Page 19 of Rivals & Revenge

Exactly twenty-three minutes later, I exited through the same door, having found the broker’s home empty. Well, not empty, but unoccupied at least.

With no signs of a struggle, I concluded he must just be away at the moment. Given her current state, there is no way she could havedisposed of him.

In his office, I came across files with both our names on them and quickly copied them for review. A couple of external hard drives, shoved haphazardly on a shelf above his workspace, made their way into my pockets.

Otherwise, I left everything else untouched.

A nerve-wracking three days passed before my phone chirped with a message from the little street urchin I paid to watch the house for me.

“Your stray came home and brought friends.”

A smile curved the corner of my lips as I punched out a quick reply.

“On my way. Stand by.”

Tossing the burner phone aside, I rose from my chair. My arms slipped into the holster, my breath slowing with the familiar movements.

The weight of the pistols, now nestled in their holsters, and the bowie knife tucked into my waistband, settled over me, grounding me, sending the message to my body; it was time to work.

Slipping the phone back into my pocket, I grabbed my keys and jacket from the hook by the door.

The car door slammed shut a little harder than I intended, and the phone in my pocket chirped again.

“Everyone left. He’s alone.”

A weight slipped off my shoulders that I hadn’t realized I was carrying. I pushed out a heavy breath, releasing the tension that seemed to accompany any Tierney related tasks.

“Thank fuck.” I muttered to myself.

The drive passed in a blur of street signs and blinding headlights. The dilapidated buildings on the outskirts of town gave way to tree-lined streets with white picket fences. I whipped into the parking lot of the small playground just shy of a quarter mile from the broker’s villa, just as the GPS softly chimed the end of my route.

My eyes swept across the empty park, watching the lights flicker on and paint the darkening landscape with pools of amber light. The playground fell silent with the fading sunlight.

The swings, once vibrant with the energy of children, now swayed listlessly in the gathering dusk, abandoned by their young playmates.

My foot barely kissed the pavement and the little street urchin was already standing steps away. The slight smirk curling his lip felt at odds with the deep soulless void where his eyes should have been; window to the soul indeed.

His chin tipped up, casually acknowledging my presence. “Almost ten minutes ago, a blonde lady entered the house.”

My eyes snapped up; my attention fully his.

The smirk widened into something approximating a smile. The wicked glint sitting in the corner of his eyes hinted he knew the value of that information.

I scoffed, grabbing my wallet off the dash and tossing him a fifty. “Well done, kid.”

He looked over the bill, giving it an appreciative nod before stuffing it in his pocket. “Easy money.”

With a wry laugh, I dropped back into the seat, slamming the door behind me.

I glanced up as the engine roared to life, just in time to see him slip back into the shadows.

“Damn, that kid is creepy as fuck.” I murmured to myself.

I gunned the engine; the asphalt blurring beneath me as I flew down the quiet streets, far more careless than I usually would.

The acrid scent of burning rubber fueled the urgent need to get there to her. Every racing thought pushed the pedal lower until it was smashed against the floor.

My heart stopped short as I pulled into the broker’s driveway. What the fuck was I doing here? Parking in plain sight, no less.

---