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“I don’t know,” the kid says.
The police officer looks around, his curiosity piqued. Raylan, Kendric, and I remain cool, our gazes wandering in the same restless manner as those around us. Soon enough, I see the envelope going into the mansion while the kid is asked to stay by the yellow line. They leave a junior officer there with him, just in case he thinks of bolting. But the kid wasn’t instructed to bolt. Oh, no, he’s got red herrings to feed these fuckers.
And so, it begins.
The cat and mouse chase we never wanted to get into.
It could not be avoided. We tried. But the Black Hand insisted.
5
Kendric
That girl is trouble with a capital T.
I didn’t imagine my body would betray me the way it consistently does when I’m around her, and I know I’m not the only one. Raylan, Sky, and I argue whenever we take turns to go upstairs to check on Ariana. Each of us dreads having to be in the same room with her.
She presents a dangerous magnetism underneath those delicious curves, a magnetism that she’s not even aware of. It’s actually a good thing that she’s not aware of how fucking hot she is. Otherwise, we’d be in deep shit. Helpless before her. It’s enough of a struggle already.
The rusty flames of her red hair haunt me. The way the sunlight plays across her pale oval face in the morning, bringing out the bright blue of her eyes, about does me in. Those Cupid’s-bow lips drive me mad. I’d lose control if I were to touch her. I know that. Every atom in my body knows that.
And that hourglass figure … fucking hell, she was made for loving. For all kinds of loving. My fingertips itch every time I’m near her. It’s become torturous just to bring her food and water. What startles me even more is that despite our impression of her, she isn’t indifferent to any of us. Raylan has sensed it. Sky, too. I catch her eyes on me whenever she thinks I’m not looking. I hear her hitched breath whenever I come close. I see those subtle goosebumps along the line of her neck.
But today, it all hits differently.
Today, we’re expecting an unpleasant visit. We have good lawyers on retainer, we know our rights, and we know the law. Everything we’ve done has led us to this point. There’s no room for mistakes.
The guys and I are downstairs in the clubhouse. Henry David got the message, and now, the whole Everton City Police Department has mobilized to find out who sent it. The kid told them what he was instructed to tell them, leaving the cops running around, chasing their tails, and raiding every known drug den in the city.
The mayor’s daughter has been kidnapped.
In the meantime, Ariana is upstairs in her room, hidden from sight. Spike pulled a bookcase against the wall to cover the door, just in case. He also slipped a light sedative into her soda earlier, so she’ll probably be sleeping like a baby until midnight, at least. We don’t want her agitated when the cops inevitably show up on our doorstep.
“It’s crowded enough,” Sky says, looking around.
It’s Monday, and we don’t usually get that many people, but our prospects did their duty and let slip on social media that we’re doing some freebies at the bar just to get a good week rolling. Locals and club members alike have gathered as the sun begins to set, eager to get the deals. We’ll take a small hit on profits tonight, but it’s worth it.
“I think we’ve got about fifty, sixty people,” Raylan replies.
We hang by the bar, beer in hand, casually glancing around. Once in a while, one of our brothers pops by to give us an update. Word is out on the streets that the mayor is retaliating over his daughter’s abduction. It’s good for us to know about the criminals’ and cops’ movements.
“How is she?” I ask Raylan. “You’re the one who saw her last.”
“She was good. She was getting drowsy, actually.”
“It kicked in, then,” Sky sighs deeply.
He didn’t like the idea of keeping her mellow like that, but it was a light sedative that would wear off after a few hours. We hacked into her medical records before resorting to this particular method. Whether she believes it or not, we want her to get safely back home untouched and unscathed.
“What about our lawyers?” I ask Sky.
“They’re ready,” he says. “Got them on speed dial. The minute these fuckers come through the door, they’ve got injunctions for everybody. With our history, the judge will have no choice but to grant them. I think David knows that, too.”
“His daughter was taken. He won’t be cool and calculated about it,” I reply.
“But the Black Hand will,” he says, and I’m inclined to agree.
The tension becomes unbearable once darkness falls over the city and the surrounding valley. From where I’m sitting, I can see the hills with their glimmering lights in the distance. This whole area was thriving until a few decades ago.
