Page 6 of Sinister Red


Font Size:

“Dad?” I blurt a few seconds too late.

They both turn to face me, seemingly having forgotten I was even here, and Berk nods. “This is my daughter, Sofie. She’s currently attending school and apprenticing under me in order to take over my business one day.”

I blink. “You brought your daughter to a crime scene, on club property? A goddamn murder on Wulven Kings’ territory?”

Berk goes completely white as he nods.

“And I thought my family was fucked up.” I shake my head. “Guess it makes sense, though. If she’s going to take over the family business— “

“I am.”

My eyes dart to Sofie as she straightens her spine, holds extremely intense eye contact with me, and nods once firmly.

Fuck, I like all of that too.

“Then you’ll need to see how we roll, sweetheart. This isn’t some run of the milldying in their sleepor abar fight gone wrong. This shit is intense, it’s under the radar, and there are fucking rules. You can’t hack it tonight, you better tuck tail and wait in the van while you figure out some other career path.”

Sofie’s eyes narrow on my face, but she arches a brow. “I’ll be fine… “

“Snipe.”

“I’ll be fine, Snipe.” She frowns for a beat as if my name is sour on her tongue. “And by the end of the night, not only will I prove to my father, your club, andyouthat I’m perfectly capable of doing what it takes to fill this position, but I’ll also know your real name.”

“Is that so?” I chuckle as I fold my arms against my chest.

“Yep.”

“You really think you got what it takes for all that?”

Sofie nods and hits me with a beautiful smile. “I know I do. As a matter of fact, I’m so good, I’ll have your president putting me on speed dial, and when I walk out of here I’ll be doing it with your firstandlast name in my pocket.”

“By all means.” I open my arms wide and motion for her to lead the way into the shop. “If you can manage all of that in one night, I’ll even give you my middle name.”

Sofie giggles as she pushes the gurney past us, Berk standing there flustered as hell, but when I quit staring at her ass long enough to really look at her father, he scowls.

“I do everything Tavish and Angus ask of me, I always have, and I never question them or ask for anything outside of a paycheck.” Berk’s eyes grow shrewd behind his specs. “But I’m telling you right now, Snipe, you mess around with my daughter and that will change in a heartbeat. Sofie is my only child, my pride and joy, and I may not be much compared to you, but a papa bear I am, and I won’t think twice to tear you apart for screwing around with my cub.”

My brows raise in surprise as Berk continues.

“You leave my daughter alone, you hear me? Leave Sofie alone and we won’t have any problems.”

“Careful with your words, Doc.”

He stiffens for a beat, but the fierce look doesn’t leave his face. “I meant no threat, Snipe. I’m just asking you to stay the hell away from my daughter.”

Berk spins on his heel and jogs to catch up with Sofie, and I’m left watching them walk into the shop with a smile on my face.

If he felt the need to say any of that, it means Berk knows I think hiscubis actually a fox, that she has to be at least a little interested in me in some way that’s obvious to him, and Sofie was possibly flirting with me at a crime scene. And fuck all, if that doesn’t just make me want to stay away from her even less than I already did.

Death really is a funny thing, and it sure as hell is full of surprises.

CHAPTERTWO

SOFIE

“I’m just saying.”Harlow pops her gum as she reaches for a palette of neutral shade eyeshadows. “You should have tried harder.”

I roll my eyes. “It’s not like we had a ton of time for conversation. It was a crime scene after all.”