Page 65 of F*ck Steal Kill

“I already regret this partnership,” Grady sighed when he’d clearly lost control.

“Gossip later. Let’s talk Savages now,” Q cut in, stopping the chatter.

“Damn, that’s some sexy energy. I see what you mean,” Lacey said, fanning herself.

Holland chuckled, rolling her eyes but sat up a little straighter, the other girls following suit.

“Where do we begin?”

And just like that, the merging of XOXO and the Shadows was officially off the ground.

CHAPTER 23

HOLLAND

Irritating Grady was quickly becoming my favorite pastime. His jaw ticked as he tried to gain control of the five of us, and I had a sudden urge to lick it. Blue eyes simmered as he stared at me, heating me from the inside. And for one second, I couldn’t help but remember the moan I’d heard through the door, my cheeks pinking at the memory.

That simple response made Grady soften as he appeared to regain some of his confidence. He broke our stare off as he scanned the rest of the room, the three of us crashing his pow-wow.

“Right, I know you’re not used to listening to me, but for the safety of all involved, it’s better if there’s a clear hierarchy.”

“Is that your safe word?” Lacey whispered, causing Joy to snort. I even caught Quentin’s lip twitching.

“How about you tell us your plan, then we tell you how we operate and figure out a way to work together. The very reason we’re in the business of stabby-stabby is that men believed they could take our power.” I leaned forward, my expression hardening. “We’re not going to be eager to line up in an orderly fashion for you to take that from us. I respect your leadership and skills, but you can’t treat us like your team and expect us to blindly follow you. You haven’t earned that yet. We either collaborate with equal say, or this won’t work.”

Everyone else remained quiet for the first time in the room. Lacey and Joy were still, while Max and Quentin appeared to hold their breaths as they waited for their brother-in-arms to decide. I held Grady’s gaze, lifting one brow. His gorgeous face was impassive as he stared, his eyes boring into me as he took my measure. When he nodded, the entire room seemed to take a collective exhale as sound and life returned to the occupants.

“We’ve been gathering intel on the Savages for years, but we’ve never been able to pinpoint their main base of operation. Our best guess is it’s in a small town somewhere outside of Dallas. There are several outposts in surrounding states that we’ve been able to infiltrate, but the main compound is kept under lock and key. If I had to guess, they’re holed up in a town where they control everything that comes and goes, and the town is either part of their crew, on their payroll, or too scared to ever cross them.”

“Then how do you expect to get in?” I snorted. “Has this place not taught you anything? Say what you will about places like this, but their townsfolk are loyal. You spent the whole day chasing a ghost. If you hadn’t known we worked here, I doubt you would’ve learned anything about me,” I challenged, resting back on my hands and crossing my leg, kicking it out as I waited for him to respond.

Grady’s jaw ticked, and I could’ve sworn I heard his molars crunch together.

“You’re not wrong, Hols. But where we didn’t know what we were coming into here, we’ve been gathering and plotting for years. I’ve narrowed it down to three places based on satellite images and traffic,” Max explained, his voice patient and soothing.

“I know where they are,” Joy said, lifting her head from where she’d been typing on her phone. All heads turned to her as she turned it around, an aerial view of a location on it.

“How?” Max asked, his voice croaking.

“I asked Ava and had Phantasm verify it.” Joy shrugged her shoulders, pulling out her bubble gum and twisting it around her finger like she was bored. Knowing her, she probably was.

“Well, there you go,” I said, smiling. “What’s next?”

Max spluttered but got over it quicker than Grady, who still had his jaw hanging open. Max moved closer to Joy, whispering in geek speak, as he typed things into the computer. Lacey switched spots and took Max’s vacant one, putting her on my other side. She nudged me when Grady still hadn’t said anything.

“Did we break him? I’m starting to see why they need us.”

Chortling, I coughed to cover up the sound. However, it did seem to knock Grady out of his trance as he cleared his throat and attempted to regain his footing.

“Great. Okay. So, the next step is to survey the area and identify the best way in. I’ve pinpointed three options with the best success rate at one of the outskirt operations.”

“If it’s the laundromat, they know there’s a mole and have doubled their crew and replaced the original workers with their men,” Lacey said, picking the lint off her jeans.

Grady froze, and I wondered if his mouth would fall open again. Standing up, I waved my hand in front of his face. He shook himself, blinking as he reoriented. I gave him a soft smile, hoping to minimize the crush of defeat he seemed to be feeling.

“Believe it or not, we’re not terrible at this. We have a unique set of skills between the three of us, and we’ve gained a lot of contacts and resources online. Right now, it’s amusing that you continue to be shocked by it, but eventually, it will get old. Just because you know we’re women doesn’t take away the fact we’re the XOXO killer.” I placed my hands on my hips, needing him to get this. We wouldn’t work if he couldn’t respect us.

“Sorry. I’m not trying to,” Grady whispered, his eyes scanning over me. Something shifted in them, and I felt his genuine respect for the first time. He nodded as he swallowed. “What do you recommend?” he asked instead of mansplaining the art of undercover work.

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