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The gang wars have gotten out of control lately. The Holy Ghosts. The Block MC. And they all call me to clean up. It’s part of the way the gangs in Sanctum work. They keep their little wars as quiet as possible.
Ridiculous. But it pays my bills, buys my safety here.
“Work stuff. Do you mind if I…?”
“No. Go ahead.” She waves toward my room like she has every right to give me permission to shower in my own home.
For the first time in a long time, I’m completely out of my depth here.
How am I supposed to deal with Damon’s daughter? I haven’t seen him in years. No one has.
The thought gathers into a concept as I make my way into my room and drag my sweat-soaked shirt over my head. She’s clearly here for a reason. I just need to fix whatever little problem she has and send her on her way.
Yeah. That’s it.
“Why don’t you start from the top? Fill me in on… well, everything.”
“That could take all night,” she says loudly so I can still hear.
“Good point. Let’s go with bad news first.”
“Heh, it’s… all bad news.” A little chuckle that sounds so much like Damon greets me as I lean in my doorway. Her eyes dart away from my bare chest. Hope she’s not uncomfortable. On the other hand, I’m not about to change my whole routine because someone’s here.
It’s not discomfort that I see there.
She’s calculating. Taking notes in her head, assessing. I know that look and what’s behind it—a wit and intelligence that never misses a damn thing. She’s smart like her dad. He really was one of the smartest people I’ve ever met, except when it came to women. From the little I know, Hellena’s mom was a real piece of work.
“Basically, there are some bad people whom I owe money to. They threatened Rachelle, and I need to get the money together way too soon.”
“And you thought I would want to get involved?”
“No! I mean, that’s not… Okay. I really should start further back.”
And she does, pretty concisely, without as much fluff and self-centered bullshit as I would have expected from a twenty-something-year-old woman.
Her mother, her stepfather, and I know she glosses over some of the stuff that went on.
How she came to Sanctum, if not exactly why, although I get the feeling it’s something pretty horrible.
Finding out her father is dead, or missing so long that he might as well be.
Her schooling, extracurricular activities, and how they led up to her getting talked into making a bad call and getting caught. Frankly, a lot of it’s kind of silly. Like a stereotype from a B movie, and she admits as much when she tells it.
But it’s real, and none of it sounds like she’s trying to play me. It’s her life, so it matters to her. And she is in real danger.
My tactical brain says no way.
Trouble. Unnecessary risk.
Her behavior tells me that she’ll do it again, in some capacity, even just by mistake. She’s absolutely in over her head. I should send her packing for my own good.
Something holds me back.
Maybe it’s the worry in her eyes, the way she’s keeping it together where most people would lose their shit. Maybe it’s just because she’s Damon's kid and I feel responsible. That I owe him.
Or maybe it’s the old goddamn heroics, that spark I thought was long dead in me.
A beautiful woman in trouble. Gavin to the rescue.
