Red Handed by Jessa Wilder

It had been a few days since the laptop heist. It occurred to me when I woke up that I had technically fulfilled my dad’s agreement to Nico. We got the laptop back, and in theory I was free to go. Still, I had said I would go to the race and some traitorous part of me didn’t want to disappoint Beck. I didn’t want to examine that feeling too closely.

I figured, I could always talk to Nico about leaving as soon as the motocross race ended. In an ideal world I wouldn’t have to talk to him about it at all, but I wasn’t sure where things stood on Sophie’s security since my dad had been virtually radio silent, and I didn’t want to be the reason my sister was thrown to the proverbial wolves.

“Hmmm, smells delicious.” I smiled shyly at Beck as I walked into Nico’s room.

Beck’s hazel eyes scanned me from head to toe, taking in my oversized sleep shirt, plaid shorts and lopsided, messy ponytail. By the way his eyes heated, you’d have thought I rolled up naked.

“Morning. Pancakes are almost ready.” He grinned widely. Fuck, it was too early for dimples. Ever since our kiss on his bike, I’d been obsessing on what could’ve been if Sadie hadn’t shown up.

“Perfect.” He’d lured me up here again with promises of food. I was choosing not to read too much into it—everyone had to eat, right?

I stretched my arms up over my head, letting out a soft groan.

“What’s wrong?” Rush looked up at me as I sat down at the table beside him and reached for the half empty pitcher of iced coffee.

“I’m still stiff from the other day.”

His eyes tracked over me, eyebrows raised in concern. “Why?”

“You try sitting in the same position in a three-foot space for two hours and see if your legs aren’t stiff.”

“It was forty minutes, and at least you didn’t have someone sitting on you,” Nico said from over on the couch. “Don’t be a brat.”

“Whatever.” I glanced over at him. He was dressed casually. Well, casually for Nico. He’d ditched his suit for a pair of dark jeans and a linen tee. He didn’t meet my eyes, and I turned back to Rush. “What’s that?”

“Nothing important.” Rush shut the lid of his laptop and turned all his attention on me, his dual-colored eyes flashing. Holy shit.

“Say that again a little louder. I’ll start to think you aren’t taking your job seriously,” Nico grumbled.

“Fuck off, Man.” Rush grabbed an orange out of the fruit bowl on the table and threw it at him. Nico caught it easily.

“Are you excited for this afternoon?” Beck asked me from over by the stove.

“Of course!” I grinned. “I can’t wait. I’ve never seen motocross before.”

“This isn’t the Championship title or anything.” Beck waved his spatula around while he talked, flinging bits of batter at the wall. “It’s just an exhibition for sponsors and press.”

“Raegan is not going to your damn race,” Nico said, not looking at me.

I put my hands on my hips. “Um, yeah, I fucking am.”

“No, you fucking aren’t,” he mimicked my tone. “We can’t secure an entire damn stadium.” Nico stood from the couch and stalked toward me, giving the impression of a wolf about to devour a rabbit for dinner.

I stuck my bottom lip out, refusing to flinch. “I’ve already been there and everything was fine.”

“You’ve what?” Nico looked like his head was about to explode. “Beck, what the fuck?”

“Calm down, man. Have a pancake,” Beck said, grinning. “Rae, if you’re that excited, maybe we should do another private tour.” He winked at me for effect, and I flushed.

Nico’s frown deepened. “What part of ‘stay inside’ do you all not understand?”

“We get it.” Rush looked completely unbothered by this entire exchange. “Anyway, you took Rae out and she almost got killed, so back off.”

I wondered vaguely how long Rush and Nico had been friends. Probably forever, if Rush’s dad used to be the right hand of Nico’s dad. It showed in the way Rush barely even acknowledged Nico’s tantrums.

Nico ground his teeth. “That was different. We were working. I’m assuming you’re bringing the other one too, right?”

I cocked an eyebrow. “If by ‘the other one’ you mean Sophie, then yes. She is also coming to the race.”

Nico closed his eyes and tilted his head up at the ceiling, as though begging for patience. It wasn’t working. He was the least patient person I’d ever met.

“Actually…” I grinned. “I got your laptop, so aren’t I free of you now?”

Nico literally growled. Like, the sound he made was hard to describe using human terminology and was more akin to a wolf or a bear. “Like hell, Raegan.”

“Woah there, Grumpy. You 're about to Hulk out. Reel it in.”

He frowned deeply, blinking several times like he had something in his eye. “The laptop didn’t turn out to have the information we wanted, so we still need you.”

“Whoa, that was not the deal. Anyway, how do you know you couldn’t have gotten the info? You shot it before you checked.”

