Page 102 of Mr. Match

“Shit,” I say, staring at the fire pouring out of the shooting range roof. “You might’ve overdone it with the explosives.”

Pax scoffs as he tries to get a better look from the window in my office.

“Ya think?” West says. “When doesn’t he fucking overdo it?” He’s pacing the old wooden floor behind us. The creaking is driving me crazy.

“Hey,” Pax says. “Are you the expert in disappearing shit? Huh? Because if so, the next time we need to kill two people to save your ass and then blow up most of the evidence, you’re welcome to take the lead on that, brother.”

West says nothing.

“Now what?” I say. “My dad is gonna freak out.”

“As he well should,” Pax says. “I’d be pissed off too if a couple of East Coast crime assholes came into my town and started blowing up my establishments. That shooting range office was on the east side of the building. I set the charges just outside, so it totally looks like they were trying to blow up Shrike Bikes. But I directed the explosion towards the shooting range, so your dad’s shop should be OK once they put the fire out.”

I scrub both hands over my face. Aside from his potential drinking problem, and the fact that there’s a ninety-nine percent chance this maniac will be my brother-in-law very soon, I sometimes worry that Pax believes his own lies.

“The bodies will burn though,” Pax continues. “Forensics will find the guns and casings, and they might even know that they were shot before the explosion happened, but I’m telling you, you really can buy cops on your dark market.”

“It’s not my fucking market.” God, how many times do I have to tell him that?

“Any evidence they do find will mysteriously go missing in exactly three days.” Pax looks at me. “Ya know, I really wish I knew about your little illegal site before I gave up fixing shit. It’s a goddamned gold mine.”

I throw my hands in the air, giving up. “Now what?” I ask.

“Now we wait for Gori to show up.”

“And my parents?” West asks. “What’s gonna happen to them?”

“It depends,” Pax says. And I’m sorta surprised that he says it in a sympathetic way.

“On what?” West asks, stopping his pacing to look at Pax.

“On whether or not they try to kill my mother.”

Chapter Forty-Six - KATYA

I walk down College and then cut over towards the west side of campus once I get closer to the Antimony House. I didn’t want to drive and potentially get stuck there in a car when I could easily slip outside the back way and stay out of sight.

I opened the package Mariel gave me, stuffing the contents into my pockets and throwing the envelope away in a random trashcan on the curb. The cold steel is comforting and by the time I am a few driveways down from the house, it’s also warm.

This… is it. The final phase of my long-planned revenge.

I walk up to the house, ready to knock on the door, but find it slightly ajar. I push it open, the hinges creaking, and peer inside.

The first thing I realize is that no one is here. Mariel was right. Those girls have left. I really hope she has a plan to get my sister back, because all of this is worthless if Lily doesn’t make it out with me.

“Lily?” I call, keeping up the ruse that she is the one who texted me. “It’s me,” I say. “Katya. Are you here?”

I don’t want to step inside. I really don’t want to step inside. But it’s unavoidable. I only have two choices. Finish this off right now or run away and never stop running.

I’m done running.

I squeeze the steel in my palm and cross the threshold.

Chapter Forty-Seven - OLIVER

The phone rings on my desk.

All three of us look at each other.