Page 84 of Pray for the Damned

“Show me the program,” Salvatore demands.

“Not until you show me the money,” William says firmly, and I roll my eyes. This asshole is going to get himself killed by someone that isn’t me if he keeps this shit up.

“That’s not how this is going to work, boy. You show me what you’re selling, and then I’ll show you how much I’m willing to pay for it.”

Oh, William is definitely about to get himself killed.

He should have done his research before selling to someone like Draper. Namely about the fact that few people that sell to him live to spend the money they’re paid.

He doesn’t like loose ends, and William is definitely one of those.

“Laptop,” Salvatore orders, and I don’t need to pop my head up to know one of his men has already produced what he’s asked for. Working for him would mean always anticipating what he wants and needs, because that’s what it’s like working for my father.

An uncomfortable feeling rolls through my stomach at the thought of the man that raised me. He called this hit in himself. He ran me through the history, the partners that want their pound of flesh for William selling their program and cutting them out.

And there’s no way he didn’t know who the buyer was.

Fuck.

It’s a setup.

He knows.

For the first time in my career, I’m not going to follow through on a hit, and I don’t hesitate to slip into the stairwell, taking them two at a time as I force the unfamiliar panic from my body.

Once I’m out into the cool night, I tear my phone from my pocket and open the tracking app only to find Waverly’s signal missing.

My chest tightens as I dial my brother’s number, but the call goes directly to voicemail.

I know without a shadow of a doubt that my father has them both, and I don’t have a fucking clue where to start looking for them.

For the first time in my life, I feel helpless, and I don’t fucking like it.

CHAPTER FIFTY-NINE

WAVERLY

Ido my best to control my breathing so I don’t give away that I’ve made him, but my flight reflex is screaming at me to get the fuck out of here.

In the back of my mind, I’m planning out my next steps. If I can get back to my apartment, I can throw a few things in a bag and then make my way to the train station.

I won’t go to Grand Central Station, that would be too obvious, but if I hit one of the smaller stations, I might be able to make a clean break without anyone tracking me.

But the thought of leaving Kade and Emmett has my plans stalling.

I can’t go without telling them, and even if I did, they’d track me. They’ve proven that they can do it time and time again, so I guess they would catch up with me eventually.

The couple in front of me catches my eye and waves me over, forcing me to put my customer service hat back on for the moment. It will be too obvious if I run out of here like a bat out of hell, so I need to keep up the pretense that I’m okay.

“Another glass of Pinot?” I ask, my voice as even as I can manage.

“Are you okay?” the woman asks gently, her head dipping closer to me. “You look like you’ve seen a ghost.”

“Oh, I’m fine.” I force a smile to my face.

“Don’t take this the wrong way, but you don’t look okay.”

There’s nothing but concern in her eyes, and when I look up at her partner, he looks equally as worried. Maybe I can trust them. I’ve seen them around the club, so they must have been through the background checks.

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