Page 146 of Redeemed

Her red lips turn upward into a genuine smile when she spots me from across the room. I make a beeline for her, dodging members of the Rooks and walking straight past my father without a single glance.

“Good afternoon, Colton.” She turns her head so I can more easily lean down and drop a kiss on her cheek. The classic vanilla scent I’ve been accustomed to since I was a kid wraps around me, and it reminds me that I’m not alone in this room.

It may not seem like she does, but Char always has my back.

“Afternoon. You doing all right?”

“Oh, I’m doing splendidly. How’s schoolwork going?” She reaches out to adjust my collar, even though we both know it’s sitting perfectly straight.

It’s one of the things she taught me from a young age—her and Mark both. If you want to be heard and respected, lean into people’s biases. Dress the part.

Not a single hair out of place,she used to tell me, and I’ve never seen her not follow that rule. Her short, blonde hair is always styled to perfection.

“It’s fine.”

“I heard something about one of your cars. You didn’t get into a wreck, did you?”

“No, ma’am.”

When Charlotte narrows her eyes and purses her lips, I grin. I’m excellent at extracting information out of people, and I got most of my related skills from her. This is one of her go-to strategies—ask a leading question and sit back while the other person spills all their secrets to you.

If I had to guess, I’d say Charlotte already knows exactly what happened to my car. She has eyes and ears everywhere. This is just her double-checking that her info is correct. But what can I say? If she’s going to play one of her games with me, she knows to expect strategic counter-moves, even if it’s just to have a little fun.

“Pain in my ass,” she mutters.

“And you love me for it.” With a wink, I move on. I have work to do.

I know the faces and names of everyone in this room—everyone in the Glass Rooks, actually. Keeping the organization running effectively is more than standard operating procedures and a hierarchy everyone respects.

Keeping the Rooks healthy means looking after the people. And to look after the people, you have to know them.

So I ignore most of the higher-ups, except a few key players I need on my side if I’m ever going to dethrone Mark. But for the most part, I stick to the regular people—the ones the organization was really built for.

“Hey.” I clap a hand on Jack Smith’s shoulder. “How’s it going? You still working on that boat?”

“Yep! The project is progressing smoothly. I’m on track to be able to launch her this spring.”

“Good, good, I’m glad.”

We chat for a while before I make my way to the next person, and then the next.

There’s Rachel Porter—known for hacking into the CIA’s database to get us classified information we needed—and her wife, Tori. I catch up on their September trip to France, get a recap of the heist they pulled off in L.A two weeks ago, and get a few wine recommendations to try.

Then there’s Alex Perrison, an engineer who moonlights as a hitman. He has a wife, and both their daughters are on the swim team at the local high school. Both are on track to get into regionals this year, something he’s incredibly excited about. Hell, I am, too. I’ve only met the girls once, but I’m proud of them.

Greg and Theo Grayson—Lucas’s stepdad and stepbrother—are also here. Theo gives me a silent nod from across the room that I return.

I work the room until Mark gives the signal for everyone to sit around the large table in the conference room. As I move to take my spot next to my father, I realize there was a common struggle that all the newer members had—a shortage of cash.

As Mark begins his opening statements, I tuck that realization away and label it as something I need to look into further. The Glass Rooks was created as a network for criminals to help each other out and keep each other safe, yes. But the organization was also built on the founding principle that none of our members would ever struggle financially.

So why the hell aren’t these people getting paid enough?

I tune into the meeting just as Gerard Reed begins giving an update on the overall status of the Rooks.

Interference from the authorities? Little to none.

Any instances of members’ covers being blown? Two, and both have been handled.

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