A vein throbbed in his neck as he worked his jaw back and forth, clearly struggling not to scream.

“Ignore him.” Beck placed a plate stacked with pancakes in front of me, earning him a smile. “Today is going to be awesome.”

Nico opened his mouth again but was interrupted by the door swinging open.

Sophie waltzed in, looking perfect as always. Her skirt twirled around her as she practically skipped up to the table. “Smells good in here.” She gave me a pat on the head I took as a silent ‘Good Morning,’ then turned her attention to Nico. “I see you’re cheerful as always.”

Nico just grunted and sat down across from Rush, pulling out his phone.

“Morning, Sophie. You want some?” Beck gestured toward the freshly cooked pancakes.

She held up a mug and smiled softly. “Just coffee, as always.”

He pointed his spatula at her. “I had to ask. Who knows, one day you might decide to eat like a normal person.”

She smirked but didn’t respond.

Nico, who didn’t seem to be listening, banged away at his phone with both thumbs. “Alright. I’m going too.”

Rush raised an eyebrow. “Really? You’re leaving the office? But your spreadsheets, you’ll fall behind!”

I snorted. “Is that all running a criminal organization is? Spreadsheets.”

“Basically,” Rush said.

“No,” Nico snapped.

I laughed. “I think you’re losing control of your underlings there, Nico,” I said, half kidding. “No one’s listening to you. How does that feel?”

Nico’s eyes flashed, and he stared at me for a beat too long until I squirmed under his intense gaze. Was it fucked up that immediately my mind had jumped to all the ways he could force me to obey him? Probably. Judging by the way his lip had curled, though, I wasn’t the only one thinking along those lines.

Sophie coughed lightly, and I realized the whole room had gone silent.

“Alright,” Sophie said in a high-pitched voice. “Rae and I need to get dressed. I guess we’ll see all of you downstairs.”

I shoved the last bite of pancakes into my mouth and Sophie pushed me out of the room, feeling the intense burn of three sets of eyes on my back as I went.

* * *

I tapped the butt of my gun impatiently against the bathroom vanity, staring blankly into the huge mirror. I’d been ready for what felt like hours, but still, Sophie and I were in my room going over outfits.

It was going to be hot as hell outside. I’d resorted to strapping my Baby Eagle to my thigh so I could forego the jacket I’d normally have to wear. It definitely gave my shorts and vintage band tee more of a Tomb Raider vibe than I’d been going for, but I thought I still looked pretty good. Sophie, on the other hand, was just getting started.

“How about this one?” Sophie held up a baby blue sun dress.

I groaned. “Soph, it looks exactly like the last one. Which means they all look great on you.”

She grinned. “I know, but I don’t want to look great. I want to look irresistible.”

I rolled my eyes. Of course, she did. “And why is that?”

She laughed. “Because I have needs that aren’t being met living in this place with a bunch of men obsessed with you.”

I scrunched up my nose and made a face at her. “The only person obsessed with me is you.”

“Keep telling yourself that.”

“I will, thank you,” I said flatly. “And even if I was going to admit that maybe I’m getting a tiny bit of attention, it’s not everyone. Go fuck Nico. You guys are on the same floor, and he hates me.”

Even as I said it, flames roared in my stomach, which was idiotic. I needed to pull my shit together. Sophie could do whatever she wanted. It wasn’t my business. I was going to keep telling myself that until it sounded true.

Sophie raised an eyebrow at me. “I don’t know what breakfast you were at, but I don’t think I’m going to be heading next door for a sleepover any time soon. I beg you to remember that my walls are very thin though, so if you guys decide to have hate sex, please take it elsewhere.”

I laughed. That was never going to happen. She definitely didn’t need to worry about her sleep quality. Although, it raised an interesting question. If Sophie could hear everything, did that mean she knew what Nico did all day? Was he just working? Maybe he brought girls back to his room…I bit my lip. Nope, I didn’t have the courage to ask.

I jumped as someone knocked on the door. “Ten minute warning!” Rush’s voice called.

“Okay!” I called back.

“Oh my God,” Sophie yelped. “I’m not even close to ready. So, which dress?”

I rolled my eyes again. “Um, blue.”

“They’re all blue!” she wailed.

I lay my head back against the wall. We were never going to leave on time.

* * *

Sophie and I finally made our way down to the parking garage thirty-five minutes later. Rush leaned against another of his black, armored Range Rovers, gaze tracking us.

“Where’s Beck?” I asked.

“He had to go, or he was going to be late,” Rush explained. “His manager called bitching he wasn’t there already.”

