Page 145 of Himbo Hitman
“Shut up.”
“We trusted you to help us!”
Tommy ruffles my hair with his gunless hand. “You asked us to find Colin. Well, I think we found him. You’re welcome.”
“Not to kill him!”
“That wasn’t specified.”
Holy shit, what have I done? What have Idone?
All I need is to reach up and turn my comms on, without Tommy realizing it, so the others can hear what’s happening. If he’s in partnership with Arlie and Ever, it could end up putting Perry and Lars at risk, but I have to trust they can help themselves. That we can all get through this.
As slowly as I can, I inch my hand toward my ear. So slowly. So subtly. My arm is straining with how controlled I’m keeping it, but I don’t want to risk giving myself away. I’m hardly fucking breathing.
My thumb brushes the top of my ear, and I creep lower, find the button?—
“Reilly?”
My brother’s bespectacled face is flooded by the flashlight, and I’m hit with too many emotions at once. Love, relief, frustration, happiness, and—when the gun leaves my head—terror.
I leap to my feet and turn on Tommy, throwing my arms out to the side. “Don’t shoot.”
Tommy stares me down, then, whistling that same chilling tune, he spins his gun over one finger and tucks it away. “Told you I know how to get what I want.” Tommy winks.
He fucking winks.
“That … was anact?”
“Sure was. You played your part perfectly, by the way.”
I want to rage. I want to pick up my gun from the cement floor and point it at him, then demand to know how he likes it. I want to hit him, or set Perry on him, or tell the people around us to cart his ass away.
But then Colin talks again, and threats to my life aside, there’s only one person I currently care about.
“What are you doing here?”
I turn back to Tommy with one last disgusted glare, then take long strides until I’m close enough to haul Colin into my arms. “I was so fucking worried! Where have you been? What have you done?”
He’s stiff with his hug, and when he pulls back, worry lines his face. “You shouldn’t be here.”
“Neither should you!”
“No. Youreallyshouldn’t be here.”
It takes everything not to snap at him. “I’ve had a stressful fucking night, after a stressful few weeks, so why don’t you answer my goddamn questions before you start telling me where I should and shouldn’t be.”
Behind his glasses, Colin’s eyes sweep the circle around us. “You weren’t supposed to get involved in this.”
“Yeah, well, I’m now very fucking involved, and all because you didn’t bother with a phone call to let me know you were going into hiding for a bit.”
Colin gets that scrunched-face,I will not crylook about him. “I was embarrassed.”
“Well, that’s a great reason to have me thinking my brother is dead. I’m so glad I saved you the embarrassment.Phew. And here I was thinking the answer would be stupid.”
“I didn’t have a choice.”
“Of course you did!” Oh, look at that. The relief didn’t last long before I spun right into anger. “It’sourbusiness. If you’re going to borrow money forourbusiness, you talk to me about it first.”
