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She limped over to a stool and sat down. “Youtold me that Declan had a job for us to do today.”
Kat winced as she adjusted her position on the stool. “And I’m not about to let a little pain keep me from learning the ropes.”
I raised an eyebrow at her. “A little pain? You can barely walk.”
She shot me a glare that could’ve melted steel. “I’ve had worse, Rory. Now, are you gonna tell me about this job or do I have to drag it out of you? And where are my crutches?”
Connor cleared his throat, reminding us of his presence. “I’ll just... go start on breakfast then, shall I?” He shuffled off towards the pantry, but not before giving me another pointed look.
I sighed, running a hand through my hair as I walked over to the table to get her crutches. “Look, Kat, I appreciate your enthusiasm, but Declan would have my head if I let you work in this condition.” I stood beside her and held them out to her.
She leaned forward, and she snatched them from me with her eyes blazing. “I don’t need your protection, Hennessy. I’ve been taking care of myself long before I met you.”
I couldn’t help but chuckle. “Oh, I don’t doubt that one bit. But this isn’t about protection. It’s about not being stupid. If I remember correctly, youkilled five men yesterday with your… your body. Do you think that you could do it again today if the need arose?”
Kat opened her mouth to argue, but I cut her off. “Tell you what. You rest up for a few days, and if you’re feeling better after that, I’ll take you out on a job. In the meantime, do you know how to shoot a gun?”
She narrowed her eyes, clearly not happy with the compromise. But after a moment, she shook her head. “No, I don’t.”
“Fine, I’ll see what I can do today about setting up a practice area.”
“Don’t make me wait too long. I’ll start to get antsy. And I get nasty when I get antsy.”
I held up my hands in surrender. “Wouldn’t dream of it, darlin’.” I winked at her; she rolled her eyes at me. And that left me wondering if she was being real or putting on an act in front of Connor.
As I turned to leave, I caught sight of Connor watching us with a knowing smirk. I shot him a warning look, but he just shrugged and went back to whisking eggs.
This was going to be a long ass day.
Kat
I felt like such a bitch as I sat there drinking my coffee. I could feel Connor eyeing me as he dumped the eggs on the grill, and I knew he wanted to say something. Poor guy likely thought I was going to bite his head off too. “Say it Connor. What’s on your mind?”
He sighed. “I don’t know what happened between you and Rory, nor do I want to, but he’s not one of the bad guy’s Kat. You can trust him.”
I snorted, rolling my eyes, clearly, he didn’t know what had transpired between the two of us and the sheets last night. At least I was happy to learn that Rory wasn’t the type to kiss and tell. “Trust him? I barely know the guy.”
Connor flipped the eggs with practiced ease, his eyes never leaving the grill. “Fair enough. But he’s still one of the good ones. As good as they come in this world, anyway.”
I sipped my coffee, contemplating his words. Part of me wanted to believe him, to let my guard down just a little where Rory was concerned. But the larger part, the part that had kept my heart from breaking, screamed caution.
“Look,” I said, setting down my mug with a bit more force than necessary. “I appreciate what you’re all trying to do here. Really. But I didn’t askfor any of this, I don’t want to be Captain, I only did it to get under Rory’s skin. And the only reason that I came was because of Tomas. And now I’m thrown into this… this crime family business that I’m not sure I want anything to do with.”
“Did you decide all that before you killed those men or after?” Connor asked, his voice low but firm as he set a plate in front of me. “Yeah, I heard about that. That’s all Rory could talk about yesterday. Impressive, by the way. But also, incredibly stupid.”
A little thrill went up my spine over that tidbit, but it was wrong, so wrong for Rory to talk about it.
“You’re in deep now Kat. Deeper than you realize. And whether you like it or not, you need us. Might as well make the best of it.”
I stabbed at the eggs with my fork, my appetite suddenly gone. “And what if I don’t want to make the best of it? What if I just want to go home?”
Connor leaned against the counter; his eyes were serious. “Do you really think you can go back to your old life after everything that’s happened?”
I wanted to argue, to tell him he was wrong. That owning a bar in the middle of the desert was not a hopping nightclub. It brought in the most unsavory people that walked the earth. But the truth was, he had a point. With a heavy sigh, I shook my head.
Before he could say anything further, the kitchen door swung open, and Rory strode in, a cocky grin upon his lips, pushing a computer chair in front of him.
“Alright, darlin’,” he announced. He bowed low and with a flourish, waved his hand over the chair. “Your chariot awaits and so does your shooting range. Ready to learn how to handle a weapon?”
