Page 20 of Hide From Me

“He said you could call him that. But don’t. You keep him as a business associate. You are mine, not his.”

There was a lot to unpack, but the sound of doors slamming out front had Cas stepping away.

“Do what you need to do. No one is getting in here. You’re safe.”

And then he walked away.

EIGHT

cas

“What the fuck happened here?”Zeid asked as he and X got out of the car. Two other, younger recruits got out and stood quietly waiting for directions.

“Judge Sanders seems to be atoning for some sins,” was all I said. No one needed more than that. They would see and they would know. The only time shit like this ever happened was when a rival was trying to send a clear message.

I didn’t give a fuck, to be fair. This judge had honestly been losing his usefulness to us.

“Get a meeting set up for tonight.”

X was already on his phone and getting everyone rounded up. He knew what to do. We were a well-oiled machine, and that was part of why we worked and had become the most powerful of all the gangs in the area. It didn’t hurt we had found alternative incomes to just drugs and illegal activities. The art scene had been completely thrown for a loop when someone in my territory, the masked Arcane Alchemist, showed up and was backed by the Spectors. The fucking rich loved a good cliché. They loved someone pushing boundaries.

But if someone was starting to challenge us? This wasn’t going to fucking work. We needed to cut off the head of whatever snake was trying to chink away at our empire.

“Also, get guys out here and sweep the houses. It’s time to tear this shit down. The only memories around here are demons that no one needs anymore. Turn this shit into a fucking rehab center or something. There’s money in that, and I want this fucking street to have nothing left to haunt anyone.”

My thoughts went to Rylee. She was pale, and I didn’t think it had anything to do with the vacant eyes of some judge. She’d seen worse in the few months she’d been here. Fuck. I’d sent her worse to catalogue and clean up. Sometimes sending a message got messy. The message was not to mess with her.

I’d fucking tried to keep my distance, but what was the point? She wasn’t leaving. She had nothing to go back to. I’d sent someone back to the aunt’s house once Rylee was gone and the money had stopped to help her see reason and leave Rylee alone. I didn’t want to tell Rylee yet, but I was certain that the ghost of her past was back thanks to her aunt. Her father had been only a part of the puzzle.

He’d pissed off all the wrong people, but he’d tried to fix it. Anger still burned inside me at just how he’d tried to appease the corrupt assholes that were running the Spectors into the ground back then.

Fuck, I needed to burn off some steam, but I couldn’t leave Rylee here. Not yet.

“Make sure we have time to run to the gym before the fucking meeting or someone might die.”

Zeid chuckled.

“You here over a judge fine? But who are the two cars? Not just a detective? I doubt you’re stressed out because of one more death on our turf.”

Fuck.

“Leave me to my own devices for now. There’s a photographer, you know, standard procedure. The coroner is on his way too. I’m not intending to hide this. Fucking call the news. Someone needs to see that a single judge isn’t why we are who we are. They can take their message and shove it.”

Another car showed up as if on cue. This one more official than Rylee’s, but the person behind the wheel wasn’t who I expected.

X turned to check out the scene.

“Who’s that?”

A woman, maybe around Rylee’s age, got out. Her hair was a few different shades of colors that might have been pink and teal, fuck if I cared.

“Who’s that?”

I shrugged.

She popped her gum as she strolled up to us.

“Hey. Dead body inside?”