And maybe someday, Frankie could come join me. Maybeher uncles would let her make her own life away from the carnage of their world.
Eight more years.
I could last eight more years.
We fell silent as theVolkovarmy moved efficiently around us to unpack boxes and catalog the guns—so manyguns. Despite the huge score, the men were tense tonight, keenly aware therewould be consequences for their actions.
War was inevitable. And surely the Irish still hadplenty of weapons. These hadn’t been meant simply to outfit their operation.They were going to sell them.
The syndicate hadn’t just stolen arms, they’d takenaway a massive paycheck.
The Irish were going to be pissed.
Atticus walked into the building, followed by Gus, whospotted us immediately. A second later Gus’s dad, Ozzie, walked in. He was followedclosely by the kid from the alley, who was still wearing Frankie’s hat. Acouple guys close by, stopped what they were doing to pat the kid on the heador give him a playful punch. He seemed to be getting congratulations. Itappeared he was accepted by this crazy group.
My mouth dried out and a bad feeling crawled throughmy chest—like a spider scurrying across a counter in search of a hiding spot. “Howdid Roman find out about the shipment?”
Frankie’s eyebrows rose curiously. “Do you really notknow?”
I tore my eyes off the new kid and looked at myfriend. “Tell me.”
Her big eyes narrowed in an accusatory glare. “It’sall thanks to you, Caro.”
“What do you mean? Frankie, explain it.”
Gus started walking toward us, so she dropped hervoice. “You told him to prove his worth, remember?”
My head swiveled back to face the guns. I did this?
This was my fault?
I felt sick.
Worse than sick.
What’s worse than sick?
Dead.
I felt dead.
“What’s up,m’ladies?”
Frankie and I made a simultaneously disgusted sound.Gus was two years older than us, but way dumber.
His smile wobbled, but he still slid down the wall andtook a seat next to me. He bumped his shoulder against mine. “Surprise slumberparty?”
“Apparently.”
He started picking at his shoelaces. “They should havelet you guys come over to my house or something. This sucks that we have tohang out here.”
Gus’s house was a lot like Frankie’s in that they hadlive-in guards. His dad was the bookkeeper for theVor,basically third level from the top in command over the entire organization. Ozwas insanely smart. I didn’t understand everything about what he did, but fromwhat Frankie said, her uncles couldn’t do anything without him.
He was also straight up evil.
It was his second-best life skill. First came the math,then came the sadism. And he’d passed his evil genius onto his children.Atticus got the evil and Gus was the genius.
Like actual genius. He also got the brunt of his dad’sinsanity.
