Page 83 of Waiting Game

When did she get back? Why did she come back?

How did they get her in the first place?

I knew it wasn’t the time or place to be distracted with thoughts like those, but I couldn’t help it. Did she come back for me, or did they bring her back by force?

My stomach turned, I knew that I never should have left her there all alone.

I should have forced her to come, no matter if she hated me for doing it. At least she would have been safe, even if that meant that she never spoke to me again.

“What’s the plan?” I asked.

“They don’t really know me,” she sighed, “I’ll go and ask to talk to them. You sneak in the back and find Valerie.”

I shook my head, “I don’t know, Rome. If you get hurt, Antoni will cut my dick off.”

“I don’t give a shit,” she snapped, “Valerie is my family now too. We have to help her. If she’s inside when the rest of The Family gets here, she will get hurt. You’re in no state to help anyone, so you can at least just get her out.”

I nodded, handing her a second gun and she slipped it into her high boot.

She let her hair down, tossing the curls and looking at herself in the mirror as she painted on a coat of red lipstick and adjusted her cleavage.

This was Rome’s kind of game, she knew what she was doing and I trusted her.

She worked differently to us, there was a different kind of strategy that a woman like her could employ. I only prayed that it would work.

“What if they recognise you?” I asked.

“Then I’ll pretend I have information, I don’t know. I’ll figure it out. Don’t worry about me.”

I nodded, “I’ll go around back, I’ll listen out for your voice before I head in.”

She nodded and I opened the door and stepped out.

“Hey,” she called, and I turned around.

“Don’t get fucking killed,” she ordered.

I nodded once, and then walked towards the base.

If anyone was going to get killed, it would be whoever did this to my girl.

The front yard was littered with parked motorcycles and metal drums that had been used for bonfires. I ducked as I passed a window, heading towards the back of the house. I could hear the sound of voices talking, and of metal clinking. I peered around the corner of the house to make sure the coast was clear.

There was one guy standing guard, and I hid again.

How the fuck was I going to get inside? My gun didn’t have a silencer, and I was in no shape to take him down quickly and quietly by myself.

There was a knock at the front door, and I knew that Rome was there and ready.

I heard voices, so did the guard, and he walked inside to see what the commotion was. After a few seconds, I peered around the corner again and headed towards the entrance with my back pressed against the wall.

I poked my head in through the backdoor with my gun drawn. Rome’s plan had worked, and they were all now distracted by her, gathering around the front door. The main part of the house was up a small set of steps in front of me, where I was standing seemed to be some sort of laundry room turned into a makeshift garage. The flooring beneath me was rough concrete, and the small part of the house was piled high with boxes and tools. I was careful as I inched my way towards the stairs, stepping over and around all of the clutter so I didn’t give away my position.

There was a muffled sound to my left, and I froze.

I frowned, keeping my gun trained towards the source of the noise as I stepped slowly towards it. The rustling continued as I turned a corner into a tiny bathroom.

Valerie’s eyes widened as she saw me.

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