With that last warning, we make our way up the block, trying to stay as hidden as possible. We stop when the garage comes into view. I can see Les eyeing the situation along with Dex and me. Two guys guard the front, and I can almost bet the same is at the back. We don’t have a clue how many are inside.
“We need a distraction,” Les whispers to all of us. “We need them away from the front long enough to get in. Take out the ones in the back if you have to.”
Gage grins. “A distraction?” He waggles his eyebrows. “Coming right up.”
Les shakes her head with a quiet laugh. “Just get them away.”
Gage rakes his fingers through his wavy hair, making it stick up every which way before he staggers off from us.
“Hey!” Gage yells to one of the guys, then staggers to the side. I hear someone snort a laugh behind me. “I need to talk to Xander.”
“Get lost,” one of them growls, and Gage frowns in exaggeration.
Gage starts scratching at his arms like a junkie looking for a fix. “He owes me some shit. Tell him to come the fuck outside.”
“He’s way too good at this,” Leo whispers, and I snort.
“Gage is always a good distraction,” I answer.
“We could tell you some stories about Gage and his distractions,” Micah laughs.
“I told you to get lost, asshole.” The other guy points a finger in the other direction.
“Who the fuck are you?” Gage snarls, trips, then giggles. I fight off a laugh. “I just need him for two minutes,” he says, walking closer to the garage. We start moving slowly forward, knowing that Gage will make his move at any time.
“Fucking junkie,” one of the guys scoffs. “Xander isn’t here right now.”
“Who are you calling a junkie?” Gage asks, bending down easily and hefting up a broken piece of the concrete sidewalk.
“Get ready,” Les warns.
Gage pulls his arm back and launches it at the closest guy with such accuracy that it would make a baseball player fucking jealous. It smacks the guy right in the face. Gage takes off to the side of the building, his manic laughter following him with one hot on his heels. The other that’s trying to soothe his broken nose follows more slowly.
We make a break for it and storm the garage, all eyes turning to us. The backdoor swings open, and the one without the bleeding face shoves Gage, causing him to trip. He immediately rights himself and turns to him with that crazy grin. “Have you met my friends?” Gage asks, nodding his head over the guy’s shoulder where Micah has a Glock pressed to the guy’s head.
“Move,” Micah snarls.
They move forward, and Dex shoves the other guys, makingthem sprawl on the floor. Evander steps in with the bleeding one’s shirt wrapped in his fist, shutting the door behind him.
“Alessa Poletti,” Spinner says, looking her up and down with his weird-as-hell green eyes. They’re almost reptilian. “What gives me such an honor of your presence?”
Spinner is one of the youngest to work for Viktor and American, surprising everyone. He has slicked back brown hair and a scar that runs through his top lip, making it pull at odd angles when he talks.
“Well, you see, Jacob,” she says, using his real name, knowing it will piss him off. “We got a tip that you were in the neighborhood, and we were just passing by; I thought I’d stop in and say hi.”
Spinner’s eyes automatically harden. “What would a princess like you be doing in gang territory?”
“Queen,” Gage says, striding over and pulling himself to sit on the table beside Ghost.
Spinner’s top lip pulls back in a sneer. “Why are you here?” he asks again.
“Oh,” she pouts, “I was going to ask you the same thing.”
I can see Dex, Evander, and Micah creeping closer, effectively blocking Spinner and his guys. I can tell which ones are Spinner’s guys by how sharply they’re dressed compared to Ghost’s guys. Spinner has six guys in here, but that doesn’t mean there aren’t others lying in wait for a signal. It’s what we would have done.
“I don’t answer to you,” Spinner spits, causing Les’ head to cock to the side.
“But you do, though.” She straightens up, and I can see her patience wearing out. “Something you and Viktor have forgotten.”
