“Might need to elaborate, bro,” Adam said as he ripped the toothpick from his mouth and folded his arms.
“He had us, man!” Dan shouted, jumping from foot to foot. “He cornered us at my office.”
Adam shared a look with Mercedes before turning to Dan, who was starting to lose it. A quick side eye at Paul and Carlos informed him that while they weren’t as outright panicked as Dan, they were rattled. Really rattled.
“He’s fucking got us now! Caught all of us! We’re done for,” Dan shouted.
“Chill out,” Carlos said, rubbing his temple. “It’s not game over.”
“Might as well be!” Dan said, spitting at them like his mouth couldn’t keep up with his brain. “It was a threat!”
“Itwasa threat,” Paul said. “But panicking won’t save you from it.”
While Paul and Carlos calmed as the conversation drew on, Dan remained manic. Judging from the lipstick on his chin and the white powder shining at his nostril, Adam guessed his demeanor could only somewhat be blamed on Blake.
“Stop…slow down. What the hell actually happened?” Adam said.
Dan launched forward to explain, mouth agape, but Paul pushed an arm across his body to take over.
“The three of us were headed up to Dan’s office,” Paul started, watching carefully as Dan settled back into line, still jumping foot to foot. “And when we got there, Dorian Blake was waiting for us.”
“He caught the three of you together?” Mercedes said.
Paul nodded and began a half-strung sentence before Dan launched ahead again, cutting him off. “He had loads of evidence and he w–”
Paul threw him back more forcefully this time. “He had the watch that he dug up from your grave, and the picture of the dead hitman, and a baggy of Carlos’s new product,” Paul said. “We’re not getting out of this one easy, he’s going to do something. Probably to us. I know him, I can feel it.”
Adam drew a sharp breath and ran his hands through his hair. Blake had cornered them, like heknew.
“Goddammit,” Adam sighed. “He’s so close to catching up.”
“So much for outrunning him,” Carlos sniffed.
“We’re ready for him,” Mercedes said, quiet as a whisper.
“We’re not fucking ready!” Dan shouted. “I’m very, very fucking nervous!”
“We can see that.” Adam rolled his eyes.
“I’m not feeling settled myself,” Carlos said.
Adam gave Carlos a sad smile. “We’ve got to keep one step ahead, we cannot let him catch us.” He rubbed his eyes violently to hype himself up. “Okay, how much does he know?”
“A lot more now,” a voice said, and that little bell above the door sang.
Adam’s gut dropped so hard he swore it was audible as he realized they were no longer alone. And that, fuck, he should’ve locked the door.
A tingle caressed Adam’s arms, down his back, and into his legs. He swallowed the fear like it was a fire that ignited his insides and raged out of him like lava. Slowly, he turned to face the intruder.
“Fucking hell,” Antonio said, grinning like a cat. “Adam Vandemilio—you really are alive.”
Antonio paced the room, ten men with him chugging along in tow. He did a full lap around them before coming to the wall, wiping dust off the top of the booths.
“You know, I didn’t believe it. When Dorian was going on about you still being alive. I thought he was insane. Had to be one of the other three who were after him,” Antonio said. He leaned against their regular booth and angled his head to make eye contact with Mercedes. “Or…should I sayfourof you?”
“Adam...” Mercedes said in warning.
Antonio smirked and bounded upright. “Never thought there was a fifth either. But here you are with all of them,andsleeping with Dorian—you are a cunning bitch.”
