Page 18 of Playing With Piper

“Get your bag,” I tell her quietly, kissing her palm now before letting her hand slip back down to her side. She nods softly, releasing all the tension she had been holding before. Piper’s shoulders drop, and I feel bad for her. I know she’s ready to sleep, but I need her to hold out for a little bit longer.

We grab the last of our things in silence. I pick my blade up off the floor, wiping the half-dried blood off on the sheets. Piper stands at the door, waiting for me as I do a mental checklist.

Piper. Keys. Knife. Money. Piper, again. Just to be sure.

I nod to myself before meeting Piper at the door. I open it for her and step out of the way so she can walk through. There’s a glint in her eyes like she wants to make a smart comment, but she keeps quiet and hums in appreciation. I close the door behind me, locking it, and nod her towards the stairs. We walk in silence to the front desk.

The bell chimes, and I roll my eyes in annoyance at the dirt and grime still caked on the lobby floor.

Kurt, the only worker in this place, comes out of the office with a scowl on his face.

“Don’t give me that look, asshole. I told you to clean this shithole up. I’m paying you to clean a fucking crime scene, but by the looks ofthis,” I gesture around to the disgusting lobby, “I’ve made a mistake.” Kurt rolls his eyes.

“Don’t get your dick in a twist, Blade. I’ve been doing this way longer than you have, so please back the fuck off. He could sit up there and rot for a month, and the cops still wouldn’t know a thing about it,” Kurt grunts, crossing his arms. I let out a noise of frustration but decide to let it go.

Kurt’s right. Cops never come here, and I’m not sure they even know it exists. If they do, they don’t give a shit. Lucky for me, that’s exactly what Piper and I are gonna need if we keep this up. Hopefully so because I have a list of assholes that have to be taken care of. Piper doesn’t know that yet, but she’ll be aware of it soon. Speaking of–

I look to Piper, who looks completely and utterly thrown off by the exchange between Kurt and me.

“I told you, it’s taken care of,” I tell Piper, leaning down to whisper into her ear.

“You’re telling me you know this asshole?” she scoffs. I nod.

“If you knew what Blade was here for, then why the hell did you think I was fucking both of them?” Piper asks Kurt abruptly. He smirks, offering her a shrug.

“I was pissed off. Needed something to lighten my mood,” Kurt says nonchalantly. I grip his shirt from across the counter and pull him close until my face is directly in front of his. The desk rattles as I jerk him around.

“Don’teverpull some shit like that again, or I’ll fucking kill you. Don’t fuck withmygirl,” I threaten through gritted teeth, spit flying onto his face. Kurt scoffs, trying to push me off him. I tighten my grip.

“Got it?” I grunt.

“Okay, got it! Jesus, Blade. Chill the fuck out,” Kurt grunts, stumbling as I shove him back. His rolling chair flies backwards, but he manages to catch himself before tripping over it.

I toss a wad of cash onto the musty desk before turning around, tugging Piper along with me.

The stupid bell chimes as we leave. I finally release Piper when we reach her car. She slips her duffel bag off her arm silently, handing it to me when I hold my hand out for it. I toss it into the trunk and walk around to open the passenger door for her. She slips into the car with no objections, and I can feel her gaze on me as I close the door and round the car.

“Where’s your car?” Piper asks as I start the car.

“On your street. Didn’t bring my car. Stole Owen’s,” I grumble, resting my hand on her seat as I turn to look over my shoulder. I back out of the small parking lot, careful not to hit any of the debris scattered around. Kurt really needs to clean this shit up. I guess the decrepit look guarantees that people won’t be snooping around. It’s creepy as fuck, and the only reason I picked this place is because of Kurt.

“So, I’m assuming that Kurt handled that, too?” Piper says. I nod. She’s looking at me expectantly. Iglance over at her, brooding in the passenger seat, and I sigh.

“Yes, Piper,” I hum.

“And you trust him?” she asks gently. I cringe, but it’s true. Kurt may not seem reliable, but he’s the one who’s given me most of the information that I’ve needed so far. Like finding the contract between Owen and my shooter.

“Unfortunately, I do. I’ve known him for a while, and he knows that I have enough dirt on him that if he doesn’t help, he won’t be doing much ofanything,” I say vaguely. Piper seems to accept that answer because she relaxes and leans against my arm. I take one hand off the wheel and play with her hair.

“What’s the plan now, then?” she hums, closing her eyes.

“You’re still in this with me, right?” I ask.

“Of course I am,” Piper says sleepily. I want to wait until she’s well rested before telling her that I’ve already planned on who’s next, but I know she won’t drop it until I tell her. So, I do.

Piper sits up as I divulge my plan. Her eyes light up as I give her every sick detail of our revenge plan. She nods along and offers her input when I ask for it.

“You’re gonna get your murder spree, baby,” I grin as she shifts in the seat.

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