Buttons & Hate (Buttons 2)

“It leaves a lot to chance,” Cane argued. “We have no idea where he’ll wait for her.”

“Probably right outside the embassy,” Crow argued. “That’s what I would do.”

“I’ll approach the building so he’ll come out.” I knew Bones on an intimate level. He wouldn’t send one of his cronies to snatch me. He’d want to grab me himself, wanting me to think he was my savior before he turned into the devil once more. “He’ll want to get me himself.”

“You’re sure about that?” Cane asked.

“Yes.” I grabbed Crow’s glass and took a drink. “I know him better than you do.”

“No.” Cane couldn’t hide his distaste for me. He hated looking at me. “Are you sure you want to put yourself at risk like that? There’s always a possibility of something going wrong.”

“Crow would never let him take me.” I slid the empty glass back across the table and felt Crow stare at me hard. His hand slowly moved to my thigh under the table, telling me more with a simple gesture than words could ever relay. “And I want to take this fucker down. If we don’t kill him, he’ll just continue hurting women. I’m not going to let that happen. I need revenge just as much as the two of you.”

Cane’s hard expression didn’t change. He was just as stern as ever.

“She can handle it.” Crow spoke on my behalf, vouching for my strength and ferocity. “We’ll need to wait until she’s back to full health. Once that happens, I think we should go for it.”

“Don’t you think it’ll be a little difficult to pull that off in the middle of the city?” Cane switched his eyes to his brother. “We’ll need at least fifty men for back up and the embassy is right in the center of town. This idea is foolish and you’re only considering it because your dick is making all the decisions.”

Crow didn’t slap him across the table like I thought he might. He stared him down in silence, his expression doing the insulting. “Pearl is an exceptionally intelligent woman who can handle her own. Don’t doubt her.”

“So much can go wrong with this plan,” Cane argued. “Bones may not even come out for her. We’re relying on her opinion for something paramount. We might lose our only leverage and our enemy at the same time.”

“He will.” There was no doubt about it.

“He would expose himself to gunfire just to snatch you?” Cane asked incredulously. “I’m sure the guy was obsessed with you but no man would risk his life for pussy.”

“He won’t know there’s gunfire,” I argued. “Everyone stays out of sight until he’s in my grasp. I’ll stab him myself.” All I had to do was hide it in my pocket and shove it right into his heart. “And then you guys can take down his men.”

“Again,” Cane repeated. “We’re in the middle of the city. We pull off our criminal activities in the dead of night. Not smack during the day.”

“Then let’s do it at night,” Crow argued.

“The embassy isn’t open past five,” Cane said. “So why would she go there in the evening?”

“Maybe I don’t know they’re closed,” I argued.

“No.” Cane rolled his eyes. “Anyone would know they’re closed.”

“Then let’s do it in the afternoon,” Crow argued. “We’ve done crazier shit.”

Cane rubbed his temple and winced when he moved his arm too quickly. “I need to think about it.”

“I can do this without you.” Crow poured another glass of scotch and slid it toward me. “I’m just including you for Vanessa. If you don’t want anything to do with it, then fine. I don’t give a damn.”

Cane lowered his hand to the table, the irritation coming into this eyes. “Don’t start acting like a hero.”

“I’m not,” Crow said coldly. “I’m just the one actually trying to avenge Vanessa instead of making excuses.”

“Shut the fuck up.” Cane slammed his hand down on the table but didn’t wince. “I would have been done with this already if you just let me do whatever the hell I wanted with this cunt.”

Crow’s shoulders tensed in threat. He was about to pounce across the table and shove his glass down his brother’s throat. “Talk about her like that again and see what happens.” He held his brother’s gaze.

Cane didn’t blink when he met his brother’s look. A silent war raged between them. When he held his silence it was a declaration of surrender. He held his tongue and didn’t utter another insult.

“Good call.”

***

“Thank you for including me this afternoon.” I sat across from at the table on the terrace. We ate dinner in the garden, the pool behind us and the setting sun in distant view.

He ate his food slowly, just as he always did. Most of the men in my life inhaled their food the second it was placed before them. But Crow took his time, selective in his choices. “You’re a part of the team now.”