Red Handed by Jessa Wilder

Nico barged through the doorway of his room, quickly followed by Rush and several other Gentlemen. I plopped down on the couch, cracked open a beer, and enjoyed the show. He’d been acting like an asshole since the meeting with Jimmy last night. Nico barked orders into his phone, a scowl on his face, and ran his hand through his normally perfectly styled hair.

Rush was ordering Anthony, his top enforcer, the moment the door closed. “I want our top crew, to be ready in a half hour flat to head to Mount Summer. Tell them to pack heavy, we’re going on a field trip and we can expect obstacles.”

Anthony stood ramrod straight in front of Rush and showed him the same respect that every other member of the Gentlemen does. “Yes, sir. Can you tell me what to expect when we get there?”

Rush’s voice was pure command. “We will brief them when we get there. For now, my order stands. Get the troops’ asses to the South Side.”

He was always a pompous ass after days like this. I couldn’t wait to fuck with him.

I kicked my feet up on the new wood coffee table. It looked like it could take a couple of bullet holes before needing to be replaced again after Nico shot the last one. My lips tipped up with the thought of the way Rae drove Nico crazy. No doubt he’d still go through a few tables a year. If she was still around, which she better fucking be.

An itchy feeling coated my skin. There was another reason she might fuck off, and there was nothing I could do about that now. Screw Nico and his plan. We should’ve fucking told her.

Nico glared at me, eyes taking in my relaxed position. “What the hell are you doing?”

My lips tipped up, enjoying the red that was taking over his face. I smirked, and a muscle clenched in Nico’s jaw. “Watching you two assholes order everyone around.”

Rush stepped directly between us, holding up both hands. “Fucking stop. We’ve got shit to do and don’t have time for one of your bullshit sibling fights.” He turned to Anthony. “What the hell are you still doing here? Roll out.”

Anthony snapped to attention and jogged out the door.

“Don’t let them obeying your orders go to your head, Rush. It’s annoying to put up with your ass,” I said, smiling at him.

Rush growled, low and deep in his throat. Showing anger I rarely saw from him. He generally put up with Nico and my shit pretty well. “Get to the basement, pack your bag and meet us at the Rover.”

I mock-bowed to him but didn’t move to get off the couch.

“Fucking now, Beck,” Nico hissed through his teeth, sounding like he wanted nothing more than to beat some sense into me.

I steepled my fingers in front of me. “I’m not one of the lackey Gentlemen. Tell me what the hell’s going on and I’ll gladly get my ass in gear.”

Nico stepped closer, expression dark enough that he might actually lunge for me.

“Enough,” Rush barked, the order sounding exactly like Nico, and we both looked at him. “We’re heading to Mount Summer to combine our troops and steal the guns from the warehouse before the Trilogy has time to move them. Which means right the fuck now. We still don’t know who the mole is so we don’t have fucking time to waste. They could be moving them as we speak.”

That got me up on my feet and moving to the door. I kept my voice light and a wicked grin on my face. “Why didn’t you say so?”

Nico’s restraint snapped, but I was already out the door faster than he could pull a gun on me. Laughing, I took the elevator to the basement. Time for a little fun.

I strapped my chest holster with two guns and two knives. I slung an AK over my shoulder and packed a fun times bag full of all my favorite tools just in case we needed it later.

After making sure I had everything, I headed up to the parking lot, where I wasn’t surprised to see Nico and Rush already waiting.

“Where’s Rae?” I looked around for her, as if she was hiding behind a car.

Nico glared at me and I huffed. “Late as fucking always.” He pulled out his phone, undoubtedly about to send her his one thousandth text message to hurry the fuck up. When the elevator dinged and the doors opened, revealing a fully decked out Rae.

“I’d say sorry I’m late, but we all know that would be bullshit.” Her lips were twisted up in a sinister smile as she watched the muscle in Nico’s jaw tick. Fuck, it was hot when she pissed him off like that.

