Page 54 of Corrupted

CHAPTER 19

GIANNI

"We need to split up," Reuben said before we unlocked the door leading into the house. "Hunter, Parker, Daze, you all go left, toward the kitchen. The rest of us will go right, around to the back of the living room. If we're careful, we can come up behind them. We'll try to surround them and take them all out."

Hunter raised his phone and pointed the light in the direction of a fuse box on the wall. "I'm ready to blow the lights."

"I'm ready with the knives." I squatted and opened a box that lay on the ground beside the door. Stored there for just this eventuality. It was full of blades and guns.

I handed out knives to anyone who didn't already have one. Mina, of course, was already armed with several. Could she get any hotter? She looked like some kind of angel, dressed in black and armed to the teeth. My kind of woman, through and through.

"No guns until you have to," Reuben added. "Once they know where we are, do whatever you have to do. Until then, be quiet. Let's not jump through the door and announce our presence."

I smiled.

I couldn't imagine Reuben jumping through the door and shouting out, "Heeeere's Reuben!" The twins, certainly, but not him.

"Got it, boss," I said. "Stealth mode. A trillion points to anyone who ends Kurt."

"Infinity points to anyone who helps us catch him alive," Mina said softly.

"What could we do with infinity points?" Hunter asked.

She gave him a bland look. "You can swap it for a Maserati."

"Fuck yeah." He offered Parker a fist bump. "I can't wait."

"You'll have to wait, that's my infinity points and my Maserati," I told them both.

I didn't give a shit about either of those things. What I really wanted was for us to get out of this alive. Preferably in one piece. A car, no matter how sexy, meant nothing in comparison.

I knew they agreed with that sentiment. They weren't shallow enough to really give a shit about an expensive vehicle. That wouldn't keep us from making jokes about it. Only our deaths would put a stop to that.

"Game on." Hunter grinned. "One Lasalle coming up."

Daze cleared her throat.

"One male Lasalle,” Hunter corrected. "Have you ever thought about changing your name?"

"Have you?" I asked him.

Being a Brantley came with a lot of responsibility. And a metric fuck ton of expectations, especially from Reuben. Although, they were lighter than the ones Reuben put on himself.

"Can we focus?" Damon snapped. His expression was tighter than I'd ever seen on him before. I couldn't say I blamed him. In spite of the banter, I was tense myself. A shit ton of things could go wrong. We just had to make sure they didn't.

Somehow.

Reuben nodded at Hunter. "Kill the lights."

Hunter opened the fuse box and turned one switch at the same moment Damon opened the door.

For a split second, the house was illuminated, before it fell into complete darkness.

The curtains were closed, blocking out any moonlight and most of the starlight. The only illumination was the flashing of various electrical devices, like the front of the microwave oven, and the keypad for the air-conditioning system.

I hadn't realised how bright they both were. Even from here, I could make out the one in the microwave.

Voices muttered in surprise as we slipped off in the directions Reuben ordered us to go.