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It was surreal, standing in the exact same place I’d been when my cousin had gunned down Blizzard. I stared at the sidewalk, inspecting it like I expected to see some kind of stain or reminder of what had happened. Even under the light of the overhead street lamp, I could see that there was nothing. I sighed, I wasn’t sure if that was a good thing or a bad thing. The memory was heart wrenching, watching Blizzard fall to the ground unmoving. I remember screaming his name, but I couldn’t get to him. I felt so lost, my cousins pulling me away while he lay there helpless.
Because of me.
It was all because of me.
Suddenly, I wasn’t so confident and my stomach churned. I tried to remind myself why I was there.
Redemption.
Overhearing the conversation inside the hotel was exactly what I needed. They needed someone, I needed to prove to them that I was sorry. Even if sorry meant putting myself in the middle of a shit storm and hoping for the best.
“You grow a pair of balls while you were away?”
I startled. The street was dark, but of course, someone was standing at the front gate to The Brothers’ compound. As he stepped out of the gateway and into the light, I recognized his face. I fought to remember the name of the prospect who had spent hours sitting outside of the apartment Chelsea and I had once shared, watching over her constantly.
“Ham, isn’t it?”
“What are you doing here, Rose?” he asked cautiously, his hand gripping tightly to the gun he held at his side.This is what it had come to.These people I once called friends, feeling like they needed to protect themselves from me.
“I’m not here to cause trouble,” I told him, trying to ease the tension.
He chuckled. “We both know that you coming here is going to cause all kinds of trouble. So let’s not bullshit.”
I sighed. “Can I see Optimus?”
His eyes narrowed on me. “And why is that?”
“I think you have a problem and I might have the solution.” I tried to hold my head high and my shoulders back despite the aching need to turn around and run. My only chance was asking to see Optimus, not anyone else. I knew Ham would, at least, have to take this to his president.
“Phil, call Op.”
I saw movement in the shadows behind him. Of course. There wasn’t one, but two of them holding down the fort.
Ham continued to stare at me while a hushed voice behind the large gate talked quickly and quietly. I didn’t get another word. His stare was intimidating, but I wouldn’t let myself back down now. I’d come this far, I was stronger, I wasn’t that weak girl I once was.
I heard gravel crunching, it slowly got louder and the stirring in my stomach got worse and worse. When the gate creaked open and Optimus stepped out, I knew this was it. It was my only chance to have my say and pray that I could convince him that I was here to help, not destroy.
“Never thought I’d see you back here again,” he said as he came into the light. His eyes studied me before scanning the street around us.
“Never thought I’d be back,” I answered honestly.
“That probably would’ve been the wisest option to take.” I took the hit but didn’t falter. Now was not the time to argue my rights to be in this town. I needed to do this, and I needed to do it fast before he had time to think and turn me down.
Swallowing harshly, I placed my feet apart in a firm stance. “I heard you need someone to go in undercover?”
He raised an eyebrow but didn’t give anything else away. “We ain’t the cops, Rose.”
“I know what I heard.” I placed my hands on my hips. “You need someone and I just happen to have something to prove.”
I saw the corner of his mouth twitch. “Don’t know where you’re getting your information from, or what exactly you think you wanna prove, but I think it’s best if you take it elsewhere.”
He turned to leave, effectively dismissing me. But I wasn’t going to go down that easily. I searched my brain for something that would tell him I wasn’t full of shit.
“I can get Lane back.”
He stopped dead in his tracks, turning his head to the side so I could see his profile. The light from the streetlamp cast a dark shadow over his face, it was a sight you wouldn’t want to meet walking home alone at night.
“Where did you hear that name?”
