“Found this old factory. There’s fresh blood and broken glass all over this mothafucka. If they were here, they ain’t no more. Mila’s gone, Rose. And it smells like fucking gas around here.” Finn sounded defeated, which was rare for him. Rose sloped forward on the edge of the sofa.
“Okay. So what are we doing? Y’all got mothafuckas combing the area, right?”
“Yeah, the team is out there,” Finn assured him. “I’m not going nowhere. So tell Luna to stay put and don’t be overthinking shit. I’ll see her soon. Rose, keep your eyes open. I don’t think this shit is over.”
“Oh, I know it ain’t. Thanks, bro. Keep me updated.”
“What was that about? What did he say?” Luna wrung her hands together and paced.
“He said sit ya hyperactive ass down and have a damn Valium,” Rose huffed, bringing himself to his feet.
Luna cut her eyes at him, annoyed as hell. “Fuck you, Rose! I’m worried. I ain’t never had to deal with no shit like this before. Finn comes with a lot of fucking baggage. You both do, and it’s called the streets. They got a hold on you. I’m not even sure y’all realize how much. I do. I realized it when Max got killed. That changed it all,” Luna muttered sadly.
Minx didn’t say anything, but her girl’s words hit her; that was for sure. She’d been in the midst of this lifestyle so long that it no longer bothered her, making her numb to a lot. She wasn’t even sure that was a good thing. All she knew was she had to always save face because she never knew who was watching. Being deemed weak wasn’t something that the Wards did, ever. Luna grew up in the hood, but she never had to go through no shit like that. She loved her town, but unlike Minx, she didn’t want to grow old there. She wanted to see the world and live in different places. Being a target wasn’t part of the plan.
“Luna—”
“No, Minx, you are used to this. I’m not.” Luna pressed her hand into her chest. “Finn is out there doing God knows what. Mila is missing. None of this is normal or okay. Your father was blown up less than two months ago!”
“You don’t have to remind me of that, Luna,” Minx muttered. “You need to sit and calm down. Going crazy and pacing a hole in the damn floor is not going to make Finn come walking through that door any sooner.”
“Well, I’m sorry, Minx. Excuse me if I can’t just calm the fuck down,” Luna said, serious but sarcastic at the same time.
“Where’s the bedroom? I’m tired,” Mille asked.
“Just go up the stairs and pick one,” Rose told him.
Luna hadn’t sat down. She kept circling the center coffee table with the worst thoughts bouncing around her head. Rose was anxious too, tapping his finger against the arm of the sofa while watching her come unglued. He shot his eyes over to Minx, and she stared off. He reached for her hand and intertwined his with hers.
“What did Finn find?” she asked gently, staring up at him with glossy eyes.
“Minx—”
“Rose, I’m not some fragile ass little figurine that’s going to break. Tell me the truth.”
“They found an abandoned warehouse. There was blood, broken glass, and faint traces gas. There was no sign of Mila though,” Rose informed her.
Minx released a sigh. She was sick to her stomach with this overwhelming feeling that she just couldn’t place. It rumbled loudly, drawing Rose’s attention.
“You hungry?” He asked, smirking.
“Apparently,” she muttered, sheepish.
“Come on. Let’s go find something to eat.” Rose pulled her to her feet and guided her to the back of the home where the kitchen was located.
Luna stood at the front window, staring out at the front yard area. With both arms across her chest, she emptily peered out. She kept waiting for a car to pull up. Hoping and praying that Finn was okay. He had to be. She didn’t know how she would feel if something happened to him. It wasn’t too early for her to consider love as an option for them. She knew in her twenty-eight years on earth that she ‘d ever felt for a man what she felt for him. The way her life was set up, she probably never would again. Finn was one of a kind. He wasn’t perfect by far, but hewas everything that she thought he could never be. He lit her up from the inside out, and life was much better with him in it.
“Please come back,” she chanted desperately, over and over as she watched the street, waiting for movement.
“Pack all that shit up!”Sekani barked to the crew around them.
She didn’t want any evidence left behind at the trap spot they were fleeing. While preparing for Rose and his notorious crew to retaliate, they were going to have to shut down shop for a while. She and her brother knew that it was coming, but Eirian still hated missing money. With Max gone, they had a point to prove, and they’d never been the type to sit around and let some shit happen to them.
She moved through the small house until she came to the back room where they held the money and did their counts. Eirian and Gannon packed stacks of cash into duffel bags.
“They’re almost wrapped up in the front. Y’all need some help?” She asked, skimming the room to make sure nothing was missed.
“Just tell them to start packing this shit up,” Eirian advised, stuffing stacks into his bag until it was filled.
