Page 112 of Shattered Pieces

“So we can’t make it worse for her,” he said flatly, unlocking the car so we could climb in.

“Have you made a plan for the witness yet?”

“Yes, actually. No, I won’t tell you what it is,” he huffed, and I groaned.

“Why not?”

“The only people that need to know are those involved. If it goes wrong, it will be messy, so the less people that know, the better. Let’s get back to Mount Mercer so I can make sure Mark and Skeet didn’t kill each other,” he sighed, handing me his phone. “Do me a favor and top up the girls’ commissaries. Transfer me some fucking money for that oxygen tank too.”

At least I could help Rory that way, but I wished I could find answers about her mom for when she got out. Good news would have been a damn blessing at this point.

CHAPTER NINETEEN

HUNTER

Islipped through the unlocked backdoor of the mansion late the following Thursday night, almost snorting at how stupid rich people could be. They might not have had to worry about crew wars like we did, but leaving your house unlocked was just dumb. People like me could break in and steal whatever we wanted.

Mandy’s parents had both been nepo babies growing up, partying too hard until Mandy was conceived when they were teenagers. I wasn’t sure if they decided to get married themselves or were forced into it by their parents, but after being married for two years, they found God. He worked hard to prove himself before getting ordained and dedicated his life to God.

Him and his wife were so damn busy saving the children around the world with bible camps and bullshit sermons that they neglected their own kid.

No wonder they weren’t aware that their sweet daughter was getting gangbanged by a bunch of gang members and had gotten herself into a bit of a hole that she wasn’t even aware she had dug.

I’d say it was lucky for them that I wasn’t here to steal, but they’d probably wish I was by the time I left.

Music blasted from deeper inside the house, and I followed it to a bathroom.

House unlocked, music drowning out noise, and the bathroom door cracked open?

This was one dumb bitch.

I peeked through the crack, finding Mandy with her back to me as she danced in the shower to the music. She was home alone, her parents away visiting multiple catholic schools to spread more of God’s good word, and Marco was currently hacking the cameras to keep any evidence of me gone until we could shut them down completely when I left.

Mandy was making my job really easy, there was no way anyone would hear her screaming over that music.

I slipped inside and shut the door behind me, leaning back to watch her to see if she’d notice me. When she didn’t, too busy having her own little party in there, I walked over and fisted her hair, jerking her out of the massive walk-in shower.

She flailed with a scream that I barely heard over the noise, her hands going to my wrists to try and pry me off. The terror that filled her eyes made a smile tug at my mouth. I didn’t like hurting women, but when they fucked over someone I cared about? I’d happily chop them into tiny little pieces.

Girls like Mandy thought their money and connections made them untouchable, which made them dangerous. In most cases, it was a major problem to deal with someone like her, but not impossible when you had a plan.

“Did you really think the pigs would protect you?” I asked her as I leaned closer, my other hand swatting hers away. I was completely covered, just in case something went wrong, making sure none of my skin was visible to hide my tattoos and to avoid her scratching me and getting my DNA under her nails.

“I didn’t do anything!” she screamed, the sound barely reaching me over the music.

“You did. You lied to get Rory locked up, didn’t you?”

“He made me do it! Let me go, please! He said he’d kill me if I didn’t!” she cried, struggling in my hold.

“Who?” I demanded, shoving her firmly against the wall so hard and fast that her face bounced off with a shriek. Definitely broke her nose.

Had the Soldiers gotten to her? It would make sense, they loved using people for their own amusement.

She was sobbing, clutching her face as blood poured out of her nose, and I grew impatient. I pulled out my gun and held it to her head, her sobbing getting worse as she put a hand up to try and talk me down, desperately trying to save herself.

“Matteo! He showed up at my house and told me he’d followed Rory and saw her kill her dad through a gap in the curtains! He gave me a gun in a bag and said it was the murder weapon, and to go to the cops to say I’d seen it!”

“And you just fucking believed him?”