Page 25 of We Will Rise

Before they can open their mouths to respond, Crew takes a seat beside me, his sunglasses the same dark shade mine are. He looks hot as fuck dressed in tactical gear, but I kind of miss his suit and tie.

“Gentlemen,” he regards.

“I was wondering how long it would take you to leave the car.” Caleb smirks, likely thinking we didn’t think he’d see Crew, when in reality we were banking on it. Right as we speak, Bishop and Kaos are putting trackers on their car. If Crew is sitting beside me, it means their guards have moved away from the car, allowing them to do what they need without being detected.

Crew drops his hand to mine where it’s resting on the table, giving it a quick squeeze to show our weakness. Honestly, this is my least favorite part of the plan. I don’t want them to know how much it would hurt me to lose them or vice versa, but Crew assured me this was important, and I’m willing to go along with just about any plan they think up if it means we’ll be safe.

“I was just telling these two that I have no intentions of joining their vendetta against the Syndicate,” I say to Crew, but he already knows. He’s heard every word of our conversation through the microphone I have pinned to the inside of my dress.

He nods and turns his attention from me to his brother. “Haven’t you figured out you’re wasting your breath?”

“You’d think so,” Caleb nods, but there’s a ghost of a smirk pulling at his lips that unnerves me. “But then again, I thought the same thing about Kayla back in the day as well.”

Crew stills beside me, and I look up at him, finding his jaw set so tight I’m worried he might crack a tooth under the pressure.

I open my mouth to ask who Kayla is, but I snap it shut again. This is part of their plan. They’re trying to drive a wedge between us, and I’m not going to let them succeed.

“What does Kayla have to do with anything?” Crew forces out through gritted teeth, and Caleb allows his smile free.

“You know, I always thought you’d figure it out. That girl loved Bishop so much, there’s nothing she wouldn’t have done for her son, and I thought you knew that. So why on earth would she put a needle in her arm the same way her father did? She never touched any drugs, and yet when she did, she jumped straight to heroin?”

He’s talking about Bishop’s mother, and suddenly I feel like I shouldn’t be here for this. Neither he nor Crew have ever told me about her, and it feels wrong hearing this from our enemy.

Crew’s body is ramrod straight beside me, and the anger rolling off him is palpable. Why does it feel like I’m missing something here?

I swallow past the bile in my throat and take a deep breath as I squeeze Crew’s fisted hand. “Just spit out whatever you’re trying to hint at, Caleb. We’ve had enough of your riddles.”

He turns his attention on me, and I barely catch myself from flinching at the evil staring back at me. I’ve spent my whole life surrounded by dangerous men, but that’s different than staring into the eyes of someone with no soul.

“I asked Crew to help me with a job back then. I was sick of not making any money at the docks and always stinking like the ocean, so I found an opportunity for the two of us running drugs for the Davenports. It wasn’t their main source of income at the time, just like it isn’t now, but they needed some more runners, some that the cops wouldn’t recognize. But when I approached Crew about it, he said no. He said he couldn’t do that to Kayla, not when she had to deal with that shit growing up. I tried to change his mind without such drastic action, but when it became clear he wasn’t going to budge while she was still breathing, I decided to take care of that little problem.”

I stare at him with surprise. Is he seriously telling us that he killed Bishop’s mother all those years ago? That he grew up without a mom because his uncle was money hungry and greedy?

I turn to look at Crew, who looks just as shocked as I am, but there’s anger simmering in the mismatched pools, and if we don’t get out of here soon, it’s likely he’s going to blow.

Bishop comes charging out of the restaurant, and I shake my head as subtly as I can, but he’s too far gone.

He tears his uncle from his seat, and despite them being almost the same height, Bishop has the upper hand. “What did you just say?” he growls through gritted teeth.

I shove myself to my feet, but it’s too late.

All hell is about to let loose.

CHAPTER NINETEEN

BISHOP

Blinding rage washes over me, and before I can think through my next move, I’m storming out the doors of the restaurant and blowing the entire mission.

I’m vaguely aware of Kaos trying to grasp me around the shoulders, but I duck out of his hold before he can stop me.

Every step I take toward Caleb, I get further from rational thought.

He killed my mother.

He killed my mother while I was in the room.

He’s the reason I grew up without her.

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