Page 25 of Broken Promises

“You didn’t give me a choice. You would’ve tossed me over your shoulder and dragged me.”

“Aren’t you glad you said yes then?” he smirked over his shoulder, unlocking his car and sitting in the driver’s seat, leaving the door open as he started it.

The engine roared to life, the sound bouncing off the walls and almost bursting my damn eardrums.

“It’s fine,” Riley said over the loud exhaust before he could ask. “I started it weekly and drove it around the yard a few times to make sure everything was running as it should be.”

“I appreciate you keeping it safe,” he answered sincerely, leaning over to the glovebox and pulling out a phone. “Did you charge it for me like I asked?”

“Yep. I made the mistake of turning it on too. There's a million messages and missed calls,” she grumbled, pushing her hood off her head. “We were starting to think you were dead or something.”

“Sorry to disappoint your family,” he joked, looking over at me. “You getting in?”

“What about the other car?” I asked slowly as I started walking towards the passenger seat, but he waved it off.

“I’ll come get it later.”

Riley snorted. “You know you’ll have Cruz on your doorstep the second they spot your car on their cameras, right?”

Ander shut his door and put the window down, leaning on the frame as he answered. “I intend on seeing them on the way home.”

“You’re heading to the Thieves’ compound?”

“I didn’t say that,” he chuckled, putting the car in gear as I climbed in and put my seat belt on. “Thanks for this. I’ll see you later, Donovan.”

“You’d better. I want answers,” she said seriously, moving out of the way so we could drive out into the sun.

“Where to now?” I asked as the car rumbled along the driveway, and he gave me a smirk.

“It depends where we get pulled over and interrogated. I think it’s a nice day for a drive to the beach, don’t you?”

Zavier

“Morning,” Drake said cheerfully as I entered the Thieves’ office with my morning coffee, dropping into my usual chair. I swore I’d barely left it since being here. I’d been forced to go to bed last night, thanks to Knox apparently being sick of looking at me moping, but the sleep had admittingly done me some good.

“Morning,” I answered once I’d had a sip, eyeing him. He was watching security in Kingslake for Knox and Stone, who were on a job. I didn’t know what they were stealing, and I didn’t care to ask. “Where’s Cruz?”

“Showering with Penn. She’s a little sticky,” he said with amusement, looking over at me. “You want to go do something today? You need some sun, you’re losing your tan.”

“Am not.”

“You totally are. You’re like a middle-aged man who lives in his mommy’s basement,” he snorted, returning his eyes to his screen.

I turned my computer on and waited for it to fire up, flicking through my phone notifications. Nothing from Raven or the guys, not that I was really expecting any.

I placed my coffee down once the computer was on, pulling up multiple cameras to scour the footage. I hadn’t had eyes on Raven for what felt like forever since I didn’t get to watch any of her late night wanderings.

“You know, I think you need therapy, dude,” Drake said as he slid his chair over to see what I was looking at.

“I just need to make sure she’s okay,” I said, knowing Raven would be pissed if she knew.

“She was at a party last night. I saw a photo of her this morning,” he said as he dug his phone from his pocket, scrolling until he found it.

She was laughing with Cami, which should have reassured me, but it didn’t. Cami was a bomb waiting to go off, and she was the most unreliable person at a time of need if someone went after Raven.

What was Raven thinking? The mafia were watching her, and she thought getting drunk at a party was a good idea?

Drake took my mouse and searched her face in the system that Cruz had created, other photos popping up from the party.Most were her hanging with a bunch of girls and a few guys, but the one that pissed me off was the one of her dancing with Michael.

---