Page 73 of Gang of Roses: Rebel

After a long shower, I stood in front of the mirror and slipped into an oversized green jersey with a pair of baggy gray jeans. I threw on my tan boots, grabbed my matching green purse, and topped everything off with a green A’s fitted. Instead of putting my locs up like I usually did, I let them hang freely over my shoulders and down my back.

I stared at my reflection for a long moment. Yet, I didn’t look like a woman who had just lost everything. If somebody passed me on the street, they’d probably think I was headed out to enjoy my day. They’d never know my entire world had collapsed overnight.

Behind my eyes, though, I was barely holding it together. Taking a deep breath, I grabbed my keys and headed for the door. Maybe Crow couldn’t fix what had happened, but for a few hours, he could help me forget it.

We decided to go go-karting, and I already knew it was gonna be fun. The two of us climbed into his truck and had an absolute ball, singing at the top of our lungs while the music blasted through the speakers. As he drove us to our destination, I rested my hand on his thigh and belted out every lyric like I didn’t have a care in the world. He couldn’t stop smiling, bobbing his head to the beat and stealing glances at me every chance he got. I caught him looking a few times, and all he did was chuckle before turning his attention back to the road. The happiness radiating from me seemed to make him just as happy, and for the first time in a long time, everything felt effortless.

Once we arrived, Crow walked around the truck and opened the door for me. As our eyes met, every emotion I’d been carrying from everything I was dealing with hit me all at once. Even so, standing in front of him, I felt safe.

I held his gaze for a second before leaning in and pressing a soft kiss against his lips. When we pulled apart, he smiled, laced his fingers through mine, and led me toward the front booth to pay for our laps. His hand never left mine, and for those few moments, the weight of the world didn’t feel nearly as heavy.

The second we hit the track, it felt like we were kids again. We bumped each other’s karts, talked trash through our helmets, and laughed so hard our sides started hurting. Every time I’d pull ahead, Crow would intentionally tap my bumper just enough to make me squeal.

“Cheatin’ ass,” I yelled over my shoulder.

“You just mad ‘cause I’m better,” he shot back with that cocky grin I’d known for years.

“Keep tellin’ yourself that.”

We crossed the finish line still arguing over who really won, neither of us willing to admit defeat. People watching probably thought we’d been together forever. That’s how easy it was between us.

After go-karting, neither of us was ready for the day to end. The ride to Quickway was filled with music and laughter. Every song that came on turned into an argument over who knew the lyrics better.

“You definitely made those words up,” Crow laughed.

“I did not.”

“You absolutely did.”

“I’ve been singing this song for years.”

“And you’ve been singing it wrong for years.”

“Oh, shut up.”

He laughed so hard he had to wipe a tear from his eye.

“I swear you believe anything that comes out your own mouth.”

“I do.”

“I know.”

Once he stopped walking, he gently cupped my face in both hands and captured my lips in a slow, tender kiss. His touch was careful, almost as if he wanted me to know just how much I meant to him. I melted into him, my eyes fluttering shut as years of friendship and unspoken feelings poured into that single kiss.

After Crow left, I headed across town to meet up with Kash and Dice at an Airbnb. We always rented one whenever we planned our next heist. It kept us off the radar and gave us a place to spread everything out without worrying about anyone looking over our shoulders.

When I walked inside, everything for the job was sprawled across the dining room table. Blueprints of Ross Savings and Loan covered nearly every inch of the wood. Security camera placements were highlighted in different colors. Shift schedules, guard rotations, escape routes, vault schematics, police response times, burner phones, radios, and laptops displaying hacked surveillance footage surrounded the room. Every detail mattered. One mistake could cost us everything.

I quietly took my usual seat, my eyes scanning over the plans without saying a word. That’s when Kash glanced up from her laptop. She looked at me curiously for about a second before speaking.

“You good?”

“Yeah.”

Dice looked at me for a long second before exchanging a quick glance with Kash.

“Bullshit.”