Page 188 of Shattered Pieces

“I can do that. Letting those assholes go is the best thing you’ve ever done, boss,” Matteo smirked, and as much as I was glad he’d stopped fighting me on things, he was still a rat and the biggest pain in my ass.

I hated how alone I felt.

Diesel brushed past me without a word, making me sigh. He was going to get himself killed if he kept making it obvious to everyone that he wasn’t on our side. I didn’t want to make that call, but the blatant disrespect wasn’t going unnoticed. I’d have no choice but to handle it if someone brought it up.

Brick went home, letting me know he’d stop by my place in the morning to discuss things, while Matteo and Samuel stayed at the bar drinking.

Jonah was sparring in the cage with Damon, one of our new guys, and thankfully, the guy was working out. It was a tense time to bring in outsiders, but we needed the muscle. He was twenty-seven, had done five years inside with Yoyo, and came highly recommended when he was released a few weeks ago.

If Yoyo said the man was good, I’d take his word for it.

I shut myself in the office to go over tomorrow night’s fights, and it was just after seven-thirty when my phone pinged with a security breach. It was one of our new warehouses that was currently empty in Blackwater, but I couldn’t see anything on the cameras.

It had pinged three days ago, thanks to a damn raccoon, so I sighed and got to my feet to go and check it out.

“I’m heading out. Warehouse pinged again,” I called out, Jonah wiping his sweaty brow and pausing the sparring session.

“Need backup?”

“I bet it’s that fucking raccoon again. I’ll be fine. Make sure you assholes lock up when you leave,” I said firmly before heading outside to my car, climbing in and driving off.

My phone pinged again, and this time when I pulled it up, flames were filling the warehouse.

“Goddammit!” I snapped, putting my foot down harder. Blackwater was full of asshole kids like the Heights, but I thought the warehouse was far enough on the outskirts that it would go unnoticed. Guess not.

It was on the border of Stoneleigh, right out in the middle of nowhere away from houses, so it was unlikely someone just stumbled across it unless they were looking for trouble.

The flames lit up the sky as I sped towards it, my foot easing off the gas as I reached it and saw a car leaving.

Rory was driving away in Jensen’s Lamborghini, her eyes meeting mine as she passed. She didn’t freak out about getting caught, she actually lifted her middle finger at me and kept driving.

It felt like slow motion, our eyes locking as we passed each other, and I cursed as I parked the McLaren and climbed out as she sped away, grabbing my phone to call the fire into my guys. It wasn’t salvageable, it was completely gone.

“Hey. The warehouse pinged and I came to check it out. It wasn’t a raccoon like I thought. The place is in flames,” I said the second Brick answered. “First job as my right-hand, get back to the Shed and get the guys all there. I’m on the way.”

“Do you know who⁠—”

“Just get to the Shed!” I snapped, hanging up on him and shoving my phone deep into my pocket as if that was delaying me having to deal with this mess.

“Fucking pain in the ass!” I shouted into the cool night, trying to figure out what to do. If the guys found out it was Rory, they’d destroy her. Could I sit back and watch that happen? No, I really couldn’t. I was mad, but I’d deal with her myself.

“Fucking hell, Aurora,” I muttered, watching the flames as the roof caved in before I turned and climbed back into my car, leaving it to burn itself out.

That girl was going to be the death of me.

Rory

I pulled into the driveway, thankful that Caden made everyone at the party park on the street so I could get in the gate, and once the Lamborghini was safely in the garage, I headed inside. The house was booming, and I dodged people as I made my way through the house.

“Where were you?” Jensen asked when he noticed me trying to slip past them in the kitchen, his nose scrunching. “Why do you smell like smoke?”

Tyler studied me, his eyes lighting up a little. “You set something on fire?”

“I didn’t do anything. I’m going for a shower,” I scoffed, managing to get past them and up to my bedroom with ease. Not that I was alone for long before Jensen slipped into my room and found me in the bathroom.

“What did you burn? A little heads-up would be nice,” he said dryly, making me shrug as I washed my hair.

“Just making a point.”