Page 22 of Echo

King folded his arms over his chest and leaned back against his chair. “How do we get her back in the game?”

“Bait,” Cross tossed out. “A fish so big and illusive that she can’t help herself.”

I sat back and propped an ankle on the opposite knee. “Appeal to her ego and her love of the thrill,” I mused.

Ace rapped his knuckles on the table twice, then snatched Wizard’s laptop.

“What the hell?!” Wizard bellowed, his face a mask of outrage.

The rest of us stared at Ace, absolutely dumbfounded. Taking Wizard’s computer was the fastest way to change your address to the nearest cemetery.

“Chill the fuck out, man,” Ace said distractedly as he quickly typed. “Not like I stole your kidney or something.”

Wizard’s face turned purple as he seethed, glaring daggers at Ace while curling his hands into fists so tight his knuckles cracked.

I shot a look at King, wondering if he’d step in, but he was watching the two of them with amusement, something we rarely saw from the prez unless he was with his old lady or son.

“You gonna save his ass?” I asked Blaze quietly, who was sitting next to me.

“Nah. Fifty says Ace ends up in the hospital tonight.”

There were several murmured agreements, making King chuckle.

“You have a death wish, Ace?” Cross murmured, watching Wizard warily from the treasurer’s left side.

He grunted and tapped hard on one key, then slid the laptop back over in front of Wizard.

Taking a deep breath, Wizard tore his eyes from his prey to scan the computer screen. “This is good,” he admitted grudgingly. “Not gonna save you from being stabbed in your sleep when you’re least expecting it, though.”

Ace rolled his eyes. “It will if you want my help with the financial shit.”

Wizard ground his teeth, but he didn’t say anything else.

“You two done?” King grunted, his face back in its usual scowl.

Ace gestured to the computer and explained, “Wizard and I have the beginnings of several aliases set up for cases when we need to get someone gone fast. One of them is for a high roller. Someone who wants to disappear with their fortune and can afford to pay us to do it since it takes a fuck ton of work.”

Wizard nodded. “Won’t take much work to get this up and running. The back end is as solid as they get. Breaking thisidentity would take years for the best of the best. Once it’s live, we filter word of the new man through the grapevine, and as long as we’re reading her right, she’ll bite.”

“Volunteers?” Ace asked with a smirk.

I sighed. “It’s my op, I’ll do it.”

Blaze and King shared a look, then they both grinned and King suggested, “Bring Violet in here to tell her.”

“Why?” I questioned, my eyes narrowed in suspicion.

“Protection,” Blaze drawled.

I scowled. “Why would Violet need protection?”

“Not Violet, Echo,” King muttered as he stood and walked around his desk to take a seat behind it. “You.”

“What?”

Blaze swept his hand around the table and grunted. “Out.”

They all protested but shut up and left when King growled. “Now!”

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