Page 143 of Chaos Kills

“Can’t do that until later when I’m supposed to drop the shit off. However, I have a plan for that. All is well.”

I hear him. I trust him. I’m just not fully sold on the idea.

I’ve had Levi taken from me once. The idea of it happening again preaches that I’ll lose my shit in its entirety.

“So, you gonna tell me what you were doing at Breeze Bar?”

My blood immediately runs cold as a wave of goosebumps line my skin in its wake. I didn’t tell Levi about the other night. I didn’t want to worry him. I know I should have, but…he wasn’t here, and it wasn’t as though he could help.

“I, uh…”Fuck, fuck, fuck.“Can we talk about this when you’re back here?”

Ellie and Mae are literally feet away, selling cupcakes we spent all day making yesterday so they could make some money. Today is flea market day at one of South Shore’s ports. It’s where people sell their junk, their products or crafts, and anything else they might want to get rid of.

“I’m gonna keep my cool,” Levi promises impassively. “I just need to know.”

“I have a feeling…you already know.”

A few ticks of dreaded silence go by before he says, “Why do you think De Leon didn’t follow you out? He couldn’t.”

My brain halts on a dime before I mutter a whispered, “What?”

“You’re on suicide watch,” my best friend claims evenly and in an authoritive tone that I don’t heartoooften. “You have The Nameless on you at all times. Discreetly, of course.”

“Explain,” I hedge anxiously. “I mean, I know what that means, and don’t call it suicide watch, but…what about Matteo?”

“The Pistol Posse starts peppering bullets off at my girl,” he says matter-of-factly. “They die. I just wish I was there to see Matteo run.”

“You’re mad.”

“Furious.” But his tone is flat, the exact opposite of that word.

“Lev, I?—”

“No more rescue missions.Promiseme.”

I immediately bob my head. “I promise.”

“And I’m gonna make you promise me again when I get home tomorrow.”

My whole body and mood light up. “You’re comin’ home tomorrow?”

“Yep. Now that Lorenzo Black is trying to weasel his way into your heart, I need to step in and act as a roadblock to that.”

You are the answer to all my fucking prayers for ending a reign of terror that’s only going to get worse. Because, my sweet little South Shore princess, Emilio will kill you. Especially when you don’t fall in line with all his plans.

“He wants to help take down…” I don’t have to finish my sentence. Talking about murder and throwing reigns of power isn’t ideal or smart.

“Lorenzo has been wantin’ to do that for years. He’s not in Emilio’s fan base.”

“And you never thought to side up with him? For an extra set of hands?”

“For the briefest of seconds. However, I quickly shut it down. But it was something Roger wanted me to try…one day.”

“Dad was a smart man.”

“He liked Lorenzo.”

“He made it soundmutual.”

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