“You do your job your way, and I’ll do mine,” the guy in black says. “And f**k that brother shit. We’re nothing, Tet. Nothing. You chose them over me and I’ll never forgive you.”
Bobby says nothing, just stares at his angry brother, his jaw clenching a few times. The fist not holding a gun is pumping. Like he’s got the urge to hit this Cy person, but is restraining himself. “You grab the Blackbird and the Duchess, I’ll get the Kitten.”
“And the Bomb?” the angry guys asks.
I have to stifle a gasp, because shit, that’s my mobster name. That guy wants me.
“The Bomb is out. I had her picked up at work. Her bike is still in front of the shop, but she’s been taken to her old apartment. Leave her out of this.”
“I’ll get her too, if you f**k up,” Cy says. “I’ll get all of them if you f**k this up.”
Bobby nods. “Sure. Sure you will.” Then he turns and walks back to the stairs, his footfalls fading away with him. It takes the new guy a few seconds to follow, but he does.
And then the heavy stairwell door slams closed and I’m alone.
With hostage number one.
Chapter Thirty
SPENCER
I sit at my desk for the rest of the afternoon. Ford calls again at four thirty. Ronin left with Rook and Kate. Ashleigh left with Ryan. He’s already dropped her off at the gas station down the road. Ford’s got five pairs of eyes on her alone, so we’re both watching a silent feed of her in real time. I watch the cab pull into the gas station parking lot, and then head out, grabbing my new helmet off my toolbox as I walk past and enter the back garage. The guys are all waiting. They know something is up, but they keep silent. In fact, it’s so f**king quiet in this garage with no camera teams around or Director Larry barking out commands, it makes me uneasy.
“You guys don’t have to come.” I stare at Ryan when I say it.
He smiles at me. “Just shut your trap and start your bike, Shrike. Let’s go rile Fonzie up.”
We all kick the bikes over at the same time and the garage is alive with the thunder of power. I push the button on the opener and the doors lift up. We wait until they are halfway, and then the four of us pour out of the building looking every bit as badass as we sound. The crowd that was out front is running our way and Ryan gives them a little salute as the door closes behind us and we exit out onto Maple Street, then stop for the light at College.
We’ve got the attention of the entire downtown. Heads are peeking out of doors, a line of people waiting for coffee at the FoCo Cinema across the street all turn round simultaneously, and when the light turns green, car alarms go off from the noise we’re making. We cross College and head down Riverside.
I tap the Bluetooth attached to my ear and wait.
“I’m here,” Ford says after a few seconds.“Keep me updated,” I say back. I’m not sure if he can hear me over the roar of the bikes, but that’s the best I can do at the moment.
“Scott’s on alert. He’ll start driving over in eight minutes. Ash just pulled up in the cab. The whole garage is looking at her. Fonzie is making his way over, asking her if she needs help. I need your ETA so I can talk myself out of going down there and kicking his ass for talking to her.”
“Five minutes,” I say back.
“Well, hurry the f**k up.”
“Where’s Ronin?”
“I’m here,” Ronin says. “We’ve got Kate and we just left our apartment building heading south. We’ll be inside in about… five.”
“Any trouble?” Ford asks Ronin.
“Not right away, but yeah. The cameras are practically jumping out of the bushes right now. But I’ve got it covered. We’re a block away now. You OK, Rook?”
Ford and I stay silent as we try to hear her answer, but we can’t catch it.
“Hey, back off!” Ronin yells to someone in their vicinity. “I’ve got a camera too, ass**le.” Ronin goes quiet for a second and then speaks low into his phone. “I can see your security, Ford, so we’re good.”
“If those reporters touch Kate, I’ll kill them. What’s your ETA now, Spencer?”
“We’ve arrived, you freak. Can’t you hear us coming?” Because I can—our bike noise comes through the ear piece connecting me to Ford. “Let’s start some trouble.”
“Ashleigh is still filling her tank. Hurry, Kitten,” Ford urges her from afar. “Fonzie is looking your direction, Spencer. Here he comes, get ready.”
The four of us pull up into the industrial complex driveway that winds around the various buildings and then make the left turn that leads to Cikes Bikes. I still have to shake my f**king head at that shit. There was no name under that picture Ford showed me of him and his pedophile father, so I bet that’s not even his real name. Asshole.
Drake and his team of seven or eight are all walking down the driveway once we turn into their little parking lot. I look past him at Ashleigh, who is still messing with the gas can.
The boys and I stop and rev our bikes, letting the douchebags come to us.
“I’ve got the bot into the bay,” Ford says in my ear.
“We’re inside the church,” Ronin adds.
“We’re a go here too,” I chime in. I nod my head at Fonzie as he comes up talking shit. Ryan and I look at each other and smile and then Griff and Fletch shut their bikes down and get off.