Total pages in book: 81
Estimated words: 77124 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 386(@200wpm)___ 308(@250wpm)___ 257(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 77124 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 386(@200wpm)___ 308(@250wpm)___ 257(@300wpm)
“The thing was, we didn’t know about the second mortgage. And he was months and months behind on it. The bank was days away from foreclosing on it. I needed money. Fast.”
“And there is fast money in the arms trade.”
“Exactly,” she agreed. “It just kind of… grew from there. I saw how much money I could make quickly, how easily I could set myself up for a very early retirement. I got addicted to that idea, I guess.”
“How long have you been doing it now?” I asked.
“Six years. About five or so more to go.”
“Is this the first time you’ve been ripped off?”
“Yes. Well, no. One of my early deals, the guys pulled guns on me. Then they took the guns I was delivering without paying. But that was, I don’t know, maybe only three guns. Nothing like this.”
“Did you ever get those fucks for stealing from you?”
“Well, more or less.”
“What did you do?”
“Remember, I was still a lot younger back then. New to all of this shit. I didn’t feel comfortable trying to do anything myself. So, I may or may not have called in an anonymous tip to the police that I saw those assholes loading a bunch of guns into their car. Last I heard, they were all still in prison for criminal firearms possession.”
I wanted her to keep talking, to tell me more about her life, to understand her better.
But the ferry was pulling into the port.
Whether I liked it or not, it was time to get back to work.
As expected, Elio was waiting in the lot, leaning back against his sleek black sedan with blackout windows that had to get him tickets fucking constantly.
“Saylor, nice to see you again,” he said as we got close. “Ant, thanks for coming.”
“Is everything alright with your brothers?” I asked, reaching to open the back door for Saylor.
“Yeah, just… usual business. They can barely spare me, let alone anyone else.”
“So, where are we heading?” I asked as I climbed in the front with Elio.
“There’s a house that they work out of. But as far as I can tell, shit has been calm there. Dead calm,” he added. “Can’t find anyone who has seen Matej. Not sounding good.”
We fell into a silence on the short drive from the port to the neighborhood where this Czech crew was operating. It was a congested street, the houses all but on top of each other with small strips of grass in the front, and not much more out back.
All the houses were two stories with a steep staircase up to the first level, reminding me a bit of the street of row houses we’d been watching. Except each of these had their own unique styles and colors instead of matching.
Elio pulled to an open spot at the end of the block, but we had to walk halfway up to move in front of a bright green house with a protruding picture window and a sunken front door.
Elio stopped, pointing down the narrow space between the house and the one next door.
We made our way in single file down the side of the house, feet crunching on the loose gravel stone between the strip of concrete down the center.
In the back was a raised porch with a set of steep stairs.
Elio started toward them, then waved around to us, silently telling us to keep an eye as he went up and tried the back door.
I glanced over at Saylor, finding her positioned so she could see around the side of the house, but also up at Elio. Her hand held her gun casually, like someone who was comfortable as fuck with them.
I wondered how good of a shot she was. If she practiced. There were a couple of ranges in the city. I’d practically been raised in them, always knowing my future would involve being in the Family, and wanting to be an asset, not a liability.
I was a good shot.
Whether I would trip and fall while drawing a weapon was another story entirely.
Above me, Elio let out a whistle, and I gestured for Saylor to go up first with me taking up the rear, keeping an eye around us as Elio produced a lockpick kit, and getting to work on the door with Saylor being his eyes for him.
As silent as we all were, we heard the click in unison.
Elio straightened, sucked in a deep breath as he tucked his kit away, and reached again for his gun.
Then, with a nod, we moved inside.
CHAPTER FIFTEEN
Saylor
My blood was rushing through my veins, my pulse pounding in my neck and wrists.
I didn’t know this crew like Elio did. But there was something off about the silence of the house as we stood outside of it, as Elio worked the lock free, then grabbed the knob to throw it open.