Page 47 of Watched

“Don’t lose your shit and get us arrested,” I say to Blade, who’s in the driver’s seat of the car I had Kieran purchase in cash yesterday.

“You’re acting like this is my first time killing someone. I’m not a novice.”

Atticus Cade being the son of the District Attorney is certainly a challenge for us, a bonus for him to sell his drugs and never worry about being caught. Atticus was the star quarterback at Westwood Senior High School. I dug around and found out he went to college. He fell flat on his face. Literally. First game.

It would’ve been a shock to his fragile ego to learn playing in high school is nothing compared to college. He despised me the day he learnt I started dating Alexa and was royally pissed she trusted me with her virginity. Atticus made a bet with the entire football team that he’d take it from her. I’d sought her since our first day in high school, and I wasn’t going to let that rodent fuck her and fuck her off.

My breaths strain against the white mask covering my face. Blade, however, emits a deadly nonchalance as he rounds the next corner toward the garage Atticus uses as a front to hide his money.

“Cameras?” Blade asks.

“On loop,” I confirm. I even have a little fly buzzing around in one frame, disappear for a few minutes, then fly a different path every few minutes after that. It will never fly the same path twice, and the video won’t look fabricated. No one can prove otherwise.

Now, I’m not stroking my ego, but I am a fucking genius.

Blade rounds the back into the dimly lit alleyway and kills the lights and engine, crawling to a stop a few shops down.

I think in At’s puny brain, he’s convinced himself he’ll become the next Pablo Escobar. His father’s money paid for the garage, and I think Ron Cade allows Atticus to do what he wants so he’ll fuck off and leave him alone.

I slide my gun out as we exit the car, and then I punch in the number sequence Atticus put in an hour ago. I rip it open, the door emitting a faint, barely audible shriek. Blade’s head jerks impressed I didn’t take my sweet ass time and alert the entire damn city.

He enters the dark back storage room, and I follow, ripping the door almost off the frame to dampen the sound, then silently close it.

He moves with ease through the room, making no sound whatsoever. He’s tall and built with muscle, even I’m making a little noise as I step. Although I can’t see his eyes, I know he’s glaring as he points to my shoes. I roll my eyes and wave him forward, making sure to literally tip toe. My heart drums as he surveys the workshop through the glass panel on the door.

I know the ramifications if we’re caught. If this shit goes sideways, we have less than two minutes to get to the car and disappear.

Light spills in through the glass, allowing me to see Blade’s finger pointed, indicating At’s in sight. Sweat coats my back as I watch his finger intently. It retreats to his fist, and I follow through the door.

Blade’s AK-47 raises, my own shaking a little from the adrenaline. We could have put a bullet through At’s skull by now and been laughing as we drive away, but there are other matters we need to discuss with precious little Atticus Cade.

As we move across the workshop past a car with its engine out and a motorcycle in pieces, Blade comes to an abrupt stop. My shoe scuffs when I’m forced to keep from colliding with his back. His hand palms my ribs, shoving me behind him.

Okay, he’s two years older and trained for this, but if this motherfucker continues throwing me around like a goddamn child, I might just give him another scar.

He pushes me back behind the wall, handing me his gun.

What the fuck is he doing?

He pins himself to the wall beside me, his chest rising and falling steadily. I lower my gaze to his hand, noting his pointed finger.

A whistled tune flows down the small hall from where the offices and toilets are, and Blade stretches his hand before fisting it. Atticus steps out, and Blade’s fist drives into his face. At’s unconscious body flops to the floor, money falling around him.

“Hmm,” I hum, a little impressed watching blood pour from At’s obvious broken nose, but with us around, a broken nose will be at the bottom of his horrors to come.

Chapter twenty

ROME

Ismile hearing two giggling voices creep into my room. A body jumps on me, rolling to my right, the next coming to the left.

“Morning,” Indie chirps to my right.

I pry an eye open. “Morning.”

“We have an idea,” Kilah says, propping herself up on her elbows.

“Mmm.” I’m convinced this world has joined all forces to never allow me sleep.