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After the way he’d reacted to Jasper last night, I suddenly wasn’t convinced I could expect him to handle this new threat with a cool head.
What if he demanded that we leave town immediately? What if he decided this whole running away thing had been a stupid idea and dragged me home?
I knew how to fight, but I wasn’t kidding myself to think that I could overpower Rafael if he got it in his head that he knew what was best for me.
“We’re having a little trouble with the routine Niko’s choreographing for us,” I said instead. “I don’t like that we’re struggling.”
If Rafael made any connection between our possible difficulties and his intrusion last night, he didn’t show it. He just nodded.
“Go easy on yourself for once. You work your ass off constantly.”
He pushed a little ahead of me to open the bungalow door and hold it open, like I really was some kind of princess.
I strode inside, resolve hardening in my chest. Whatever was going on with those dipshits, I was going to handle it. My way, on my terms.
They wanted to play games? They’d poked the wrong tiger.
And now they were about to see just how vindictive this little ice princess could get.
SIXTEEN
Luciana
The momentthat my phone alarm started quietly vibrating next to my ear, my eyes snapped open and I got to work.
Earlier in the day, I’d shoved some goodies I’d bought into a black backpack. Now, I slung it over my shoulder and took one look at myself in the mirror.
With my long-sleeved black shirt and matching pants, I looked like I was about to go burglarize half the neighborhood. Not quite what I had in mind tonight, but the less I was noticed, the better.
I patted the bag, making sure that everything was there.
One, two, three bottles of engine oil.
One bag of steel wool.
One pack of 9-volt batteries.
One extra-long screwdriver.
One black ski mask.
That was all I needed to fuck up a few cars in a particularly terrifying way.
Before I’d only been trying to make the wannabe gangsters annoyed. Now I wanted them to know that if I wanted to, I could blow them to bits.
They’d threatened me. Turnabout was fair play.
That thought didn’t loosen the knot in my stomach as I slunk out of the house. I shut the door with the faintest click and paused with my ears pricked.
No sound from inside. Rafael was still fast asleep.
Good.
I darted across the lawn and into the streets of Hobb Creek. Years of training let my feet fall softly on the concrete sidewalks.
But it wasn’t getting caught that I was most twisted up about. It was the missionIwas planning on carrying out.
I’d told myself I was done with the mafia princess life. I wasn’t going to let myself become what Mom had tried to mold me into.
