Page 60 of Riding Dirty

“We know that, Elodie. We fucking know that, and we’re the ones who gave him the intel to do this.”

I nod my head, blinking my eyes, trying to keep from crying, but it doesn’t work. The tears fill my eyes, and then they start to slide down my cheeks. Alex claps his hands together, taking my attention away from the television.

My head whips to the side, and my eyes find his. He’s now facing me, standing in front of the television, and his gaze focuses on mine. I didn’t even realize he’d moved. I was so completely lost in my own thoughts.

“We are going to finish this job, and then I am driving straight down to that fucking club to find out what the actual hell is going on here.”

“Alex,” I warn.

“Nu-uh. Nope,” he says before he closes the distance between us.

I’m pretty sure we’re being watched in this house. The television thing and how they know if we turn it off are telltale signs. It’s never bothered me before. I assume every house has nanny cams installed for its own security, but this is the first time I’ve thought it could be a problem.

As much as I want to wait, cameras and whatever else that could be here aside, this conversation needs to be had, and Alex is going to have it right now. He dips his chin so he’s so close to me that nobody could pick up what we’re saying, even if they tried, not over the sheer volume of the television blasting.

“We are going down there to demand some fucking answers. I knew it, you knew it. Something was up with this shit, and I don’t know about you, but arson seems really fucking illegal. So I think we should discuss this, since they promised none of this would blow back on us. This looks like fucking blowback.”

His words come out in a whisper, but they are a heated whisper, and he lifts his hand, pointing to the television to make a point. He’s not wrong. I don’t know if he’s right, but he’s not wrong. This makes me feel very nervous.

“Okay.”

“Okay?” he asks, no doubt preparing for a much bigger argument with me.

But how the hell do you argue about what’s going on? I don’t see how I could. It’s clear to me that this is happening. I gave Coast the entire layout of that building, I fed him all of the information he wanted on it, and now it’s burning to the ground a week later.

So yeah, there’s an issue here.

CHAPTER

FORTY-SIX

WRATH

The building burns. I can’t walk away. I have to watch as the flames paint the night sky red. I know it makes me fucked up, I make no fucking bones about that. What I also know is that the whole sight is mesmerizing. I want to watch it fall and turn into rubble. I’m sure that makes me some kind of monster. Maybe some shrink would have a field day with that, but I don’t give a shit.

I like it.

“It’s pretty,” Hippie mutters next to me.

“Everyone got out okay?” I ask.

He hums, clearing his throat. “They did, but we got an issue.”

“Yeah?” I ask.

“The owner.”

My eyes widen as I whip my head to the side. Hippie doesn’t look happy. Two-Pump and Blast appear at my side, seemingly out of nowhere, even less happy. I’m sure they had to sneak away from the group in the midst of the chaos.

My gaze flicks between each of them, and I let out a heavy sigh, because I don’t think I want to know. I have no doubt that whatever they’re bringing me, it’s going to be bad, because how could it be anything but that with the way they’re looking at me?

“What about him?”

“Whelp,” Hippie begins. “He’s not the owner.”

My heart slams against my chest at his words. My eyes widen, and I turn my entire body to face him. I ignore the way the burning building smells, which I fucking love. This shit is already pissing me off and ruining my life.

“What the fuck do you mean he’s not the owner?” I demand.