Page 70 of Black Heart
“Don’t mention it,” he murmurs, pushing up his glasses and casting a sidelong glance at me. “Though it would help if you would explain what the hell is going on. Last time I saw you, I got an impromptu acupuncture session to the neck, and you were carted off like some twistedBeauty and the Beaststory.”
I cringe. “Thank you for not calling the cops.”
“Oh, don’t worry about it. Your ‘friend’ paid me a visit and explained things. Said you were fine, and that my continued ability to type might depend on my discretion.”
“I’m so sorry, Ethan.”
The van lurches forward, making me grip the edges of my seat as we bounce over the uneven terrain. Ethan’s driving skills leave much to be desired. It feels less like he’s navigating the coastal track and more like he’s trying to take down Bowser fromMario Kart.
“You and me, we’re fine,” Ethan says, though his voice wavers. “Your hulking bodyguard, on the other hand…”
“He’s not my—well. He’s complicated.”
“There it is,” he mumbles, his eyes never leaving the road. “Your defense of him already. You do realize there’s a difference between ‘complicated’ and ‘probably going to murder me in my sleep,’ right?”
“Ethan, Kaden isn’t going to murder you.”
“Of course not. Not if I don’t ever sleep again.”
The weight of his curious gaze falls on my shoulders as I gather my thoughts. How much should I tell him? Ethan’s my friend, and the last thing I want is to drag him deeper into this mess than he already is.
“Hey, no need to look so grim. I’m not mad at you,” he says, flashing me a wry grin. “Just ... start from the beginning, yeah?”
“It started with Dawson,” I mutter, keeping my attention firmly trained on the foggy road ahead.
“Our creep of a boss?” Ethan wrinkles his nose, the windshield wipers thrumming against the rain-slicked glass. “Why am I not surprised? Go on.”
I nod. “He’s involved in something. Something really bad.”
Ethan snorts and looks at me sidelong. “What, like embezzling company funds? Creating a Ponzi scheme? Bitcoin fraud? What is it with start-up tech guys?”
“No,” I say, trying to suppress a laugh despite myself. It feels strange and foreign to laugh at a time like this, but there’s something comforting about Ethan’s natural humor. “Like illegal AI tech that could crash our economy and be sold to the Mafia level bad.”
Silence.
“Wait … are youserious?”
“Dead serious.” I shiver as I look out the van’s window.
“But … why would Dawson be involved in that?” His voice is small now, filled with confusion and a touch of fear. “He’s a terrible boss, but a criminal mastermind?”
“He’s not the mastermind,” I clarify. “Just a peon.”
“So who’s the king, then?”
“His name is Frank Morelli. The Ghost Leader.” I let the name settle between us like a poisonous cloud. “He’s the head of a Mafia syndicate, and he wants to take the world to hell along with him when he succumbs to cancer.”
A beat of silence passes.
When I don’t fill it, Ethan says, “Oh my God. You’re serious. You’re seriously serious.”
He clamps one hand to his mouth, looking distinctly green around the edges.
“This isn’t like you, Layla,” he says softly. “I mean, you’re a kick-ass coder, not some super spy. This isn’t our world. Where the fuck do you come in to all this?”
I find myself confessing, “I overheard something I shouldn’t. Morelli’s men have been after me ever since. Kaden’s been protecting me from them because he has his own vendetta to settle with Morelli, but he refuses to help stop the AI from falling into the wrong hands.That’swhere I come in. I can’t just sit back and let it be handed to the Mafia.”
Ethan sighs and rubs his forehead with the heel of his free hand. “I’m regretting the edible I ate before coming to get you. Or maybe I didn’t have enough.”