Page 55 of Reckless Desires

“So we have a deal?” I ask, my voice low and steady, a thin veneer of calm over the storm brewing inside me.

He steps closer, his hand gripping my shoulder with a possessive force. “You hurt my ego, Killian, and before I can agree to this, I do have to get even.”

At that moment, a sharp pain slices through my side.

“Killian!” Mickey shouts, stepping forward, but he stops short as the men surrounding us tighten their grip, guns shifting like a pack of wolves preparing to attack.

“I’m okay,” I bite out, forcing the words past gritted teeth.

Nico pulls the knife from my side, a cruel smile spreading across his lips. “Now we have a deal.”

Chapter Thirty-Eight

Lily

Itry not to let my body fall into cramping menstrual pain as I keep myself busy moving around. If I remain still for too long, my muscles feel frozen.

“Laundry is almost done,” Jodi says. “It smells like bleach. Liliana, did you pour the whole container in there?”

Blushing, I say, “No… I just put in a little of everything.”

Both Jodi and Izzy look at me as though I have ten heads.

“You used bleach on black clothing?” Izzy questions, tilting her head to the side.

“What do you mean you used a little of everything?” Jodi is more concerned with that part.

Housework was never my strong suit, and I can’t remember a time I did my own laundry. The looks on their faces make me concerned the washing machine might explode.

“I put in some of that stuff in the green container, and there was another one beside it. I may have mistaken the bleach for something else?”

Jodi just smiles. “Okay. It’s just clothing, easily replaceable.” She looks to Izzy. “Let’s make some lunch?”

“I’ll take charge of that one!” Izzy volunteers. “Maybe you and Liliana can start working on dinner.”

“Maybe you should just rest, Liliana,” Jodi suggests.

“I can help,” I reply. “I’m not great in the kitchen either, but I’m sure there’s something I can do.”

Both of them at once say, “Don’t worry about it!”

I’ve heard that expression before. “Don’t worry about it!” “I got it!” “You sit back and relax.” They weren’t said to me as an act of kindness; now I realize they were a way to get me out of people’s way. And I am grateful for that once I see Jodi chop off a chicken’s head with an ax.

The door bursts open, and Mickey’s voice travels through the house. “Get a first aid kit!”

Jodi, Izzy, and I come running into the room, where Mickey drops a bloody Killian onto the sofa, causing Izzy to scream.

“What happened?!” Jodi shouts.

“Apparently it was all part of the plan,” Mickey says, shaking his head. “Someone get me a cold beer.”

Killian is pale and in distress.

“He needs a doctor!” Izzy fusses.

“No,” Killian replies. “I’m fine.”

“Really?!” she shrieks. “You could be bleeding out.”