Page 13 of Volatile Obsessions

? Heathens - Twenty One Pilots ?

This motherfucker.

The answer to my last question—could blindly aiding Vic truly be so bad—was a definite yes.

Yes, it could.

I should have stuck to my gut and walked the hell away, spared myself the imminent grief. But no, he hit me with the right bait, and my stupid ass agreed.

Just like he knew I would.

What Vic wanted to do wasn’t just insane. It was damn near suicide. Not only did it involve taking out Miami’s biggest drug lord, it also involved wronging those who’d been bested by said drug lord, too. Those who dreamed of revenge and reclaiming what was once theirs.

Those like me.

The corrupt were far easier to prey on than one would think. Dangle their greatest weakness before them like a fresh slab of meat and we’d fight for it to the death like the rabid dogs we were.

“Yo, earth to Rome,” Vic’s voice boomed, reeling me back into the moment. “You good, bro?”

“Fuckin’ peachy.” I scrubbed a hand down my face, cradling my mouth behind it as I watched him steadily.

One of his perfectly polished brows shot up at the snip in my tone. “I hear sarcasm.”

“No shit, Sherlock,” I growled.

“Care to tell me why? You’ve been in a shit mood since you showed your ass at my office earlier this morning.”

“C’mon, man. Do I really need to lay it out for you in black and white after what I told you?”

“I don’t need a spiel, no. I just wanna know what happened to the Rome I knew,” he clarified, which only served to boil my blood more than it already was.

“Dead and gone, Vic. The Rome you knew has been dead and gone for a long time.”

“And yet, that’s the Rome I need,” he countered.

Scoffing through my nose, I shook my head, mentally chastising myself for feeding into his bullshit again. “Sounds like you’re fucked then, huh?”

“Not particularly, no. Bringing him back from the dead shouldn’t be too difficult with what’s up for grabs and all.”

“And yet, it will be, considering I’m not willing,” I fired back.

“You already agreed,” he asserted.

“Yeah, and now I’m withdrawing. You’ve lost your fucking mind, mate. What you’re trying to do…” I trailed off, pinching the bridge of my nose momentarily before rising onto my feet. “It’s suicide—seriously.”

“Listen to me.” He jumped up from the desk, nervously blocking my escape. “I’m not negating the fact that this is going to be difficult. It is, but that’s why I need you, King. You’re the key to this plan.”

“As I said, sounds like you’re fucked then. I’ve got enough of my own shit to deal with to worry about yours, too, and quite frankly, yours stinks a hell of a lot more than mine. I’m good on that.”

“Hear me out, please. Wiping this leech out is the best thing we can do for Miami. We’d be doing them a goddamn service!”

“And why is that?”

“Because Lux is a backstabbing little thief and it’s time someone finally taught her a lesson,” he sneered.

Her?

Out of everything he’d just said, that one little word stood out most.

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