Page 75 of Never Say Never

"Found this," he said. "When were you going to tell me someone was after you?"

Gingerly, I took the note that Paul had plucked from the wreckage, only handling it by the tweezers that he'd used to collect it. The paper was damaged, burnt and curling. A few pieces fluttered off of it landing on the ground as I read the chilling words.

We told you to stop. The Triads won't stand for this harrassment. You get no more warnings. All of you are dead.

I shuddered. They said no more warnings, but I had a feeling that this was a warning too. If they wanted, they could have let us get into the car and detonated it after. This? It was a game of cat and mouse. They knew I wouldn't back off, and I knew they really would kill us. My hand shook so much the paper flapped and fluttered.

"Give me that," Paul said shortly. "Jesus Christ. No more warnings? How many have they sent?"

"My job doesn't come without risks," I said, staring at the wreckage of the car that I'd loved more than words could describe. "I have always tempted fate with what I do."

"Fuck me, York! You can't go around getting threats and ignoring them, dumbass! Do you know how incredibly fucking stupid this is? You could have been killed. The girls could have been killed! Are you getting that?"

I grabbed the front of his shirt and yanked him toward me. Paul's eyes didn't widen the way I expected. Instead, he stared at me, his gaze dark and intense.

"Back off," I said, evenly. "I've done everything I can to protect my daughters. I don't need you on my ass about it."

"Someone needs to be," he said, breaking my hold on him as smoothly as if he hadn't just been in my grasp. "How long has this been going on?"

I glanced at the wreck. "A few weeks."

Paul cursed under his breath in what sounded like Italian. I noted it once more, that the man that worked under me seemed to speak the language so fluidly. It was like second nature to him. That was more than a few classes in school, that was familiarity.

"You should have told me. Or one of the team. A higher up. Someone," he expressed.

"Easier said than done. I get threats almost every week from some asshole I've tossed in prison. Newsflash, what we do isn't exactly safe."

"Then why the fuck are you doing it when you have Navy and Nyra to worry about!" he snapped as he turned on his heels and stalked back over to me after he'd wandered away.

"I’m sorry, what would you like me to do? Crochet? Knit? Sit in a fucking corner and rock back and forth? The world is dangerous and my job is my life," I said, evenly. "There are no guarantees anywhere. I could be a school teacher or an artist or a store clerk and there's still a chance that someone will end up killing me. Or them. At least with this job, I make a difference. I make the world a little safer for them."

Paul swore again. "You're a stubborn motherfucker, you know that?" he asked as he pointed at me. "This isn't the time for some vigilante style superhero bullshit. Take the girls, rent a car, go into hiding. We all knew this war was going to be a shit show, but someone is targeting you specifically. I don't know how they found out who you guys are, but it's too late to wonder about that shit now. You all need to get somewhere safe."

I shook my head. "No."

Paul grabbed me this time, yanking me forward by my suit jacket. My eyes widened. I'd never seen this particular look on his face before. Fire raged in those blue eyes as he searched my expression, looking for god knows what, but I wasn't backing down.

"Are you stupid? Do you want to die? These people are not the type you want to fuck around with. They will kill you, your kids, burn your house to the ground, and piss on the ashes. Do you understand that?"

I grabbed his hands and unhooked them with some effort. "I know that more than anyone. You forget who has done hours of research on these animals. But I can't run and hide."

"Why?" he snapped.

"They already know who I am," I said. "At this point, I'm stuck. None of this is going to stop until I stop it. Do you get that?"

"No, I don't get why you think it has to be you that puts himself in danger," he growled. "You're being a moron."

"Oh well."

"Fuck!" Paul screamed, drawing eyes in our direction. "You're the most stubborn motherfucker I have ever met in my life!"

I raised a brow. "Probably."

Paul closed the space between us. "I don't want you to get hurt. Please. Don't keep pursuing this." He touched my arm, squeezing it when I tried to look around to make sure no one was watching us. "York, I can't take losing you or the girls. Don't do this."

My heart squeezed, every thump feeling heavier and louder than it really was. "This is my job. I can't just stop."

"Not even for me?"