Page 576 of Lodestar

Star: I wasn’t. I didn’t even know she was in the same area as me.

Star: That means the working ties between the Sparrows and Brothers are closer than we imagined.

Cin: I’m so fucking sorry, Star.

Star: Not your fault.

Cin: I lost my shit when she started talking about how she was glad you had to suffer. Fuck, she kept her eye on you, Star. She told me about Hans.

Cin: I don’t even have the words to talk about this.

Star: We DON’T need to talk about it. He’s dead. I killed him. That’s all you need to know.

Star: Was anything said about my mom?

Cin: No. But you knew she wouldn’t say dick. The cunt.

Star: Fuck.

Cin: Sorry, Star. I really goddamn tried.

Star: Thanks, Cin. I know you did. I’ll pick you up on the way back.

Cin: Nah, I feel like a hike.

Star: You sure?

Cin: Yup. Gotta clear my head so I can figure out what to tell my folks about their favorite niece’s disappearance. She wasn’t lying about them preferring her over me.

Star: :/ Good luck.

Cin: I’ll need it.

“If he was bringing the Sparrows under the Brotherhood umbrella, unifying it like it was before the Sparrows branched out,” I mused, “then how did he think he’d get you to go ahead with it? As his heir, I mean.”

Tiredly, she sighed. “I have no idea and I’m not sure I want to know.” She rubbed her temple. “But unification sounds like something an egomaniac would strive for, don’t you think?”

I hummed, but a half-hour later, I was struggling to break into Reinier’s safe, and my mind was elsewhere.

When I finally cracked the code, Star sucked in a sharp breath that was loaded with dread as she dragged the door open.

Not even we could have expected to uncover what we did though.

A jail cell wasn’t good enough for the likes of Kuznetsov.

Some men needed to burn. Luckily for the world, we weren’t afraid to light the match on his funeral pyre.

69

POSSE TEXT CHAT

THREE DAYS LATER

Lodestar:How’s Cruz?

Indy:Could be better. I know you looped him in before that shit went down with his mom. Thanks for that, Star. From one Old Lady to another. :P

Lodestar:Don’t mention it. Really. Please. Lol.

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