Page 40 of Diamond In The Rough

I narrow my eyes as, ahead of us, Lix’s driver takes an unnecessary turn. A test.

And the white sedan does the same.

Shit. “I’ll check in with you later, Mayet. I’ve gotta go for now.”

“Wait—”

But I drag the phone from my ear and kill our call. Then I dial Felix.

Instantly, he answers. “You see that guy too?” he growls. “No one is driving this way unless they’re lost.”

“Yeah, I see him. You’ve got a visitor. How do you wanna handle it?”

“Smash-and-grab. It’s always,” he grits out, “a smash-and-grab. We’ll go all the way to Carson’s, circle to the parking lot out back. It’s kinda hidden, so no one will see what goes down there. Then we’ll ask our tail a few friendly questions. You ready?”

“Yeah. We’ll be about fifteen seconds behind you. Keep your doors locked till I roll in. Then I’ll take care of it.”

“And I’m just supposed to let you have all the fun?” He snickers. But at least he doesn’t suck back half a cigarette.

It’s odd that that’s the sound I expect to hear. But he’s working. And despite his easy laughter, I know he’s stressing. Because Christabelle is in the car with him, and his job, above all else, is to protect her.

But maybe his declaration to quit was real. Maybe he meant it.

“You know I don’t like being the damsel, Micah. I wanna hang out with our new friend, too.”

“Fifteen seconds,” I murmur, unsnapping my seatbelt even though we’re still moving. “If it’s Conlon or Wilkes, then I figure it’s a shoot-first kinda situation. You won’t have time to play, Lix. So sit your ass down and wait for me. Let me do my job.”

“Your job,” he scoffs. “Your fuckin’ job is not to step in front of me every time someone else thinks they can go toe to toe! Your job is to stand beside me.”

“Semantics.” I check the clock in the car dash and note the time. “I have somewhere I’ve gotta be this afternoon. Let’s get this done and put it behind us.”

“I’m way ahead of you.”

He kills our call for the second time, cutting off any argument I might like to throw his way. Then his car turns left a whole block ahead of ours, disappearing around the corner, and just two seconds later, the white sedan follows.

“Fuck. Move faster,” I command Garth. “We’re no longer hiding from that guy. Bring us in quickly, and keep the engine running.”

“Yes, sir.” He speeds up and tears around the corner behind our target, ignoring the honk of dissatisfied commuters as we cut them off on their way to work.

Preparing myself for what’s coming, I leave my knife in my pocket and extend my hand to accept a Nineteen from Stovic.

“Clip is full,” he rumbles. “Ready to rock and roll.”

“Good. Figure out the scene once we pull up. Count heads. Then I need you to cover Christabelle. Michaels is likely to have Lix’s back. If he’s on Christabelle instead because Lix ordered it, then you switch. Either way, they’re both covered.”

“But you’re not. I see the chink in your armor, boss.”

“My armor is fine, so long as everyone else is safe.”

I release the magazine, a habit instilled in me long before I even graduated high school, and check my rounds, despite Stovic’s assurances. Then I shove it back into place, finding my calm when steel clicks against steel.

“Shit,” my driver hisses.

We race into Carson’s parking lot so the entire car bounces, but ahead of us, Felix is already out of his car, his arm extended in front of him, and a gun pointed at a man I’ve never seen before in my life.

“For fuck’s sake!” I grab the door handle, but wait… wait… wait till we’re closer. “Is that Conlon?”

Stovic nods, just one short, sharp jerk of his head. “Yes, sir.”

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