then slammed shut and Tyler and Deaglan walked in. Deaglan had white paint chips all over his jeans and in his messy strands of hair. He grinned when he saw Deck, walked over and slapped him on the back while shaking his hand. “Good to see you.”

“Deaglan,” Deck returned. “All okay at home?”

He shrugged. “Few quirks. Brother is causing shit. I had to straighten him out.”

Deck huffed. “Still trouble?”

Deaglan chuckled. “An understatement. The little shit. He’s going to get his ass kicked out of school.”

Deck nodded to me. “You meet Alina?”

“This morning.” Deaglan winked at me then he looked at Kai. “You must be Kai?”

Kai’s eyes were sharp and alert as he accessed Deaglan and when he was done, he half smiled. “Yeah.”

“Met your girl London this morning,” Deaglan said. “I don’t think she liked me much.”

Kai’s brows lifted. “What makes you say that? She does a lot of charity work helping the homeless. You fit the profile.”

Deaglan laughed. “And Deck said I wouldn’t like you.” Kai grinned. Wow, what an unlikely friendship that would be. “I asked her if she wanted to join me and Jen, the flight attendant.” His brows knit together. “Or Jan, fuck, it was a J something.”

Tyler laughed.

Deck shook his head.

I thought Kai would throw Deaglan out the bay window. Instead, Kai laughed too. “Surprised you don’t have a black eye.”

I was surprised that Kai wasn’t giving him the black eye. The way Kai was with London, he was super protective, but I was also getting that he trusted her implicitly and that was why Deaglan’s comment had no effect. Kai was completely confident in his relationship with London.

“You good with us putting in an alarm?” Deck was talking to Deaglan again.

“Sure. Killian and I haven’t decided if we’re selling yet.” His eyes hit me then went back to Deck. “Is there an issue? Need my help?”

“Don’t know yet if we have an issue,” Deck said. “Connor showed at Avalanche last night.”

Deaglan’s brows lifted. “No shit?”

Deck nodded then turned to me. “He came to see Alina. She was about to tell us what he wanted.”