Page 60 of Altered By Fire (Undercover Sinners 1)
"Good morning." She holds up the list. "Groceries I need, if there's any possibility of us going out to get them?"
"That could be arranged," Mace grunts as Natalia sticks the page in the pocket of some jeans he bought for her. They're a little tight, emphasizing the round curve of her ass, and the generous swell of her hips.
"I'm planning on attending mass this morning, if that's okay?" She glances over at Hawke, and he nods sharply. "I'll sit in the back, so I won't be a bother."
"Taking a sudden interest in theology?" Colt teases, turning on his full charm. Goddamn it. He gets attached to people too easily. It's one of his strengths and his weaknesses. "Because I'd be happy to join you and uh, bring about some enlightenment."
"Oh no, Father," Natalia says, pouring herself a glass of orange juice and batting her eyelashes at him. "I wouldn't want to trouble you." With a wink, she takes her juice over to the door and lets herself into the church.
"Weston," Hawke snaps, and I rise to my feet. "You're in charge of the service this morning. Colt, go make sure Natalia stays in the church—and that we don't get any unexpected guests."
He storms off, heading out the back door to do God only knows what.
"Let's go," I tell my best friend, leading him into the church and catching Natalia's gaze from the back row. There's something about her expression that tells me that maybe, just maybe she heard some of what Hawke said? I might be a tad lazy, and a little too laidback, but I'm not stupid.
"Don't fuck this up," I tell Colt, but he just rolls his eyes and shrugs me off, pulling away to go sit with Natalia in the back row.
Me, I get to stand at the front of the room and preach about things I don't believe in.
Fuck this.
As Colt starts to make his way to the back of the room, slow and casual and smiling, Natalia stands up … and bolts outside the church.Chapter 17NATALIAI'm not sure why I run, but I do leave the list of my father's highest-ranking men on the pew before I go.
I guess hearing that I'm a useless princess, a throwaway, it's struck too close to home—especially after last night. There's no way in hell I can outrun Colt or West or any of the guys, so instead, I zone in on an older woman climbing out of a van.
Because, please, I'm the daughter of a mob boss.
As soon as the woman steps foot onto the cement of the church parking lot, I'm slamming into her and snatching her keys at the same time. Even though I know it's fucked, I push her aside and climb into the van, locking the doors just as Colt manages to catch up to me.
"Tzarina, what the fuck are you doing?" he asks, but I'm already starting the vehicle and pulling out of the parking lot, driving over the curb to get past the rush of cars making their way in and out of the narrow opening.
Sort of like Mace made his way in and out of your narrow opening, huh? I shake my head at how stupid I was last night. As soon as I saw Mace execute Dmitri, I should've left. And not because that man didn't deserve to die, but because I realized I'd walked out of one tumultuous, violent subculture and right into another.
And then all those things Hawke said about me in the kitchen?
Just because they were true didn't make them hurt less; it made them sting a thousand times worse.
I am useless, aren't I? I don't have any skills except snorting coke, partying, and fucking. I was never trained to be anything but a glittering pet.
As I drive, I swipe my hand down my face and wonder if I'm truly thinking straight right now … or if I'm throwing a fit. Am I pissed that Hawke thought he could get me to 'fall in love' with him and his merry band of assholes? Fuck yes, I am.
But what he couldn't have known is that I don't think I'm even capable of loving anyone. I'm as damaged as the rest of those men back there, just as messed up. Well, maybe not as messed up as Arsen, but that's kind of a given. If they'd just given me a chance, they could've asked for that information. I won't actively hurt my own father with my bare hands, but I'm also on their side: I do want to see him brought down.
They could've just fucking asked me, and yet, they have some stupid, elaborate plot going, one that ends with me being driven to the middle of nowhere and dumped. And if that's not code for putting a bullet in my head, I don't know what is. There's no way they'd let me live knowing all the things that I do.
