“It’s not what you know, it’s who you know, cous. And we fucking know them all,” Seb announces, rubbing his hands together.
“Right. Well…” I trail off, not really knowing what to say to any of that.
The second we pull up, Theo and I get out of the car, leaving the other two behind. They don’t even try to convince me to let them join, which I’m grateful for, because while I might look confident in what I’m about to do, inside I’m shaking like a fucking leaf.
Theo’s hand presses to the small of my back before we get to the main entrance.
“Are you sure about this?” he asks, his eyes searching mine.
“Yes. It’s the right thing to do.”
“You don’t have to face him if you don’t want. We can just sit out here and watch it play out.”
I smile softly at him, understanding why he might want to give me an out. But I’ve made my decision and I’m sticking with it. I’ll regret it otherwise, and I don’t ever want to live with those motherfuckers.
“I know. But I need to do this.”
“Fair enough. Take this then.” He reaches behind him and pulls a gun from his back.
I frown, staring at the weapon as he holds it out for me.
“Is that wise?”
“Trust me,” he urges. “I need to know that you can protect yourself should this go wrong.”
“It won’t go—”
“Just in case,” he says, pressing the gun into my palm.
“Okay.” I’ve had enough lessons with Cruz to know how to handle it, something Theo clearly knows because he doesn’t so much as flinch at giving me a deadly weapon.
I tuck the thing in my waistband, and after nodding at Theo, we head for the building, my stomach in knots and my heart thrashing like a wild beast in my chest.
We come to a stop outside a flat and Theo checks his watch. “We’ve got three minutes.”
“All I need,” I confirm as he pulls the key out again and pushes it into the lock.
The second the door is open, I have to fight not to cough at the pungent smell that hits me clean in the face.
“Jesus,” I grunt.
“This place is basically a squat,” Theo whispers. “We won’t be staying long.”
The room is in darkness, but I’ve got enough vision to make out a bed and the lump that’s sleeping on top of it.
I walk over, adrenaline pumping faster around my body as I approach the man responsible for all of this.
He might be cast in shadows and living a life on the run, but the man I’ve known all my life looks entirely different.
I stand there for a beat, wondering how I ever thought he was worthy of anything in his life, let alone the love he received from his family.
In a spur of the moment move and with the support of my husband right behind me, I pull the gun from behind my back and press it to Ram’s forehead.
“Wake up, motherfucker,” I bark, pressing harder to ensure it hurts.
The lights flicker on above us and Ram’s eyes open wide—even more so when he acknowledges who’s holding a gun to his head.
A deviant smile curls at my lips, one I’m sure he’d be proud of in any other situation.