I get impatient. “What is he then?”
“Evil,” she replies with a cold edge to her voice. “He’s evil, just like you. You’re using Harper to get to Nick.”
“Another good guess from the Smurf. But sorry, not the case, kid. I’m not even remotely interested in Nick at the moment. I’m not saying it will stay that way forever, but that’s not my objective. And while I am using Harper for lots of things—sex for one. Comfort. Passion. Friendship. Conversation. Take your pick, because I am using her for all those things right now—I’m not using her to get to Nick because I don’t need to. And I’d just like to make it clear that I won’t be doing anything that could hurt her. So if you’re suddenly feeling loyal to the Lionfish, you can rest your weary mind. I’m on her side.”
“I don’t believe you,” she says immediately.
“I can respect that,” I tell her back. “I can. I’m no one to you. You think I’m scum. You think Merc is scum. And maybe we are. But there’s another level of low beneath me, Sasha. There’s people out there who eat the scum like me alive. Bottom-feeders. And you’re on the verge of scum yourself, so I’d like you to put down the gun, sit on that step right there, and listen to my offer. We can decide what to do about the impasse once you hear it. But you can’t act out of ignorance. Your father taught you that much, I’m sure.”
Her mouth tightens at the corners when I mention her father. It’s pretty clear she does not put him in the company of scum. But whatever. He was an illegal arms dealer working for a shadow global governance. In my mind, he was every bit as scummed up as the rest of us. She steps down, then lowers herself into a seated position as she lowers the gun.
“Good girl.”
“Don’t, Tet. I grew up being patronized.”
I throw her a nod. “Fair enough. You do not know who I work for. It’s not Merc. He’s not involved in any of this, OK? He’s off doing recon on a project you will probably be interested in. Paybacks, Sasha, always come due in our world. And someone got your dad killed, but it wasn’t Merc. We know who did it though.”
“You do not.”
“Shut up and listen,” I scold her like the child she is. “Because I’m not f**king around right now.” I stare her down until she looks away and then I continue. “He knows who did it. And maybe the reason he’s gonna get his revenge has nothing to do with you, but does it matter why he sets things right? Does it matter why he gets his payback? Do you care if the person who ruined your life is dead for your reasons or his?”
She takes a deep breath as she thinks it through. “He’s gonna kill the person who set them up?”
“What do you think happens to people who get caught in Merc’s net, Smurfette?” She visibly shivers. And that pretty much says it all. I’d be shitting my pants if Merc was coming to kill me, that’s for sure. He might not be a trained Company man, but that f**ker has no scruples. He never blinks. “So here’s the deal, OK? You’re gonna keep quiet about what you just heard and I’m gonna ask Merc for proof that the job was done.” She starts to object, but I raise my hand and stop her words before they start. “And I promise you, everything I’m doing is good for us.”
“Who’s us?” she snorts.
“The three of us, kid. You, me, and Harper. We’re sorta stuck together. So I’m making you a professional promise right now. All right? Whatever I do from here on out, it will be in our group interest.”
“What if it’s in the best interest of the group that I die?”
Jesus, she has trust issues. I stand and walk towards the stairs. She never moves. I take each step slowly until I reach the top, and then I sit down and put my arm around her shoulder. She flinches, but that’s expected. “Sasha, if you trust me right now, I promise I will get you the proof you need from Merc and I will take care of you until you decide I’m an ass**le and you can’t stand to look at me for another second and walk away.”
Her shoulders slump a little and I can almost feel the sadness inside her. “I think you’re lying.”
“So tell me no deal.”
“I can’t. You know I can’t.” She turns her face up to me and she’s got tears streaming down her cheeks. “I think I need you, James.”
“I think I need you too, Sasha. So give trust a chance.”
She wipes her tears and hands me her gun. I handle the pistol, checking the weight, then the chamber—fully loaded. “You been carrying this the whole time?” I ask, trying to lighten up the mood.
“Yeah, that’s my gun. My dad gave it to me last year for my birthday.” She sniffs again. “He even put in a new barrel and got me a suppressor for it.”
“You ever shoot anything with it?”
She nods. “One of the guys who tried to kill me on the ranch. I picked three of them off with a rifle, but this last guy thought he got away.” She turns her head up at me and smiles through her tears. “I hid in his truck cab. Then shot him through the window.”
“Sounds pretty dicey.” I try to imagine that scene and make myself stop.
“It was.” She sniffs again but it’s not the wet mid-cry sniff like it was a few minutes ago. It’s an I’m-over-it sniff.
“So you’re pretty serious about this job stuff, Sasha? Because I really need your word that you will not talk.” I hold out her gun and she stares at it for a few seconds before taking it back. “I could use a backup, kid. I don’t like to get people involved in my jobs unless I have to, but I can’t have you doubting me. Or”—I put a finger under her chin and make her look me in the eyes—“making Harper doubt me. It’s gonna be hard enough to get this shit done without complications. I need you on my side, Sasha. And if you’re on my side, I’m on your side. Got it?”