Page 133 of Reckoning

“I’ll need more.” He says in that whispered, strained voice that’s more haunting than you could imagine. The bastard had throat cancer and even though he’s beaten it, his voice box will never recover. If anything it makes him more haunting.

“Whatever you need.” I reply.

He grins, knowing now that those aren’t empty words. That I really can deliver everything he can dream of.

As they drive away, Colt lets out a breath that sounds almost like relief.

“Didn’t think you scared so easily.” I taunt.

He shakes his head, struts away, and starts barking orders for everyone to get moving.

* * *

We haveto take the backstreets into the city, the quiet streets. What we’re doing is legit, technically, but neither Roman nor I want to start airing our dirty laundry in public. No, the glitzy elite like to think themselves above this, that all that gold they shit out of their arses is untainted. They don’t want to admit that this is how the world really works, that at our core, we’re all savages.

We pull up to a drive through. Colt’s always a cranky bastard when he’s hungry and besides, I figure Sofia won’t complain if I bring her back something sweet.

As I sit there, watching the traffic idle-by my mind flickers back to the Brethren. To the danger Sofia is in. I don’t have contacts but I can’t imagine it’d be hard to track someone down. But would that help? I doubt men such as they are, are the kind who like to sit around and negotiate after they’ve already declared war.

And that’s what this is. The moves they’re making, all these attacks, it is war. A clever, tactical play. Sofia had all but disappeared from the board, she’d all but gone cold and yet they still weren’t happy. They still decided to poke the beast.

I shake my head. I need to get her to remember. I need to get her to focus, but how? If I force the issue she won’t thank me for it. And in my heart, I fear she might truly have a breakdown.

“You ready?”

I look up, seeing Colt stood, coffee in hand, squinting at the sun. The rest of us stayed outside, after all, we didn’t want the place to turn to panic if all twenty of us barged our way in.

“Sure.”

He passes me the pastry. I open the paper bag, inspect the contents then grunt. It’s Sofia’s favourite. Peacan Pie. I wonder what I can ask for in exchange for this? Maybe I’ll smear some of it on my cock and have her lick it off.

The thought makes me smirk. I doubt I’d have to go that far, she’s always so eager for me, eager to please. Maybe I should test that, see how far I can truly push her.

Colt reaches the cab, unlocks the doors and gets in.

I jump into the drivers seat and turn the ignition, only it doesn’t start. Instead it makes a strange choking noise.

“What the…?”

Smoke starts to fizzle out from underneath the bonnet.

In the seconds it takes for us to spring out the entire thing explodes and we’re thrown back, onto our arses, landing on the concrete pavement.

Colt immediately pulls his gun, taking position, expecting a full blown ambush.

I get up, dusting myself down, as I take in the metre high flames. Someone blew my car up? Someone blew myfuckingcar up.

I snarl, turning my rage onto a nearby rubbish bin and kick it till it’s nothing more than a crumple mass of metal.

“This isn’t a coincidence.” Colt spits.

“Of course it’s not a fucking coincidence.” I growl back.

Two days after they tried to shoot us down, they blow my car up? They want me out of the way apparently. Whatever this shit is with Sofia, I’m clearly a threat.

“Put Reid on alert.” I order.

Colt grunts, grabbing his phone, dialling Reid’s number and then mine vibrates in my pocket.