None of us said a fucking word as she skipped to where we stood, stunned. She wasn’t wearing her typical oversized shirt. I bit my lip and my dick twitched. No, she was decked out in tactical gear. Tight black long sleeve shirt, which rationally I knew was to blend in at night, but all I could see was how it hugged every curve. Tight black pants with matching thigh holsters filled with four knives each. She had her own shoulder holster on and her favorite Baby Eagles in place. Her red mane was pulled up into a high ponytail, and I groaned at the thought of wrapping it around my fist.

Nico should have chewed me out for gawking, but a quick glance told me he was as captured as I was. Both his and Rush's hooded eyes were pinned on her. I patted Nico on the back. Poor guy was never going to get anywhere near her. The gap between him and Rae was too wide, and only getting wider with every day that he didn’t tell her the truth. I, on the other hand, was determined to make it work. That is, if she didn’t kill me first.

I pulled her into my arms and dropped my mouth, barely grazing her ear. I smiled as goosebumps ran up her neck. “You look good, Little Thief.”

She scoffed. “Yeah, that’s exactly what I was going for when I got ready for this job.”

I tipped her chin up, holding between my thumb and forefinger. “Well, I certainly appreciate it.”

She huffed, stepping back, but not before I saw the heat in her eyes. I whistled as I opened the back door to the Rover. Both Nico and Rush glaring at me.

“Get in the fucking car, Raegan,” Nico ordered. He wasn’t capable of saying anything nice to her. He kept a distance between them. We climbed into the SUV, and she gasped when I pulled her onto my lap. Nico’s head spun around from the front passenger side. “Seatbelt on, now.”

Rush and Nico both glared at me when I stretched out my seatbelt and wrapped it around both of us. I ignored whatever Nico was screaming about, instead taking a heaping breath of Rae’s vanilla honey scent. I was going to bottle that shit up and soak my sheets with it, that’s how good it smelled.

Rae smiled up at me and looked toward the front. “Jealous asshole is not a good look for you, Nico.” Rush choked out a laugh as he pulled out of the parking lot. If she knew what was going through Nico’s head lately, she’d back off. Instead, it was fucking funny as hell watching him rage out in silence.

Being close as brothers meant I could read Rush and Nico like a book. It took no time to figure out that Rush and Rae had fooled around the other night. He’d been walking around like a lovesick puppy, all cheerful and shit. Shortly followed by becoming a complete asshole when she had obviously brushed him off. I still wasn’t sure if it pissed me off or excited me.

On the one hand, she wasn’t mine, on the other she was the only girl I’d considered taking that role. Rush was different, though. His mom had seriously fucked up his opinion of women and he’d been completely closed off from girls since we were kids. Sex was nothing but a transaction to him, so seeing him all giddy and shit made some part of me happy. Even if it was buried under a pile of envy. Thoughts of Rae heading back home and hooking up with some Mount Summer piece of shit sent anger boiling in my stomach. I didn’t feel that with my brothers. Only the loss of missing out.

I tightened my arms around her, ran my nose up her neck, and groaned when she shivered in my lap. Maybe her sitting on me wasn’t a good idea. I was going to be hard as a rock by the time we got out.

Rush’s voice was firm, cutting off my thoughts. “Rae, as soon as we get there, I need you to round up your crew and bring them to me so I can give them their orders.”

She laughed in my arms, body vibrating against mine. “Oh Rush, you’re in for a treat today.” She didn’t elaborate, smiling to herself with a glint in her eyes. Something told me we were about to see an entirely new side of the thief in our group.

I kissed the top of her head. “Can’t wait.”

She rewarded me by curling deeper into my chest. It was a forty-minute drive in this kind of traffic, and I was going to enjoy every fucking second of it.

The first thing I noticed when we pulled up to the Mount Summer compound was their men already lined up waiting for us. A giant of a man stood in front.

Rae crawled off my lap, not wanting them to see her there. I clenched my hands not to pull her back. Fuck being some dirty little secret. Not that we were anything at all.

The second she stepped out of the door, all the Mount Summer men stood at attention. They watched her with the respect of a commander. I shifted on my feet, glancing over at her. What’s our little thief been hiding from us?

