Page 29

I suppress my gleeful need to hum as I splash more gasoline around the house. It’s dark and silent outside. I’ve already cut the security system off so nobody can stop me. Tonight’s been very effective. This is the fifth house, and probably the last for the night, sadly.

I’ve worked with everything from making fires look like they’re faulty wiring, to incendiary devices, to accelerants. Honestly, accelerants are my preference. It can’t be blamed on anything other than what it is—arson and chaos. And tonight? Five cops will get to know the joy of chaos.

The firefighter sirens are already going, which means it’s less likely that this one will be saved. At least I made sure to set the fire in a way to give the kids a chance to get out. The father? He may not find his way out. Then again, a dirty cop that bit the hand that was feeding him should have been more careful.

Halfway to the sidewalk, I turn to look at my work, enjoying the smoky smell. But then, the night air doesn’t seem quite…right. Grabbing my knife, I whirl around, ready to attack whoever dares to intrude on my fun.

“It’s just me,” a soft, feminine voice calls out, and I grunt in recognition. “I hear you’ve got some tracking to do.”

Nodding despite the darkness, I move toward the voice, wanting to get out of here quickly. “Good to see you, but let’s get out of here.”

Her inelegant snort almost makes me chuckle as I weave after her. “I found your car and had my men drop me off.”

I grunt in an affirmative as we cut across suburbia hell. I’d ask how she found me, but as a specialized tracker, I know better than to question her. The fires, after all, were a dead giveaway. I’ll stick with creating chaos, she can handle the more…nuanced job. One of us gets to have fun, the other has to rein it the fuck in.

Slipping into my car, the overhead light is enough to see her fully. It’s been a long time, but this pixie of a woman often is a contradiction to others. I never understood it, but it works in her favor.

She plays up her femininity. Her sleek haircut and perfectly applied makeup is enough to tempt most. Personally? I know better than to fuck with a woman that is on the motherfucking board of a gang. And yes, that’s how they refer to themselves, like some sort of business—which I guess is true. Still, if Dr. Ranlen taught me anything, you don’t fuck with a woman who can wear heels while happily cutting a man.

“Ely, it’s a pleasure to see you. Have you heard anything?” I pull out into the empty streets, tapping my finger on the wheel. My mind is already on my next task, and when Ely hits my arm, I know I fucked up something. “What the fuck, El?”

“You aren’t paying attention. I need you to go to our southern warehouse. I have a surprise for you, based on your request.” Ely bounces in her seat and I grin, knowing whatever she’s got planned will be quite enlightening.

Neither of us speak on the way. There’s no need, and Ely is the reserved type. It’s almost restful after dealing with everything we have going on, like a psychotic Boss and my ex being our Second. That’s a mind trip, but at least I’m getting to work off some of my energy with the fires. I follow her instructions and park on the east side, the one most covered by foliage.

“What do you have for me?” I ask, sliding out of the car to walk alongside her.

Managing to silently move despite those fucking heels, she lets out a quiet laugh. “An early birthday present. You can owe me. I do prefer diamonds.”

I’d laugh if I didn’t think she was fucking serious. She’s like a dragon with her damn jewelry. Hoarding is probably an understatement. Two of the gang members whisper their greetings and shove open the warehouse doors.

Stepping in, I blink against the harsh light, only to smile broadly when I see the two men tied down in front of me. “You’ve definitely earned diamonds.”

“Finally, someone recognizes my geniusness.”

“Ely, you know I recognize it on a regular fucking basis.” I shake my head when Daniel steps out of the darkness, holding out his arms for her. She skips right into them, pressing a quick kiss on her lover’s lips. A quick shaft of jealousy lances me before I push it aside violently.

“Daniel, good to see you. Thanks for rounding these men up, and for your help.” I incline my head toward the two men, but Daniel only gives me a grunt. He’s not my biggest fan, and I’d say ditto, but I know better than to piss Ely off. “They give you any problems?”

“Nah, they learned real quick that running wasn’t going to do shit.” Amusement shines in his eyes, even if it doesn’t touch the rest of him. “But let’s get this show on the road. I want to take my woman back home before dawn.”

