Page 21 of Altered By Lead (Undercover Sinners 2)
"She left a list on a pew. That's not confiding in or confessing to any one of us in particular. This bet was stupid from the get-go, and it's even stupider now. We can't play with that girl anymore."
"Did you have some out-of-body experience when you went into that coma?" Arsen snaps, rising up from his chair in an instant and flicking his still burning cigarette into the brush without a care. Like, that shit is dry; we could all burn if he starts a fire. But ... he'd probably get off on that, huh? His name is Arsen for a reason. "Like did you wake up with a halo and wings, hands folded in prayer?"
Arsen gets in my face and my nostrils flare. I'm still recovering. I can't fight him right now: I'd lose. Much as that pains my healthy ego to admit that.
"Back the fuck off," I growl out, bristling as a smile twists that crazy bastard's face into a mosaic of cruelty. A hard object stabs into the side of my skull, and it only takes me a fraction of a second to realize that Arsen's got a gun to my head.
"Did nearly dying turn you into a saint, Colt?" he taunts as Hawke, Mace, and Weston stiffen. They can try to disarm him, but ... it's going to be a close call.
I'm not ready to die, I'll be the first to admit it. Used to be my motto to die young and leave a beautiful corpse. The thing is, Portia's been gone for a while now, and even if her death hurt like a bitch, life just goes on. It goes on, and it never stops. I'm not ready for it to go on without me, not when I know that I'll be forgotten and wiped away in a hot second.
"Don't make me regret bringing you back here," Hawke growls low in his throat. I don't know what, exactly, happened with Arsen after the shoot-out, but if I survive this moment I'm going to ask. Hawke owes me that much, at least.
I’m also pretty sure that as soon as I’m out of danger, Hawke is going to wring this bastard’s neck. Arsen’s behavior is out of control, and there’s nothing our fearless leader hates more than losing control of his team.
“Arsen, I’m warning you …” Mace growls out, backing Hawke up, but I know that he won’t risk my life just to make a point. No, he and Hawke will wait for Arsen to cool down, and then they’ll run him into the ground as punishment.
At least, I hope so. Because Arsen without a leash is a terrifying thought.
"Shut up," Arsen snaps, his hand shaking. The way he looks at me with those ice-blue eyes betrays all of the emotions he doesn't want to admit he's feeling. "Tell me: if I pull this trigger, and you survive a second time, what will you do?"
"For one, I won't waste my time making stupid ass bets on the back of a girl who's supposed to be our teammate." I reach up and Arsen lets me push the barrel away from my skull. Mace moves forward, but Arsen just swings the gun around to point it at him next.
"No, don't touch me. I'm warning you right now." After a moment, he slips the weapon back in its holster and backs away toward the front steps, past Mace and Weston.
They let him go, their eyes wary, like hunters watching a wounded bear.
"Make a new bet if you want," I say, feeling my heart pick up speed. "I'm not all about that."
"First person to get her to confess her love gets double the money," Hawke says, and my mouth drops open. His face has gone hard and cold, his hands squeezed into fists by his sides. If this man doesn't start learning coping techniques for his anger, he's going to end up in an early grave.
"Are you serious?" I start, but Hawke just steps forward and grabs me by the front of my belt. I guess since I'm not wearing a shirt, that's the only place he can grab for good leverage. Our faces are inches apart, but to be quite honest, I'm having an even harder time reading him than I am Arsen.
"Last bet was to get her to spill info. Well, this time, I want her to spill her heart. All of it. Do your worst, boys." Hawke releases me, and I stumble. Luckily, Weston's there to catch me. On his way out, Hawke pauses next to Arsen and puts his mouth very near the other man’s ear. I think the only reason he holds back is because he isn’t sure what he’ll do to Arsen if he gets started on him now. Probably kill him. As if to confirm my thoughts, Hawke continues. “You pull that shit again, and I will put you in the ground. Now get your ass inside and start scrubbing toilets, you maniacal fuck.”
