Page 30 of Redemption

“Something we can help you with, boys?” I ask with a deceptively friendly smile.

“Who the fuck are you?”

Chapter Ten

Cash

“Friends,” Luc grins, with a shrug.

The men share a look and then take a step forward. To the untrained eye, the move is friendly, just getting closer to introduce themselves. However, that’s not why they’ve done it, they’re willing to go through us in order to get what they want.

They can try. I really hope they fucking try actually.

“It’s nice to meet you,” the guy who is clearly in charge says with what I’m assuming he thinks is a charming smile. “We’re friends of theirs as well. If you can show us the way to the house. We have something to discuss with the owners of this land.”

How he thought that was going to work, I have no fucking idea. He said they were friends, and then he called them the owners of the land.

I don’t know why, but something tells me that letting them past the gates would be a really bad idea. I move forward, and Luc does the same. As we step through the gates, they close behind us. They must be on a timer or something from this side.

“As I understand it, the owners of this land have told you repeatedly that they are not interested in whatever it is that you are trying to do.” Luc says simply. His smile widens as he adds, “So off you fuck, and don’t come back.”

They all bristle, their faces clouding with anger.

“You can’t talk to us like that,” the leader says angrily.

I pause before I reply and study the group as a brief look between two of the men standing near the back confirms something to me.

“Ah, see, I got it wrong,” I start, as I lean back against the gates themselves.

“Got what wrong?” The guy who I originally thought was the leader snaps.

“You aren’t in charge, are you?” I ask, and shock clouds his face. My gaze drifts to the other guy, who is now watching me with interest and not boredom. “You are.”

“You are mistaken. I am the one who makes the decisions,” the first guy says, but his voice is unsure and holds none of the confidence it did a moment ago.

I shake my head. “Nope. You may wish you were, but something tells me that you rarely get a say.”

His expression darkens even more as a couple of the other guys smirk and prove that I am very definitely right.

“I am in charge!” He roars.

“I don’t give a flying fuck who is in charge,” Luc starts calmly. A direct contrast to the idiot who has so easily lost his temper. He adds with a smile, “There is nothing for you here, and no one wants you here, so fuck off.”

‘Not leader's’ expression tightens with anger, but he manages to keep his calm a little bit better this time as he replies. “You cannot talk to us like that. Do you have any idea who we are?”

I chuckle, low and dangerously, nothing about it joyful. My gaze meets the true leader’s. “I don’t care. He can speak to you any way he wants to, and so can I.” Holding eye contact, I let all of the violence that I usually keep hidden thread through my voice, “Get in your cars and don’t come back. We’re happy to make sure you leave in pieces, many tiny bloody pieces. I have a feeling that my choice of what happens next is not the same choice that you would make, unfortunately.”

There is absolutely no mistaking the deadly threat in my words.

Several of them clearly decide that today is not the day that they want to be sent home in pieces, and in my peripheral vision I see them climb back into the cars, and the cars take off.

I refuse to break eye contact with this fucker though, he’s trying to intimidate me, and he’s simply not that scary.

My smile widens as his eyes shift to my forehead.

“Leave,” Luc says, his voice leaving absolutely no room for argument.

There are only four of them left. The fact that they brought so many people with them makes me think that they weren’t here to simply discuss anything, and I wonder if Mr. R knows about this.