Page 11 of Gang of Roses: Rebel

“Ooh... this cute too,” she smiled.

I laughed despite myself.

“Rain...”

“What?” she said, sliding the watch into her bag. “Interest.”

She looked back at Titan and then spoke again, “You owe me thirty-plus birthdays, Christmases, school clothes, emotional damages...”

She tilted her head. “I figure we still got a balance after this.”

I shook my head and laughed. “You done?”

She zipped the backpack closed. “Yep.”

Then she pointed the gun at Titan one last time. “Oh... and happy Father’s Day, bitch.”

I threw my head back laughing. “You are so damn ignorant.”

She flashed me a grin beneath the bandana. “And yet... you love me.”

“Damn right I do,” I told her, and then my smile disappeared to focus back on Titan.

At first, I decided not to use my gun. I wanted him to feel every punch the same way Rebel had felt every hit he put on her. But knowing he had his own daughter jumped by grown men made my decision easy.

I raised my Glock and fired two shots. Both bullets tore through his kneecaps. Instantly, Titan let out a bloodcurdling scream as his legs gave out beneath him. He crashed backward onto the floor, clutching at his shattered knees while writhing in agony. Without another word, Rebel and I turned and walked out together. The bully had finally met his mothafuckin’ match.

Chapter 4

Rain “Rebel” Crawford

People assumed pulling off a bank robbery took nerves of steel. They were wrong. It took discipline. Each move had to be calculated and every second accounted for. That’s why every job started the same way, with a steady heartbeat, a clear mind, and no room for mistakes. There was no room for second-guessing once the clock started. By then, the planning was over, and all that was left was execution. Luck had never been part of the equation. We trusted our preparation, our instincts, and each other. If we didn’t, all of us would end up behind bars. I wanted my freedom, and I damn sure wanted to get paid. Besides, the nation’s capital wasn’t a place any of us wanted to go down for a bank robbery. The feds didn’t play, and neither did we.

I took one deep breath, centering myself before stepping outside my hotel to find Kash and Dice already waiting for me. Both of them leaned against their motorcycles, their helmets resting on the handlebars. They’d flown in from Vegas the night before, where they lived now. More than once, they’d asked me to move out there with them, but I never could. Magnolia Valley was home. It was where my sister was buried. Where Crow was. Some roots ran too deep to leave behind.

“You got everything?” Dice asked, breaking me out my thoughts.

I nodded. “Every camera inside the bank is running on a loop. The silent alarm won’t reach dispatch for three minutes, and the motion sensors are asleep until we’re long gone. Their network thinks everything is operating normally.”

“What about the vault?” Kash asked.

“It’ll unlock on schedule. Once the manager enters his code, the delay is gone.”

“And the backup system?” Dice asked.

“It won’t know we were there until after we’re gone.”

Kash gave a satisfied nod. “So... everything’s down?”

I zipped up my duffel bag and smiled. “Everything we need is.”

Dice grinned. “Then let’s go get paid.”

The three of us climbed onto our motorcycles. Engines roared to life as we pulled away from the curb, blending into the afternoon traffic like everybody else heading to work. It flowed like any other Wednesday afternoon as the three of us parked our motorcycles on different blocks surrounding SPJ Bank. We met in the narrow alley behind the building, each of us already wearing our custom silicone masks.

Dice adjusted her gloves.. “Y’all ready to get this money?”

Kash smirked. “I’ve been ready.”