Page 129 of Science Project

We wouldn’t be able to find everyone—at least not before the school year ended. We had both seen so many people involved with the family and police that it would nearly be impossible. But I wanted to protect my friends as much as I could.

Nobody would get away with what they had done.

My grip slipped on the heavy corpse, and his head collided with a rock and split open. Blood splattered all over my shoes as the water sloshed over them. Akio hopped down onto the next rock, tossed the body over his shoulder, and looked out into the water.

“This should be good enough,” he said, launching the body into the water and watching as the waves dragged him down. “Besides, it’s not like the police will care when he washes up onshore. They’re too busy trying to save their own asses.”

The corpse had been a man responsible for countless lives ruined, including mine. We had tracked him down, and this would send a clear message to the others who thought they could get away with their crimes.

After wiping his bloody hand on his jeans, he gripped mine and squeezed. The moonlight illuminated the determined look on his face. We were making the hard choices, but we were making our town safer, ridding it of those who had preyed on the innocent.

A dark shadow moved in the distance, and I spotted Kai’s motorcycle behind our car.

“What’s he want?” I asked.

“I don’t know,” Akio said, but led me back up the path to our cars.

When we reached our car, Kai stalked over to us, shaking his head and clicking his tongue. “Looks like the king and queen of the Redwood Mafia have been enjoying themselves.”

The chilling waves crashed below, the constant push and pull of the ocean like a symphony to my ears. The Redwood Mafia had transformed into something entirely different under our leadership—no longer a force of crime, but a force of justice.

Once my father and Akio’s parents had gotten out of the picture, the positions had fallen into our hands. Except our reign was one of protection, not terror. And most of the assholes who had been working with Akio’s parents didn’t know what that meant.

So, we had shown them. Ironically, by killing them. But life was better without them.

“We didn’t choose this, Kai,” I said.

“Sure you did,” Kai said. “When your father died, you had a choice. And you chose the same path that Poison had. Cleaning up this town for good. Getting rid of the corrupt who think they run it.”

“What are you doing here, Kai?” Akio said.

“I’m here to propose a partnership.”

“A partnership with Poison?” I asked.

“You’re now the leaders of the Redwood Mafia,” he said. “And we’re on the same path.”

I glanced over at Akio, who shrugged his shoulders, then my gaze found Kai’s again.

“Does João know that you’re proposing this to us?” I asked.

“Nah,” Kai said with a slight laugh that I had never heard. “Not yet.”

“And if we say yes,” Akio said, “how will he react?”

“Let me handle that when the time comes,” Kai said, extending his hand. “So?”

We might now be known as the king and queen of the Redwood Mafia, which we had earned through blood, sweat, and a relentless pursuit of justice. But we had many targets on our backs, and we couldn’t do this alone.

After peering back at Akio, I grabbed his hand and shook it. “We’ll join you.”

CHAPTER

EIGHTY-FOUR

AKIO

The soft glow of the screen illuminated the room, casting a warm and inviting ambiance that enveloped us, along with the moonlight flooding in from the sheer curtains that Nicole had put up last week.

---