“We can sweeten the pot, I think,” she said when the silence lingered. Jane gave her a curious look. “Got one of your men in a cell at HQ. Dunno if the others are still alive, but he’s fine. You can have him back as well. Deal?”
She’d left out how he’d never be of use to them with his busted leg, and who exactly was responsible for it. That probably wouldn’t help the situation.
The man drew a deep breath, his gaze flicking from Pain to her sister. “Or we could just kill you two and sweep the area until we find the others. Then cut them up as well, get our men, and torch the humans alive along with their lab. How about that?”
Jane took a small step back.
“You’ll never get past step one,” Pain said. “Cause the moment you move, I’m gonna scream real loud, and my partner up there is gonna close that trapdoor and bring the roof down on top of it. We’ll be dead, of course, but they’ll bury you alive here. We got a hundred men just a five minutes’ flight from here. Trust me, they’ll find a way to keep you from getting out.”
His scowl deepened. Above them, Chad was absolutely silent.
“Come on,” Jane said, ever the good cop. “We’ve offered you a clean truce. You got everything to gain here. All we care about right now is the Commando threat. Take it. We don’t have much time.”
He blinked, his glower slowly dissipating. With a step forward—Pain held herself from jumping in between him and Jane—he held out a hand.
“Deal.” The hand was clearly pointed at Jane, so she stepped closer and grabbed it, her small hand swallowed by his tattooed mitt.
“Deal,” she said, nodding. “Your name?”
“Levi.” He turned to Pain suddenly. “And we don’t like that nickname. We’re the Devil’s Sons.”
She cocked her head. “Doesn’t have a ring to it.” Jane’s elbow stuck in her ribs, and she pulled on a smile. “It’s cool, whatever.”
He gave her his trademark flat stare. Tension filled the room, like current ready to spark any second.
Pain cleared her throat. “Okay, we go first.”
Before she could move, he snorted. “And lock us down here? I don’t think so. My men go, and your sister. You and I stay.”
She pursed her lips but nodded. “All right. I’m gonna yell now for my partner up there to let your guys through. Just so I don’t startle anyone. And keep in mind, if any of you break your promise, he’ll go straight to the lab and personally butcher your men.”
He shook his head. “I keep my word. Consider it a… thank you.” His hand waved toward the cells.
After you threatened to kill us, right.
“Chad! Let ’em through. Go check the street.” She hoped he’d get the hint and get out of there, in case the Beast was lying; hoped he’d been listening to what was left unsaid.
Levi turned his head to order his men out. Jane’s fingers dug into her arm suddenly. Distract him, Jane mouthed, and hurried after the Beasts.
Pain’s eyes bulged, but she quickly regained her composure when the Beast turned back to her. The corner of his mouth twitched with an actual half-smile, and she nearly lost it again.
“Oh, don’t look so skeptical,” she said, realizing why he was smiling. “He may be just one man, but he did take out he who must not be named, so he could probably stand against one or two of yours.”
His eyes narrowed. Pain tried not to show her distraction, but behind his shoulder, Jane was about to climb the ladder right in the middle of the Devil’s Whatevers, and her stomach flipped at the sight. What the hell is she doing?
“So it’s true,” he said, pulling her attention back to him. “Just one guy took out Eugene?”
She gave a quick nod, hoping it didn’t look nervous. Jane yelped suddenly, and Pain’s gaze darted to her—looked like she’d slipped, and the men were helping her up. Jesus fuck, I’m gonna kill her.
“Well, my sister and I did cover him while he was chopping at the guy, but yeah. All by himself. Real talent, right there.” She kept her gaze locked firmly on his, while the Beasts behind him kept theirs on Jane’s ass as she climbed the ladder.
“Good riddance. The fool was disrupting our business.”
She didn’t hide her surprise. “Really? Why didn’t you get rid of the psycho then?”
His lips quirked up again. “He kept you people busy.”
Jane was out of the room, and so were most of the men. Pain went to check the guards’ pockets, keeping one eye on the Beast.
She grabbed their phones and keys, instantly spying more tags with numbers on those key rings; took their cash, too, and tossed it to Levi. “Here, buy your boys a Happy Meal or something. Let’s go.”
His upper lip curled as he looked at the humans. “What about these two?”
“What about them? They’re just some dumb guards.”
“Those dumb guards—” He broke off, suppressing a growl. “I’ll do it real quick.” He pulled a small knife out of somewhere, and she held out a hand.
“Whoa, hold your horses. You know I can’t allow that.” He just glowered at her, so she added, “Let’s leave it up to fate, shall we? We’ll leave them here, and if by the time we’re done over there they still haven’t left, they’re yours.”
He held out his hand with a subtle smirk. “Deal.”
She took the hand before she could decipher that strange spark in his eyes, feeling like she was making a deal with the devil.
They shook on it and headed to the ladder. “After you,” he growled with that same smirk.
“No, after you.” She waved at the ladder, incapable of
