Page 109

He smiled. “Smart girl.”

“I think my mother won,” she spat.

His smile disappeared. Angel looked toward the records. “She kept proof.” She looked over at Bishop. “He survived.” Then at Dominic. “He survived, too.” Then, she looked at Ghost and Jackhammer. “And I survived.” Cole stared at her. “You spent thirty years killing people to protect your secrets.” Angel stood. “And they still ended up in a storage unit with about twenty witnesses.”

Monster looked around. “Closer to seventeen.”

Angel glared at him. “Not important.”

“Just saying,” Monster said.

Ghost smiled as Angel looked back at Cole. “You don't scare me anymore.”

Cole laughed. “You think prison scares me?”

“No.” Angel's smile was cold. “But I think being exposed does.” That finally got him. Ghost saw it—fear. Angel did too. She turned away, and just like that, she simply walked away from him. Ghost followed, because that was what she needed—not somebody dragging her forward, but somebody willing to walk beside her.

By late afternoon, it was done. Well, as done as something like this could be. Bishop had arranged for the records to go simultaneously to federal investigators, state authorities outside Cole's sphere, and an attorney with instructions to release copies publicly if anything happened to any of them. Cole was in custody, and so was Razor. Several men tied to the network were already being picked up. There would be investigations, and there would be trials—probably years of shit, but Ghost didn't care. The threat against Angel was over, and that was enough.

They returned to Monster's Madhouse just before sunset. Angel stood in the parking lot, and Ghost watched her look at the building. The shattered front window had been boarded up. Someone had put Larry upright again, but his pirate hat was crooked, and that made Angel smile.

Monster walked past. “New window's coming tomorrow.”

“Good,” she said.

“And I ordered more decorations,” he said.

Ghost stared at him. “You have a problem.”

“Don't judge me,” he said.

“You’ve already spent six hundred dollars on Halloween decorations,” Ghost reminded.

“Eight now,” he said. Angel laughed, and Monster pointed at her. “Worth it.” Then he went inside.

Jackhammer stopped beside Ghost. “She hasn't unpacked yet.”

Ghost looked at him. “You worried?”

“A little,” he admitted.

Angel turned. “What are you two whispering about?”

“Nothing,” they said together.

She narrowed her eyes at them both. “Liars.” Then she walked inside, and Ghost followed. Angel's duffel sat on the bed, still zipped closed. Ghost stared at it. Angel came up behind him. “You're obsessed with my bag.”

“Yes,” he breathed.

“Why?” she asked.

“Because I don't like it,” he said.

“It's luggage,” she said.

“It's an escape plan,” he insisted. Angel went quiet, and Ghost turned to face her. Jackhammer leaned against the doorway. He'd clearly decided this was Ghost's turn to play the asshole. Ghost looked at Angel. “I spent most of my life making sure I could leave first.”

Her expression softened. “Because of Levi?”