I’m not surprised by the “oomph” that follows that statement. Ely is not the type to be called anyone’s woman. Then again, I think he does it just for foreplay.

Leaving their interesting relationship behind, I come closer to the men who are sweating under the lights. Both of them are breathing hard, their shirts soaked in fear, and I’d be worried about them having a heart attack if they weren’t so fucking young and healthy.

Dropping into an empty chair in front of them, I smile, which only freaks them out more. “Now, running away from your debts? That’s just a fucking bad idea. Stealing? That's even worse. See, you managed to piss off my Family, and the lovely lady over there.”

“I’m not a fucking lady,” Ely mutters, but I ignore it when the men’s eyes widen.

Yeah, they didn’t realize I’m a Martelli. Fucking idiots.

“So the way I see it, you have a couple options here. For fucking us over, it’s a death sentence. A nice, long, drawn out death. And since you got your family involved in covering for you, they get the same sentence.”

“Fuck! You can’t kill my mama!” The man on the right struggles against the bindings as he shouts, but I just shake my head.

“She was told what you did, and she still chose to help you hide. And you,” I swing my attention over to the other man. “Your brother has a business that’s actually successful. No idea how he managed it when the rest of your family is such a fuckup. I’d go to him to take what you owe, but I hear his daughter is really sick. You don’t want to cause problems with her treatment, right? Healthcare in this country…”

I leave him hanging, and it’s not long before he breaks. “Please, I don’t want anything to happen to my niece. My brother can’t afford how much I stole.”

“See? Admitting things is much better than running. But I’m feeling generous, so I’ll give you a job. If you don’t fuck it up, you get to go back to your families, no hard feelings and your debt is wiped clean.” There’s a hissing noise behind me, and I know I’m going to have to give way more than diamonds for taking away Ely’s need for blood. “Of course, if you fuck it up, the consequences are on you…”

The two exchange glances, and the man on the right swallows hard before meeting my eyes directly. With a shaky voice, he asks, “What’s the job?”

“Don’t worry, I’m not asking you to kill anyone. Just…start a fire. Where it’s at, there likely won’t even be any casualties.”

“A fire. That’s all you want?” the other asks dubiously, knowing there has to be a catch. If only he had displayed that sort of intelligence earlier in life.

“Yep. The target is the eleventh precinct. Do that, and all your problems go away. Don’t, and well, you get to be this evening’s fun, and then your family will pay.”

“Are you fucking serious? You want us to torch an entire precinct? The cops will come after us. There’s no way we wouldn't get caught.”

I sigh, glancing at my fingernails, which have soot stuck underneath them. I’m ready for my shower, but I can’t until this shit is handled. “That’s not my problem. You did the crime, you pay the price. You’ve got two options. Decide which way you want to go.”

Several seconds pass with them saying nothing, before they finally break. “We’ll do it.”

“Excellent!” I clap my hands, startling them. “Just remember—if you try to run, there will be no other offers, and if you turn on us? I’ll make my earlier promises look like child’s play. You think you know what we’re capable of, but I promise, it’s not even close to what you’re imagining.”

The chair squeals as I stand up rapidly, sending it back hard across the cement floor. The way they flinch is extremely satisfying. I turn and walk over to Ely and Daniel.

Wrinkling his nose at me, Daniel says flatly, “You want us to watch them, I suppose.”

“We’d be happy to,” Ely cuts her lover off. “After all, I know Daniel appreciates our alliance, and he’d never deny me the pleasure of seeing this through.”

Proving to be a smart man, he doesn’t say anything. I tip my head toward them. “Thanks for finding those two. Let me know if there are any problems. And yes, El, you’ll get your diamonds.”

I don’t wait for a response before I leave. I know Ely will follow through, if nothing else because she’s as addicted to chaos as I am.

I roll my neck, releasing the tension as I slide into the car. I may have grabbed the one I’d been eyeing for a while. Since Il Padrone isn’t here, I don’t have to ask permission, and when he comes back? Well, our whole Family is going to face punishment for our shit, so I may as well enjoy this while I can.