Page 159 of Stabby Little

I bring the walkie-talkie to my lips. "It's a go."

48

DEMETRI ANTONOV

Finally.

The moment I've been waiting for.

The blades of the chopper whir as Grant gives me the signal.

This is my favorite part of missions.

No matter how much shit I blow up, it never gets old.

I press the red button to unleash the rocket launchers. "Get the fuck out of the house as fast as you can. You have ten seconds before I blow it to shit."

I could wait longer—but what fun is that?

After ten seconds pass, I pull the military-grade throttle to unleash my weapons.

Boom.

49

OLLIE

The mugof hot chocolate is warm in my hands as I tighten my grip on the white porcelain. I sit on Constantine's sofa in front of his window overlooking the Hudson. Starlight pours down from the sky and mixes with the moonlight in the water.

I'll never get over the way the river drags everything surrounding it into its depths. Like an ancient black hole, one that was born before humans ever walked the face of the earth, it'll exist long after we're gone. The insatiable river treats itsmise en scèneexactly like the warehouse treated me.

Only this time, I managed to escape. Unlike the leaves, twigs, and scraps of bark the current tugs to the river floor, I'm the lucky branch that popped back up. This time, no rippling eddy will submerge me beneath the surface ever again.

The sound of approaching footsteps reaches my ears. I glance up to see Grant holding a tray of cannoli, one that makes my tummy rumble. He settles into the sofa cushion next to me, and I rest my cheek on his shoulder, using him for warmth.

Behind us, Arlo, Rusty, Callum, and a bunch of Christian's friends are on a playdate. They're comparing stuffies and gorging themselves on Christian's dairy-free ice cream. Constantine suggested they come over to cheer me up, and he was right to do it. For the last two hours, we've played and they helped me forget about my kidnapping. Sparrow and Finn are here, too, and they're having the time of their lives.

But now, I need a moment with Grant. The events of tonight were so terrible, and I must speak to the man I've been in love with since I was a boy to help me process it.

Grant snakes his arm around my waist. "Miles visited me two days ago. Did I tell you that?"

I shake my head. "No."

"We spoke about the debt he owed Michael." After the Antonovs flew us away in their military-grade helicopter, Grant told me all about Miles's debt. Michael roped my former friend into joining his criminal organization when he was at his lowest and had nowhere to turn. From what Grant said, Miles wasn't a bad boy—he got mixed up with the wrong crowd. He sold a little dope, but it was nothing compared to what Michael brought him into. Two hundred thousand dollars worth of heroin isn't easy for anyone to sell. It's even harder when your father's Mafia boss is breathing down your neck. "I confided in him that you'd visited me."

I narrow my eyes. "You didn't."

Grant stares at the fast-moving river. "It was a mistake. I didn't realize that then. I thought he wanted to invite you over, sit on the sofa, and catch up like old times. I was wrong."

I take a sip of my hot chocolate. "I never thought Miles would try to sell me to my captors. Out of all the people to turn on me, he was the one I least expected."

"What about Linda?"

I shake my head. "I didn't see that coming, either, but she didn't hurt me as much as Miles."

I wasn't shocked by Linda's involvement. After what I overheard, it made sense. She felt like Grant stole me from Miles, and she believed Michael's lies about running a boutique underground high-end adoption ring. She thought she was sending me to a better place.

Still, she pawned me off to abusive mobsters and destroyed my life. If not for her call, I would've had a normal childhood, one packed with amazing times, full of people who cared about me. Not one where the people in charge of me raped me nearly every night.

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