Page 25 of Explosive Union

“Yep, and best remember that. I know a hundred different ways to kill you and hide your body so no one will ever know where you are. No body, no crime.” I reach for the black leather gloves I brought with me and hand a pair to Hayes and another to Hayden before putting on my own pair. Best not to leave fingerprints anywhere.

Hayden chuckles at my words. “Duly noted. Although, I don’t think it works that way.”

“Eh, semantics,” I tell him as we climb into the car, and once again Hayes starts the engine.

Excitement courses through me as I know we’re only minutes away from getting what I have wanted for almost five years.

We pull up outside of Rice’s apartment complex. And just in time as I see the bitch Deborah Carols walking out with a very satisfied smile on her face. I wait until she’s in her car before speaking.

“As soon as that car is out of sight, we’ll go in,” I tell them both. They’re antsy. They want to go in and get this done. I’m the exact same, but we have to play this smart. Get in and out without getting caught. There’s no way in hell I’ll be going back in prison. Not a fucking chance. So, I’m taking every precaution to ensure that doesn’t happen.

We wait with bated breath for Deborah to pull out of the parking lot.

“Alright, she’s gone,” Hayes tells me.

“Then what are we waiting for?” I open the car door and climb out, inhaling the Chicago air as I do. God, it feels so damn good to be able to be here. To feel this alive again.

It doesn’t take us long to enter the building. It’s one of the worst things about apartment complexes. There’ll always be those tenants that’ll let anyone in without checking to see who’s there. We take the stairs, all the way to the top floor.

“You sure you’re ready for this?” Hayden asks me as we reach Rice’s door.

“I should punch you for even asking her that,” Hayes snarls at him. “She’s more than ready. She knows what she’s doing, Hay. She’s planned this. Trust her. She’s got this.”

The absolute faith he has in me is incredible to witness.

Hayden nods. “You’re right. She has. So, let’s get this done. We’re now down to twenty minutes.”

I reach into my back pocket and pull out the tool Uncle Killian gave me when I was twelve. A lock picking device. I learned the art of pickpocketing and lock picking at an early age, and Killian helped me enhance those skills. I crouch in front of the lock and get to work.

I hear the snick of the lock, letting me know my efforts have been fruitful.

“Oh, by the way,” Hayes says as I get to my feet. “Thanks for teaching my daughter how to do that. She has now passed the skill on to her sister.”

I smile widely at him. “Excellent,” I breathe. “Every girl should know how to pick a lock. You never know when it may come in handy.”

I open the door and slip into the apartment, Hayes and Hayden right behind me. Once the door is closed, I begin my revenge.

“Oh, Ricey boy, where are you?” I call out, taunting him.

The man in question steps out of a room to the left of the hall wearing nothing but a towel. His eyes are wide, and his face is deathly gray.

“Wh—" He swallows hard, his gaze moving to my left and then to my right. Ah, my brothers are flanking me. How sweet. “What the hell are you doing here?” he demands.

“I warned you,” I tell him. “I warned every single one of you what would happen. But none of you listened. Shame. If you had, we wouldn’t be here right now.”

His body trembles, his hand clenching the towel around his waist.

“Bit late for modesty, wouldn’t you say,” I tease him. “I mean, I’ve seen it all before. Not that there’s much to write home about.”

I hear a muffled chuckle from behind me but ignore it.

“What did you think was going to happen, Rice? That I’d get out and forget everything that happened?” I scoff. “No, you don’t deserve to live for what you have done.”

I move quickly. He doesn’t even have time to comprehend what’s happening. My foot connects with his knee, and he falls to the floor. A cry escapes his lips, but it soon stops when my foot presses against his Crown Jewels.

“Fortunately for you, I don’t have very much time to play. So, this is going to hurt like hell, but you can take solitude from the fact it’ll be over before you know it.”

I pull the towel from his body as Hayes and Hayden move forward. Hayes goes to his head and holds him in place while Hayden hands me his favorite knife.