“What do you want with Nova?” she asked as I brushed by her, as if she fucking cared.
“What happens between me and Nova, is none of your business.”
“It is when I know you aren’t who you’re pretending to be,” she called after me.
I was too controlled to take this bitches bait and incriminate myself, but as for screwing with her and letting it be known who really had the upper hand…
I turned and walked the few steps to where she was standing, grabbing hold of her throat. There was no reason for me to pretend I was a decent guy, not with her. I’d gotten my in, and that’s all she’d been good for. I didn’t squeeze, not wanting to leave a mark on her that Nova could see. The threat was palpable without it.
“You’re not who you say you are either. So, why don’t we do this? You spill your truths and I’ll spill mine?”
“ How do you think Nova’s going to react when she learns you’re the one who was fucking her dad?”
She swallowed, brown eyes widening in fear. “No?” I asked softly.
A slight shake of her head.
“I’m sorry, I can’t seem to hear you.”
“No, she can’t know. Do You have any idea what she would do to me?”
That was a curious response. I released her, making sure she saw my look of disgust before I turned away. Little did she know when I laid out all the truths, hers would be among them, and whatever happened to her afterward. Well, that wasn’t my fucking problem.
Hitting the unlock button on my key-fob, I pulled open my car door and gave her my signature grin before I got in.
It was all four of us this time.
Three of us watched the Tuscan styled house from the Expedition Tripp had hot-wired from someone’s backyard. A few feet away Evie pretended to be a jogger, a brown wig covering her fiery red hair.
“Four minutes,” Angel stated, pointing out the time.
“Go,” I told Tripp.
He pulled his mask on and got out of the truck, lingering just behind it.
Angel climbed into the front seat to take his place.
She was on lookout and getaway duty. Callum moved up and positioned himself by the rear door.
“There she goes,” he stated.
Right on schedule Mrs. Parker came strolling down her driveway with not a worry in the world. Just as she reached her mailbox Evie jogged by and stopped, engaging her in conversation.
Tripp came in fast.
When the woman finally noticed him approaching, he was on her. His hand over her mouth to muffle any screams. Within two minutes he had her dragged back up the driveway, him and Evie walking right through the front door of her house like they lived there.
I waited a few minutes and checked our surroundings. Not a single neighbor had been disturbed. Once I slipped from the truck Callum followed.
We hurried up the drive and entered the Parker household just like Tripp and Evie had, shutting the door behind us.
A houseplant right inside the entrance had been knocked over, leaving a pile of soil and leaves on the polished hardwood. We went straight to the kitchen finding Mr. Parker and his wife already on their knees, willing to do anything to stay alive.
“Sweep upstairs,” I told Tripp.
He nodded and brushed past me. That left Callum, Evie, and I to handle the fun part.
“Did we interrupt dinner?” I asked, taking in the kitchen. There was a pot of water boiling on the stove, and a can of spaghetti sauce beside it.
“Please, take whatever you’d like. Just–.”
“Don’t hurt your fuckin family. We’ve heard this spiel plenty of times no need to waste your breath,” Callum drawled.
“All we really want is a flash drive and we’ll be on our way. It’s the one I’ve learned Martin sometimes shares with you.”
The expression on his face confirmed all I needed to know. He knew exactly what I was referencing. My father had told us as much. He may have even been the one to of paid Martin a visit before I could.
“Its not here,” he stated, voice trembling.
I didn’t really have the patience for him right then.
I searched the kitchen for oven mitts, spotting two Rooster themed ones near the sink. I removed the boiling pot of water and carried it to where Lance’s wife was kneeling.
Callum leveled his Glock at him, Evie moved closer to the wife.
“The flash drive.”
He shook his head and started to plead. I heaved a sigh and tilted the pot.
Steaming water singed through the air, landing directly on top of his wife’s head. Her scream was cut short when Evie knocked her out, slamming the butt of her gun into a pressure point. She fell forward, her scalp an ugly red from being burned, brunette hair wet and steaming.
“Do you know how painful it is for the brain to be boiled?” Callum asked. “Where’s the flash drive?”