AllFreeNovel
Share Us
“I parked right outside the door,” I turn my head enough to say over my shoulder. Payton’s knuckles push into my back as she shuffles closer to me. “You’ll get in first and shut the door.”
“Okay.”
I turn out of the stairwell, and with no one in sight, we move together.
We’re nearly to the exit when a door in the hallway behind us opens.
I spin while dropping the bag, using that hand to hook Payton’s side and keep her behind me.
A middle-aged man steps out into the hallway, and I bark, “Back in your apartment!”
My voice startles him, and he staggers back a step before he even lays eyes on me. When he does, his eyes widen even more.
It’s obvious this man just lives here, but I’m not having him at my back as I walk out of here.
Payton tugs at my shirt. “That’s just Fletcher.”
I raise my gun from center mass to the man’s forehead. I don’t like that she knows his name.
“Now,” I grit out.
The man,Fletcher, practically falls into his apartment, slamming the door as he does.
Scooping up the bag, I get us out of the building and to the car without seeing another person.
Pulling open the passenger door, I hustle Payton into the seat then slam it closed.
The entire car is bulletproof. If someone drops me right now, all she has to do is lock the doors and wait out the attack.
Probably should’ve told her that.
Striding to the driver’s side, I slide into the seat, and toss the duffel over my shoulder into the small back seat.
“Seat belt.”
As Payton buckles in, I start the car and tap the screen in my dashboard, initiating a call to Rocco.
The ringtone sounds through the car speakers, and I’m pulling away from the curb when he picks up.
“Boss?”
“I want you to bring in a full perimeter on the house tonight.” Seeing no other traffic, I blow through the stop sign at the end of her street. “Or no. Plan on it for the foreseeable future.”
“You got it.” Rocco doesn’t panic, or ask me why, which is the reason he’s my Second.
“And I need a separate crew to pull everything out of an apartment.” I recite Payton’s address from memory.
“Clean up crew?”
“No.” I slow the car just enough to make a sharp right turn onto one of the main streets that runs through downtown. “I need the personal items collected.” My fingers tighten around the wheel. I want to tell him to send some women, the ones we employ for undercover work, but that would take more coordination than I have time for. “Make sure they’re careful. Anything broken will be paid back tenfold.”
I can feel Payton’s eyes on me. But she doesn’t get a say in this.
And she’s really gonna hate this next part.
“I also need you to track down the owner of Twin’s Café.” Payton makes a squeak of protest, so I place my palm on her thigh, forestalling her. “Give her a roll and tell her Payton won’t be working for her anymore.”
“N––” Payton starts.
