Page 69 of Reasons We Break

“Sometimes you don’t talk much like an eighteen-year-old boy.”

“Dude, are you saying I sound old?”

“And other times you sound very much your age.” Her smile turns wry. “Most teenagers care a lot about their futures. You haven’t had that luxury—you grew up too fast. That means some people will mistake you for an adult, and will want to treat you that way...and punish you that way, too.”

Her fingers toy with the red sticky. Rajan’s breath stalls. This is the moment, isn’t it, where she—

Kat closes his file completely. “What do you think your strengths are?”

“My—What?” He’s still staring at the sticky.

“Your strengths. Might help you decide where to go from here.” At his expression, she adds, “You were successful in criminal activities because you have valuable skills. Creativity. Resourcefulness. An ability to make decisions in high-pressure situations. The Lion’s Share recognized them. You should, too.”

“Right.”

“I’m serious. Have you gotten rid of that tree in your yard yet, by the way?”

Rajan gives her a wary look. She’s asked him this before, and each time he’s had the same answer. “No. Why do you keep asking?”

“Just wondering why you haven’t.”

He picks a toothpick from his pocket. “It’s maple, you know. People pay for that shit. I was gonna get a chain saw from work and see if I could cut it up, but I dunno. It’s probably rotten anyway.” He stops because he doesn’t like the change in Kat’s expression. Like she thinks the fact that he hasn’t gotten rid of a fucking tree means something. It doesn’t.

But Kat’s right about at least one thing: The LS knows how to recruit talent. Simran’s a prime example. Sometimes, the best targets are the ones who aren’t immediately obvious. He thinks back to Nick’s files of potential bookkeepers.Thosewere all fairly obvious picks, but only one stayed on his mind—that accountant, Brenckmann. Yet, it wasn’t Brenckmann himself that intrigued him.

Rajan sits up. “Actually, thereisa different job I wanna try.”

She brightens. “Really? What is it?”

She looks so hopeful, he almost feels bad as he says, “The Chevron on the highway.”

Kat blinks. “The...gas station?”

Ick. “Yeah. Could I get in there? Just see how it goes?”

Kat’s eyebrows have reached her hairline by this point. “I’ll admit, I didn’t think you would enjoy customer service—”

“Can you get me the job or not?”

She studies him. He holds her gaze. Finally, she exhales. “I’ll see what I can do. We might have to reduce your hours at the roofing company to follow your probation conditions, that’s all.” She pushes his file away. “We’re done for today.”

He rises, feeling invigorated.Finally, a lead to follow, even if Nick doesn’t agree. Something tells him there’s more to that accountant’s assistant than meets the eye. After all, how does a new international student get a job like that, working for a prestigious accounting firm? If he can figure her out, he’s one step closer to freeing Simran.

He’s almost at the door when he remembers the red sticky. He turns to find Kat watching him. “Was there...anything else we were supposed to talk about today?”

Kat tilts her head. “Did we miss something?”

Her question hangs in the air. Has she been waiting for him to confess? Is this some kind of fucked-up test?

Rajan’s never been good at tests.

“Nope,” he says. “Nothing.”

IT’S JUNE 18.The date in the ledger.

Simran sits hunched over her desk, half dressed in jeans and a pajama top, crumpling up another idea that’s gotten her nowhere. She tosses it in her overflowing wastebasket.

Every night for the past week, she’s stayed up until sunrise with the Aces’ code. Her father thinks all her time at her desk is spent getting ahead of coursework. Her mother, however, has barely noticed. She’s been in a lot of pain since returning home from her surgery a few days ago. Speaking of...Simran should probably check on her before she leaves.