If he couldn’t make the decision then I’d make it for him.
I looked out at the group. “All those in favor of this plan, raise your hand.”
Hands went up instantly. Owain turned and glared at the group, but it was too late. He was the only person that didn’t vote yes right away.
“Fuckers,” he growled. “We’re not doing this. I’m in charge of this crew, and I’m telling you all—”
I put a hand on his arm. “Owain. We’re doing it.”
He turned and looked at me, and I could see the pain in his eyes. I was betraying him in a way by taking away some of his power in front of his men. His jaw worked and his muscled bulged, but eventually he hung his head and raised a hand.
The room was deadly silent and thick with unspoken tension.
“All right,” he said and looked up again. “You all want this? Then we’ll do it. But if the girl dies, I can promise that each and every one of you will die with her.”
Viktor lit up a cigarette. “No problem, boss.”
He looked at me with hurt and shook his head then walked out of the room. He disappeared into the back and slammed the door shut behind him.
Martin let out a sigh. “He’ll calm down.”
“He will,” I agreed. “But now we’d better iron out these details, because I really don’t want to die.”
Danny laughed from his spot by the windows and tilted his head. “You’re not so bad, you know.”
“Thanks, I guess.”
“That’s a high compliment, coming from him.” Rolan crouched down and sighed. “Let’s get started before Owain changes his mind and comes in here swinging.”
I laughed, sat on the floor next to him, and for the next two hours we talked over the plan as a group.
I could’ve backed out at any point, and I almost thought they expected it. But instead, I stayed put, and once we had a decent plan in place—I felt readier than I ever imagined I would.
Ready to take the fight to Clifton. Ready to kill him if I had to.
I thought about squeezing the trigger in the firing range, and I knew I could do it in the real world if it came to that.
Squeeze the trigger and end this stupid war.
23
Owain
I tried not to rage.
I really tried. It was hard for me, a man that was used to being listened to, a man used to getting what he wanted through sheer force of will.
It wasn’t that she stepped up with a plan and got the boys to vote on it without my consent. That sort of thing happened sometimes, and I’d be a shit crew leader if I let that sort of thing affect me one way or the other. The guys made their own decisions from time to time and I learned to abide by them when they voted.
No, it was that she didn’t seem to care about her own safety the same way I did.
We didn’t speak for the rest of the day. I was too angry and I knew I’d say something stupid and make things worse. I kept to myself and let them do all the planning, and when it was finished, I had Rolan fill me in while Viktor drove Leigh back to my place.
“What do you think?” I asked.
He shrugged and stretched his back. “It could work.”
“You know Clifton. He’s not stupid.”
“But he’s desperate, and she’s sort of playing on them. She’s right that they’ll think she’s the weak link.”
“Because she is.”
Rolan smirked and shook his head. “I’m not so sure about that, boss.”
I paced around the shop and peered out the front window. “Tell me it can work and I’ll keep my mouth shut. But I’m not going to stand by and let her get blown to pieces all for some bullshit, half-cocked plan.”
“It can work. I promise you that.”
I hung my head for a moment then let out a breath. “Okay then. We’ll do it.”
“Good. I was afraid you’d have to fight her for control of the crew and I’m not totally sure you’d win that one.”
I laughed, unable to help myself. Rolan grinned at me and leaned up against the counter.
“I’m heading back to the house. Stay here and watch the shop.”
“Roger that, boss.”
I left and took the long way to my car. I passed people on the sidewalk, men in business suits, older women walking little white dogs, packs of young kids on bikes, dudes sitting on stoops drinking from containers covered in paper bags, the whole city teeming with life. Even among all these people, among all the women I’d met and fucked and taken for my own, I never once imagined I’d find someone like Leigh, someone that made me feel like this—like I couldn’t live without her, like losing her would be worse than losing my own life.
It was fucked. It threatened to break me.
But I knew she was right. She wanted to move forward with this plan because it had a chance at working, and if it did then she’d save a lot of lives in the process.
I had to trust her, even if it pissed me off.
My car was warm when I got inside and headed back home. The sun sat low in the sky and the head radiated up from the asphalt. I found a spot out front and headed in through the door, the cool AC air rolling along my skin. Leigh stood in the kitchen sipping from a mug and staring off into space—and jumped when I approached.
“Hey, I didn’t expect you back so soon.”
“I’ve been thinking.” I stood in the doorway to the kitchen and stared at her. “We should talk.”
“Ominous.” She smiled a little.
“What you did today was stupid. You know that, right?”
“You’re just mad because you don’t want
