Page 22 of Restitution

Fucking psychotic genius.

I keep my stare blank. Base is still eating – he probably thinks I’ll choose him since he isn’t my father or the woman I love.

“I’m waiting, Kade.” She strums her acrylic nails on the table, impatient. “Who?”

I lean forward. “Why is Base here?” I point at his file. “If you struck a deal, why is he here?”

“He’s a disruption. You kill him, that’s not on me. As long as I have proof he left here and his death isn’t on my hands, then I’m not responsible – you are.”

“And you think I’d kill my own father?” I sneer at her. “How sick are you?”

Not to mention, my dad is a fucking tank. He’d beat my ass to the ground without even blinking.

“Blood is just blood,” she says again, shrugging. “Choose, or I’ll order them all to be killed.”

I sit up straight. She’s serious. She’s horrific that way. If I don’t choose one, she’ll definitely take them all out and make a show of it too. She’ll order high-value hits on them all that no assassin will refuse. If I reject this, they’ll all die anyway.

I look back down at the three files, chewing my lip nervously, hating myself as I reach for one and stop, reaching for the other and pulling my hand back.

Fuck, I can’t. If I choose one and don’t complete it, they’ll send someone else to finish the job.

But she’ll kill them all if I fail.

Archie releases a dragged-out sigh. “Just fucking pick, boy.”

I want to stab him. Iwillstab him one day. I’ll rip his jaw clean off.

I itch the scar as I stare at each file. Whoever I choose, it’llbe my last kill for her. If I pick my dad, he could help me. He could hide me and Stacey and deal with Bernadette. He’s Tobias Mitchell, for fuck’s sake.

If I choose Base, he won’t be able to save my sister. Plus, he’s my best friend.

“I do this, I want my freedom.”

Bernadette smirks, and part of me knows she’s lying as she says, “Deal.”

I take a deep breath, and Base spits out his water as I grab one of the files.

While Base waits for his flight to Russia, I sit on the bed, my elbows on my knees. In sixty minutes, my best friend will leave for the jet. He’ll find my sister, and I’ll start my hunt.

He asks if I’m okay, but I keep staring at the carpet between my feet, my knees bouncing, fingers twitching, eyes blinking.

I can’t stop the blinking. It’s new – and constant.

“I’ll do what I can to get you out of this, alright?”

I don’t reply. There’s nothing that will make Bernadette release me from this hellhole.

“I… How do I contact you?” he asks, crouching in front of me to grab my attention. “There’s not a chance I’m going over there without knowing what’s happening with you.”

“I know your number,” I say in a whisper. I’m still not looking at him – in fact, I’m looking straight through him as my mind races. “I’ll call from another phone.”

“Do you know where you’re going first?”

I shake my head. “I’ll go get my motorbike. It’s parked at my apartment.”

“And you’re actually going to kill…” He trails off, not wanting to say it.

Nodding, I lace my fingers together to stop them from trembling. “I have no choice. I can make it quick. If I don’t do this, Bernadette will drag it out.”