* * *

The big guy stepped up to her. I was pretty sure his name was Brian, but I didn’t really keep track of shit like that. He did the same thing Rush did, but for Mount Summer.

“Are all the weapons loaded on the truck?” Rae said, tone firm.

Brian glanced at us. “Yes, ma’am.”

She nodded, but her eyes weren’t soft like usual. “Everyone’s been briefed?”

“Yes.”

“Good. Meet us at the barracks. We need to gather the Gentlemen. They weren’t quite ready when we called them.” She smirked, and Brian laughed.

We stood in a large parking lot beside their compound, and I watched as Rae chewed into their men, snapping them into place. Not one of them mocked her. Nothing but pure trust in their eyes that can only be earned with respect. She’d done something to earn their loyalty, and that meant she wasn’t quite how we’d perceived her. Nico would call it a lie, but the truth is we’d made our own assumptions, and she hadn’t corrected them.

Nico took a step toward her, but she completely ignored him. She walked away with Brian, head down, discussing the plan in quiet voices. Heat went to my dick. She was fucking hot bossing her guys around like that.

A tinge of unease trickled through me, replacing the heat. I couldn’t imagine Sophie pulling in the same respect. Rae had been trained for this, and Sophie purposely left in the dark. Wasn’t that kind of what Nico had been bitching about for the last couple of weeks?

Before I could think too deeply on that, Nico’s voice started barking orders, and our men finally fell into place beside Rae’s perfectly lined up crew. I smirked. It must’ve fucking killed Nico that she’d gotten her crew ready faster than him.

The Gentlemen and Mount Summer crew were split down the middle by a two-foot gap, as if touching would somehow burn them into an early grave. Rush stepped forward to give them their orders, but Rae cut him off standing in front of both our men. She looked at both groups of men, setting herself up as the supreme leader. “I want everyone in the back of one truck. We’ll brief you on the way.”

Mount Summer was quick to move, but the Gentlemen remained. Glancing between Rae and Nico, unsure if they should listen. Rae glared at them, tone sharp as she snapped. “Now.”

They moved fast, grabbing their gear and loading into the truck. Rae spun on us, giving a wicked, knowing smile.

Nico stepped up close to Rae, clearly using his height to try to regain control over her. “You’ve been keeping secrets, Raegan.”

Rae laughed and stepped back to maintain eye contact. “I’m Jimmy’s daughter. What else did you expect?”

My own eyes grew wide. It was like a Discovery Channel documentary about lions fighting for dominance. I glanced over at Rush, muttering out of the corner of my mouth. “I know this isn’t the time, but I would pay to watch this shit play out. We could sell tickets.”

She looked between us, smiling at me, when she noticed my smirk. “Awe, but that wouldn’t be a fair fight.”

With those parting words, she headed for the truck and hauled herself in without any help.

Nico’s eyes bugged out of his head. “Fucking idiots,” he spat. “I told you she wasn’t just tits and ass. I knew Jimmy trained her, and no one fucking listened to me.”

Anger boiled in my stomach at that comment. Nico never meant half the shit he said, but still. I glanced at Rush, who glared at Nico. I wondered how pissed Nico would be if he knew just how much more she meant to Rush and me than a piece of ass.

“We heard you, man. It just didn’t matter,” Rush said, glaring daggers at him.

“Of course, it fucking matters.” Nico was literally turning purple. I kept telling him he was going to have a fucking heart attack. “Now you’ve both crossed the line and who the fuck knows what she learned.”

My smile broadened on my face as I followed her to the truck, calling back over my shoulder. “Sure. Only Rush and I crossed that line. Stab anyone lately, bro?”

I leaned against the metal wall of the truck next to a line of Gentlemen. No one was speaking much, all looking warily around at the men from the opposite side. Hopefully that would end as soon as Rae started the briefing.

Rush sighed loudly as he leapt up into the truck and came to stand beside me. “What do you think? Does that make the top twenty shit-fits he’s thrown this year?”

