Page 42 of Iron Princess
Elijah shrugs. “Figures. Even a Ransom’s luck can’t last forever.”
25
Kane
The son of a bitch is lucky I didn’t kill him. Temperance was right—he didn’tneedkilling, but he’s asking for it all the same with every other word out of his mouth. It takes everything I have not to pull the trigger in the next two hours while Temperance works.
It’s not until we’re carrying Temperance’s piece out to the Tahoe that he drops his last bomb.
“I know where I seen you before. The corner café near Tempe’s. I should’ve recognized you.”
“You’re going to forget you recognize me now if you want to live.”
He bristles. “I don’t like you.”
“And I don’t give a fuck whether you like me or not.”
“Stop arguing, you two! I swear, you’re worse than Eli’s junkyard dogs.”
“What? Can you blame us? We both want to mark you as our territory,” the piece of shit says.
“Watch it,” I snap.
“Enough. Thank you for letting me work here today, Eli. Call me if you hear anything about Rafe at all. Anything. Please. You know he’s all I’ve got left.”
The fucker gives her a hug and shoots me a smug grin. My fingers itch to shove my .45 in his face again.
As soon as we drive out of the scrap yard and I turn onto the road, I turn to Temperance and deliver a verdict I know she’s not going to want to hear.
“You’re not coming back here.”
“What?” She whips her head to the side to look at me, and the blue bandana she wore to keep her hair tied back on the airboat and while she worked slides down.
“I don’t like him.”
“Pretty sure the feeling is mutual.”
“I don’t give a shit about that.”
“Then what is it if not a dick-measuring contest?”
“I don’t trust him. He chops cars, which means he’s got connections and weaknesses. Someone could get to him and turn him. It’s too risky.”
Temperance turns to me like I’ve just told her the guy is a serial killer. “I’ve known Eli my whole life. He’s not going to sell me out.”
I slow for a stop sign. “If you believe that, you’re more naive than I thought.”
She crosses her arms. “And this is why you’re a loner.”
“It keeps me alive.”
“He wouldn’t do anything to hurt me.” She says it with quiet force and then quickly looks away. There’s something more going on here.
“What?”
“He cheated on me ... but it was because he wanted me to leave the bayou. Didn’t want me to stay and live this life, because I wanted out so bad.” Temperance pauses. “He let me go, even though he didn’t want to.”
“That doesn’t mean he won’t try to drag you back if he gets the chance.”