“So, I don’t get it,” Sophie said. “Is this—” she waved her hand between Rush and the cars, “—his job? Or is it motocross?”

“Both.” Nico appeared at my shoulder, and I jumped. “You think everyone working for your daddy doesn’t also have day jobs that benefit the organization?”

“Not as professional athletes,” Sophie grumbled.

I could totally see her point. I didn’t really get it either, but I was currently chalking it up to one of the many things the guys either couldn’t or wouldn’t explain to me.

Rush stared at the guns strapped to my legs with appreciation. “Firecracker, you can’t walk into the stadium like that.” The way he said his nickname for me sent heat to my core. It sounded awfully familiar for someone who hated me.

“As though you’re not bringing in guns,” I scoffed.

Nico, for one, was on my side. “That’s true. I’d rather have her look armed, anyway.”

“Do I need one,” Sophie squeaked, looking concerned.

“No,” all three of us said together. Sophie was more likely to take her own foot off than hit an actual target.

“Ready?” Rush asked.

Before anyone could reply, the door to the elevator opened behind us as I whipped around. My eyebrows rose. “Patrick, what are you doing here?”

Connor strode toward us, followed by one of my dad’s other favorite security guys, Patrick.

“Hey Rae,” Pat said, glancing at the guns strapped to my legs. “Glad to see the penthouse lifestyle hasn’t changed you at all.”

Nico made a noise in his throat behind me, somewhere between a growl and a scoff. I ignored him.

Patrick was in his mid-thirties but looked a bit like Connor in the sense that they were both hulking Irish mobsters with close cropped hair and tattoos. Despite the heat, he wore a thick leather jacket, which I assumed was covering several guns too large to store anywhere else.

“What are you doing here?” I repeated, glancing at Connor this time. I was still pissed at him for what he had said to me the other night. He hadn’t come to apologize or anything, so as far as I was concerned, we weren’t speaking.

“Boss said Sophia was going out,” Pat grunted.

“Jesus, Pat, do not call me that,” Sophie said. “I may not be able to shoot you, but I will gouge an eye out with my nails. They’re acrylic.”

I laughed, but it was cut off by Rush stepping in front of me, his eyes fixed on Connor. “How did Jimmy know they were going out?”

Connor shrugged. “Just doing my job, Man. You get that, right?”

“Sure,” Rush said, acidly. “You’re not needed though, we’ve got it.”

Connor and Patrick looked at each other. Finally, Pat spoke. “Can’t do that. We’ve got orders.”

“It’s fine,” Nico said smoothly in that honey voice I was realizing he only used when he was pissed and trying not to yell. “I don’t give a fuck if they come. They can stand in front of a bullet if they want. That just takes care of two problems for me.”

Rush glanced back at Nico, but didn’t argue. “Fine. They’re not coming in my car though. They can follow us. Let’s go.”

Rush opened the back seat of the Range Rover and I climbed in the back, ignoring the magnetic tension constantly pulling me toward him. It was a case of wanting something you couldn’t have. It had to be.

“Rae,” Connor said sharply. “What are you doing?”

“Um, getting in the car?” I said, blankly. “I thought we were done here, let’s go.”

“Yeah,” he said in a tone that implied he was speaking to a four-year-old. “Let’s go, Rae. You’re not riding with them.”

Oh my God. I rolled my eyes so hard I was surprised they didn’t get stuck that way and clicked my seatbelt in place. “Can we not do this, please? I’m really not in the mood, I just want to go to the damn race.”

I half wanted to avoid Connor and half wanted to be in the car with the serious bullet-proofing. What it said about me that I would rather hang out with the Gentlemen than my own crew right now, I didn’t know. I wasn’t going to think about it too hard.

Connor started to reply, but Sophie helpfully jumped in the car after me and slammed the door.

“Girl,” she said warily, glancing out the window at where all four men were still standing, having what looked like a heated discussion. “I know everyone is supposed to be here to guard me, but I think you’re becoming the grand prize.”

I shook my head. “This is such a mess.”

“Um, yeah.” She laughed. “It’s better than reality TV. I do think you should cut poor Connor loose, though. He’s going to get himself killed.”

“I’m not holding on to Connor,” I grumbled. “The only way he’ll get himself killed is if he doesn’t learn to shoot better.”

“Oh, that’s not what I meant,” she said seriously. “I meant if he keeps running his mouth, I’d give it less than a week before one of those guys buries his body behind the hotel. My money’s on Beck. He seems like he’s secretly violent.”

I smiled, but it didn’t quite reach my eyes. There was something about that statement that didn’t sound totally crazy to me.