I glanced out at Nico, who was now shouting at someone on his cellphone. “Nah. Not enough shooting.” I shrugged. “I bet you by the end of the month the top five will all be Raegan-centric.”

Rush shook his head. “I’m not taking that bet. That’s definitely true.”

* * *

The drive to the warehouse district took a decent thirty minutes, giving us plenty of time to give out orders.

Rae stood in front of them, swaying on her feet as the truck moved and bumped with the road. “We’re headed to The Trilogy’s warehouse. They have a large shipment of guns that we’re going to take back. It’s going to be heavily guarded, so you have to take this job seriously. No fucking around. The plan is to flank the building and take it from every side, corralling anyone in there for an easy take out. It’s essential we move fast. Not a single Trilogy can have time to signal out.”

Her eyes scanned over the men, making sure everyone was paying attention. Her voice dropped low, and seriousness took over. “They’re preparing for war, and this might be our only shot to cut them off at the pass.” She looked sexy as hell giving them orders. Even the Gentlemen were riveted.

The men made sounds of approval. Ready to do what it would take to get the job done. A slice of doubt ran through me as I scanned the men, some of which were barely old enough to be here. If this job went south, we’d be fucked.

Rae cut off my morbid thoughts. “I need a crew on the roof of the adjoining building. The gap between them is a few feet wide. You’ll have to jump it.”

One of the Gentlemen scoffed at the command, looking at her like she was delusional.

I laughed, taking a step forward, ready to rip him a part, but Nico beat me to it. “She can jump it and she’s half your height. Get your shit together or get the fuck out.”

Brian stepped forward and said. “I’ve got the roof handled.” He smirked at Nico. “We’re not afraid of heights.”

Rush split our men into four teams of seven. Brian would take the roof. Patrick was around back. Anthony took control of the team headed to the east side. Rush and I took the west.

Which left the front for Nico and Rae. I was fucking pissed that we would be split up, but there was no way I was going to step in and undermine Nico and Rae. They already seemed out to one-up each other. No need to throw gasoline on the fire.

If I didn’t know better, I’d think this was some kind of twisted foreplay, but that could never happen. Too bad too. When he wasn’t fucking screaming, Nico was the most fun to share girls with. Fucker was insane.

The sound of rain tinged off the roof. It was going to be miserable out there, but it would give us an advantage on the Trilogy men who no doubt would be hiding to seek shelter instead of out in their designated spots.

The truck pulled up a half a block up the road from the warehouse. Out of sight from their men. The men snapped into action, moving to their places under the cover of night, but my eyes stayed on Rae. A shiver ran through her I doubted had anything to do with the cold air. Tonight was going to be dangerous. There was no way around it: men would die. Hopefully all of them Trilogy.

Rush beat me to her and cupped the sides of her face. Her lungs rose with deep breaths. His gaze pinned on hers, voice was barely above a whisper. “You don’t have to do this, Firecracker. We’ve got it.”

I couldn’t agree with him more, but my smile was wide, knowing he was in a load of shit now.

She turned, narrowing her eyes at him. His features diluted in the dark. “Don’t underestimate me.”

He kissed the top of her head. “Never dream of it.”

We were running out of time, and I wouldn’t wait a second longer. I walked up to them and lined up to her side, boxing her in. “It’s go time, Little Thief. Do you remember what to do?”

She gave me a side eyed glance, but answered, “Wait for Nico to kill the two guards before I follow. Head straight through the door.”

I nodded before slamming my mouth into hers in a swift kiss that sent heat to my toes, then I jumped out of the truck. It was a struggle not to look back, but I had to shut that part off in me if we were going to have a shot of winning this.

Rush hopped down beside me, eyes fixed on mine. Rivulets of rain soaking his hair. “Anything happens. Get her out first.”

I nodded. “Even if it kills me, brother.”

“Don’t fucking die. It’s a simple job. In and out.” His voice didn’t hold the surety it had with his men. We both knew how fast a job could go south.