Page 109 of Chaos Kills

Hot Rod chuckles while wrenching, and I groan because c’mon. Pulling myself out from above the motor, I amble to the front seat, ruffle Mae’s dark curls because she’s driving me nuts, and adjust the key so the radio turns on.

“All of My Love” by Led Zeppelin comes through the speakers, and Mae makes a face.

“I don’t want this.”

“It’s Dad’s station.” My sister immediately wipes off her look of disgust. “If you wanna change it?—”

She plops down in my seat. “No, I like it.”

Okay, then.

“Let me work,” I tell her gently as a set of cars take off. “I’ve got another race, okay? Then we’ll get slushies and go to the beach.”

“Okay.”

Getting back underneath the hood, Hot Rod is just about done changing out a few of the spark plugs. “Levi just texted me to check in.”

“Is he in New York yet?”

“Yeah. He’s got his thing tomorrow night.”

Thing.

Yeah, I hate this.

I’m almost wishing Rod didn’t tell me, but I need to know where Levi is at all times. However, this will be the last stupid-ass drug thing he does outside of our area. I can’t keep tabs on him easily when he’s not here. He might have Juice, but I’d feel better if he also had Hot Rod, too.

“Why didn’t you go?”

Rod glances over at me as the crowd cheers excitedly over whoever won the last race. “And who was going to watch you?”

I scoff and send him over a withering glower. “Is that Lev’s idea or yours?”

“Both of ours.” I’d argue, but what’s the point? “You’ve made some enemies, sis. No one was going to leave you alone while there are wild assholes on the loose.”

“But you’d all let me step into the lion’s den with Lorenzo Black?”

“I’d hardly call Black a lion,” Rod retorts, placing his wrench down and shoving his hand between the alternator and serpentine belt to check something. “More like a lamb with his old age. He’s been trying to side up with Levi for years.”

I lean against the fender with curiosity. “Then why hasn’t he done it?”

“Eh, Levi likes to keep people wondering. Plus, Lorenzo never wanted to publicize it. Then, there was the whole thing about you being kept a secret. Levi didn’t want Emilio getting too close to home.”

“But Emilio did anyway.”

“Still not sure how he figured it out.”

I sigh. “Yeah, well…the devil and everything.”

“It’ll all be over soon. You’ll be away from this shit, and that will be that.”

Guilt fills my chest as Hot Rod continues messing with the car. “How do you feel about all that?”

He doesn’t look at me. “About what?”

Hot Rod doesn’t fool me. He’s just as much family as the rest. “Us leaving.”

“Has to happen.” He pushes his cheek out with his tongue. “I think it’s best for Ellie and Mae.”

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