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We’re busy therest of the week, making last-minute plans with Diesel for the fake assassination and scheduling a time to hand over the package from Bry to the FBI. I’m not sure what’s happened with Diego, but I don’t really care. We passed on the intel. Whether the FBI acts to protect their informant is on them.
On Friday night, Saint, Galen, and Caz go with the rest of The Sainthood to ambush The Arrows warehouse. Theo and I sit it out, primarily because the guys don’t want me anywhere near the showdown. Plus, we want to prepare for tomorrow. I need to take a few practice shots, and Theo wants to test hacking into the apartment’s security systems in a dummy run before tomorrow. That excuse should appease Sinner, but one can never be sure where that psycho is concerned.
The guys return in the early hours of Saturday morning, exhausted but uninjured, and my taut muscles finally relax. Their clothes are covered with blood splatters, so they strip in the living room, throwing the tainted clothing in the fire while telling us about the successful ambush.
The Sainthood had the element of surprise, and they cleaned out The Arrows warehouse, before sending them an anonymous tip that sent the rival gang racing to protect their supplies store, only to find they were too late. It was a bloodbath, according to Saint, ending with most of The Arrows either injured or killed.
The news is all over the TV screens a few hours later, and we watch reports of the carnage as we quietly eat breakfast. Chaos has erupted on the streets of Prestwick as protesters take to the streets, calling on the governor and the commissioner to take a firm hand in tackling the increasing gang violence.
Diesel calls a couple hours later to confirm the FBI has the evidence and he expects arrests to be made in the coming days, as soon as they have verified the evidence is legit.
Galen comes with me to Lorna’s house, because I want to deliver the news to Sar’s grandma in person. Lorna collapses in my arms, sobbing with relief, and I only wish my bestie were here to witness justice being served.
When we return to the barn, Bry is there, helping Caz to prepare a late lunch. Although Saint didn’t answer Bry the other day, there’s an unspoken ceasefire between them, and they are mostly making the effort to get along. To be honest, it’s shocked the hell out of me, but it only further highlights how far Saint has come. I’ve been telling him all along that Bryant isn’t a bad guy, and I’m glad he seems to have accepted him now.
After we’ve eaten and loaded up Saint’s Land Rover, we make our way to the northern end of Lowell, parking in the staff parking lot of the apartment building owned by Sinner’s friend. Bry follows in his Chevy, pulling into the empty space alongside Saint.
Having an extra pair of hands helps, and we are set up on the roof in next to no time with plenty of time to spare before it all kicks off.
Although there is a small, enclosed greenhouse up here, this isn’t a functional rooftop, and the apartment residents don’t have access to it. We’ve been told it’s occasionally used by staff, but we don’t have to worry about unexpected guests at the wrong moment today.
Theo distributes earpieces he got from Diesel. “Check to ensure they’re working,” he says as he hands them out, and we test it back and forth for a couple minutes. “I’ll be in an office on the first floor,” he confirms. “The Wi-Fi signal is stronger there. I’ve disabled the cameras inside the building, but I can’t deactivate the cameras out on the street until the last possible moment in case we tip the cops off.”
The commissioner will have a team with him today, as is usual, but none of them are privy to the plan, because this needs to look real.
“Break a leg, babe.” Theo pecks me on the lips before exiting the roof.
“I’m gonna take a piss before shit goes down,” Caz says.
“I’ll come with.” Galen strides across the roof toward the door, spinning around at the last second. “You need anything from inside?”
“Grab a few bottles of water,” I say, kneeling on the cushion and bringing my eye to the lens of the AR-15 rifle, checking the angle again.
“He’s coming from the Lott Lane direction, right?” I ask Saint, double-checking because you can never go over the plans enough.
“Correct,” Saint assures me, dropping to the ground a few feet away. He leans his back against the small wall that rims the perimeter of the roof, bending his knees. At this height, we shouldn’t be spotted or heard, but we’re not taking chances.
“I’d like to learn how to use one of those,” Bry says from his position at my side, nodding at the mounted rifle.
“I’m sure Diesel could show you when all of this is over.”
“You really trust that guy, huh?”
I lift my head, arching a brow in his direction. Saint toys with the gravel, tossing a few stones across the roof, feigning nonchalance, but he’s paying attention to every word. “I do. Is there any reason I shouldn’t?”
“Howie doesn’t trust him.”
Saint snorts. “Of course, he doesn’t.”
Bry shifts uncomfortably, but he doesn’t snap at Saint like he previously would have. They are treading on eggshells around one another, and it’s kinda funny to see.
“There are rumors of corruption within VERO,” Bry continues. “He suggests that you should be cautious.”
Now it’s my turn to scoff. “Every fucking organization is corrupt, especially the ones at the top. That doesn’t surprise me, and Howie doesn’t know Diesel like I do. He wouldn’t betray me.”
“I hope you’re right.”
