Page 147 of Convict's Game

“It’s Lovelyn. There’s some kind of work going on outside. There was dust or fumes billowing up when I came in. I thought I should tell you because it’s going to set off the?—”

An alarm wailed.

“Smoke alarm,” I said with a forced laugh.

My father opened the door, using his body to block any glimpse inside. “Fucking Christ. Can’t you stop it?”

I pulled a face against the blaring noise. “I don’t know how. I think I saw the panel downstairs. Can you help me?”

He bitched and moaned but locked the door, slipping the key into his pocket. Together, we descended the stairs. Smoke billowed through a vent near the door.

That was my part of the plan done, and it had gone like clockwork. Convict had to be in that room, else Julian would’ve no doubt dragged me in to handle some task he didn’t want to do.

All I could hope for now was that the skeleton crew lived up to their reputation. And my father hadn’t done anything I couldn’t fix.

Chapter 51

Convict

A thud hit my door. Another, then it burst open, and Kane shoulder-barged through.

I huffed a laugh. “Bad brother.”

“You’ve had weeks to come up with a nickname, and that’s all you’ve got?”

He advanced on my table, and I lifted my chained hands.

“Get me out of here and I’ll think up something better.” I paused. “That only applies if you’re here to rescue and not murder me.”

He brought out a dull metal tool from his pocket and didn’t meet my eyes. “Shut the fuck up or I’ll change my mind and leave ye here.”

He worked the cuffs.

I caught up from my surprise at seeing him. Of all the crew members I’d daydreamed breaking down my door while the cop tried every which way to recruit me, I hadn’t expected this man. “Why aren’t you at the Marchant meeting? Thought the vote was unmissable.”

“Long story. Mila can explain it when we get out.”

“She’s here?”

“Don’t ask me why. She seems to like ye.”

I swallowed and slumped back on the table, my heart pounding. “I’m going to marry the shit out of your sister. Just saying.”

Kane shuddered and released my hands. “Make sure there’s an open bar. My ‘I object’ speech will go down easier with whisky.”

The cuffs fell away. Climbing up, I shook out my limbs, winced, and added ‘saved by her brother’ to the list of things I’d never emotionally recover from.

I moved to the door, but Kane stopped me.

“Can’t go downstairs. We gassed it.”

“You knocked out Kenney. Wait, and Lovelyn?”

“Lovelyn needs plausible deniability, and I wasn’t about to haul your heavy arse through the streets wearing a gas mask.”

He approached the tall windows and peered out. I joined him. We were only one storey up, but there was nothing below us but an empty yard. Not a handhold on the plain brick.

“So we’re just going to jump?”