Total pages in book: 90
Estimated words: 87618 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 438(@200wpm)___ 350(@250wpm)___ 292(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 87618 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 438(@200wpm)___ 350(@250wpm)___ 292(@300wpm)
It was all my fault. I shouldn’t have tried to do two things at once. That situation is exactly why most heists are split into multiple team members. If I weren’t trying so desperately hard to keep this watch thing a secret, I could’ve brought in some help to cover my ass while I was hacking Iron Head’s laptop. I needed all my concentration, and that nearly got Riley killed.
I’d take a thousand more bullets for her. I knew it the second she came running out of that side door. I saw the fear on her face, and instinct took over.
I’ve never been protective or possessive, but it was like I became a different person.
I had to save her or die trying.
We got lucky. The two guards that saw her are both dead, so they won’t be talking. The security system was under my control, so none of the cameras were recording. There’s a vanishingly small chance that Mantis will be able to identify either of us.
But Iron Head knows someone broke into his office now.
If the heist had gone down the way I had planned, nobody would’ve ever realized we were in there. I’m good at covering my tracks.
Hard to hide all that blood.
I’m distracted as I head over to the Brotherhood restaurant, enough that I nearly don’t notice the van following me again.
But they make a little mistake. Instead of staying a few cars back, they drift right up behind me at a light when I’m about to turn right. When they have a chance to go around, they don’t take it. Instead, they wait for me to move, and then they follow.
Blatant as hell.
I don’t know why I do it.
Normally, I’d ignore the tail like I have been recently. Except there’s something about it now.
An implicit threat.
And the threat isn’t only aimed at me—it’ll extend to my wife too, even if they don’t know she’s involved in all this for sure.
I lead the van away from Brotherhood territory. I take the long way toward a neighborhood the McGraths control. It’s a heavily Irish area with lots of people out in the middle of the morning.
I make a quick turn down an alley, roll forward, and quickly kill the engine.
The van follows and only realizes that it’s a narrow dead end when it’s too late.
I get out of my car. My gun is held loosely in my hand. I stare at the tinted front window and wait for them to make a move. Maybe they reverse and drive off, or maybe they get out and we talk. I don’t know what I want to happen, but I feel a sudden surge of anger.
“You want to know what I’m up to?” I call out, taking a step forward. I keep my gun down and aimed at the ground. “Then come and find out.”
Still nothing. Just the van rumbling.
Then abruptly the engine cuts off and a man gets out of the front driver’s side.
He’s older. Balding head, tan skin. I’d guess Taiwanese, probably a direct Mantis member. He’s in jeans and a faded denim shirt with a gun tucked right into his belt, but he doesn’t reach for it. Instead, he chews something and spits on the ground.
“Good job catching me here,” he says, looking very unhappy.
“Why are you following me?”
“Boss’s orders, that’s all.”
“What do you want?”
He shrugs and gestures with his chin. “You tell me. You’re the one that cornered me.”
I take a breath. Anger swells in my chest. I keep seeing those guards trying to catch Riley. Trying to hurt her.
I know this man had nothing to do with what happened back at the office, but I can’t help myself.
They’re all fucking Mantis.
I take a step closer. “Stop tailing me. Tell your boss he can either trust me or he can find the fucking item himself.”
The guy shrugs and spits again. “Won’t make much of a difference. I’ll still have to follow you.”
“Then we’ll have this conversation again, and I won’t be as nice next time.”
Another shrug. Another spit. “Fuck you.”
I raise my gun and shoot him in the knee.
He gasps. The gun’s bark is like a crack in the sky. But I doubt anyone around here will so much as blink. As he falls, he starts reaching for his weapon. I dart forward and grab his wrist before he can draw. I twist, making him groan in agony, as he falls to the ground.
His leg’s bleeding. “You fucker,” he moans.
I quickly release his gun’s magazine, remove the bullet from the chamber, and toss them all into a dumpster. He tries crawling back to his van, but I walk over and stand on his shattered knee.
He turns white with agony.
“Tell Iron Head to stop following me.” I lean down toward him. “Remind him that he hired me for a job. That doesn’t mean he gets to fucking tail me whenever he wants.”