Page 70 of Forsaking All Others

Valeria hada stash house on the outskirts of Raleigh. Her operation was nothing compared to the one Parrish and his boys destroyed a couple of years back. She had a hit squad that consisted of about a dozen low-class cunts that cut and bagged her product and another fleet of thugs who ran her smack over the state lines. Security was minimal and between Wiz and Parrish’s tech guy, Riggs, we dismantled her cameras with no problem.

The pussies surrounding the building were no sweat off our backs either. The first got two bullets—one to the eye and another to the heart, Ghost’s handywork. The second guy was Shady’s. He got cut from ear to ear and bled like a bitch. Cried like one too. Ink took the third motherfucker out with a pipe to the back of his head, decorating the walls of the hallway with brain matter.

Fuck fine art.

That shit is overrated and overpriced.

The next guy was all Hawk’s—choked the life out of him with his belt.

After that things started to get a little dicey. Valeria’s squad got wind that we were dropping bodies on the first floor and they tried to smoke us out from the second level.

But we weren’t done.

I came to give that cunt a present and I wasn’t leaving until I did.

Do your worst, bitch.

Locked and loaded, we charge up the stairs.

Shoot first, blink later.

“Clear,” Ghost shouts.

Ink raises one finger, then another, and another. He steps out of the way and Torque and Hawk unload a clip into the door. When they’re done, he shoves his shoulder into the door and it busts wide open.

We find the weakest link.

A woman.

Hair dark as night, eyes bewitching.

Perfect.

“Please,” she cries, holding up her arms. “Don’t kill me! I’m unarmed.” Her body quivers as she sobs uncontrollably. “I needed the extra money to get my son back.”

Ghost looks to me.

“Her?”

Instead of answering him, I advance toward the woman. With every step I take forward she takes two back until she’s pinned to the wall.

“Nowhere left to go, darlin’.”

“Please…”

“Not going to kill you,” I assure her. “Need you to deliver a gift to your boss.”

“Okay,” she stammers. “I…uh…I can do that.”

I flash her a wicked smile as I bring my hand to her cheek and gently brush away her tears. She shudders at my touch.

Fear.

“That’s a good girl,” I croon softly. My hand falls from her cheek and I turn to Shady. “Tie her up.”

It takes him a minute to process the order, his eyes glued to the girl. Ghost is less patient than me and shoves Shady aside.

“Get the fuck out of the way,” he clips, grabbing the girl by her bicep.

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