Page 35 of Femme Fatale
Selene waited until everyone was done, then said, “That’s just one hit. He’ll expect a counterpunch. What else have you got, Zeke?”
I slid the next sheet forward. “Tomorrow night, he’s moving a new shipment through the old Koval warehouse. It’s supposed to be guns, but if you read the codes on the manifest, it’s probably coke. If we hit it, we either get enough firepower to start a small war, or enough coke to buy half the city.”
Joker laughed, loud and mean. “That’ll really piss him off.”
I looked at the crew, then back at Selene. “You want to hurt him, you have to break the myth. Hit both at once, and he’ll look weak. People will jump ship.”
Spade checked her sidearm. “I’ll need three shooters, minimum.”
Selene finally sat down. She poured herself two fingers of bourbon, then looked up at me. “You got a personal stake in this?”
I didn’t answer, but she saw it. She always did.
“Joker, you’re point on the cash job. Spade, you take the warehouse with Tempest and Nines. Glitz, run the tech from here and keep the air clean. Aces, you’re backup on both fronts—fast wheels, fast in and out. I’ll take the third team and go after Jack’s private club. If he’s hiding, it’ll be there.”
I nodded, but that wasn’t good enough. “Not every parent is a good parent I said. We both know that. My father got people killed. Doesn’t give two shits about Simone or me.”
“Like my mother.”
“Like your mother.” I tapped the table. “I agree with hitting my father’s deals. But that won’t stop his next hit on this club or some other group.”
“He has to die,” Selene said.
I nodded. “He has to die.”
Everyone nodded, but no one smiled. The mood was razor-sharp, ready to bleed. I felt a weird pride, but also dread, like I’d finally found people worth fighting for, and now I’d signed their death warrants.
Selene turned to me. “You stay with me. I want you close in case he’s got a surprise.”
“Fine by me,” I said. “I want to see the look on his face when he figures out who hit him.”
She snorted. “You’re a sick bastard, Smalls.”
“Runs in the family.”
They spent the next hour prepping gear, finalizing routes, and memorizing maps. I could hear the bikes outside, engines idling in the dark, the sound thick and heavy in my chest. My hands shook again, but this time, it felt right.
Selene cornered me in the hallway, away from the others. “You’re not doing this just for revenge. What’s really going on?”
I shook my head. “I’m doing it because it’s the only thing I’m good at. Because if I don’t, he’ll never stop.”
She studied me, then said, “Don’t die tonight.”
“No promises,” I said, and meant it.
We met up by the gate. The rest of the crew was already suited up, helmets on, gloves tightened. Joker flashed a grin, teeth shining in the gloom. Spade and Tempest shared a nod that probably meant they’d already decided who would do the killing. Nines adjusted her comms, and Glitz stood in the back, a phone in each hand, already running the numbers.
Selene mounted her bike, boots scuffing the pavement. I climbed onto mine and lined up next to her.
“You ready for this?” she asked, low so only I could hear.
“I’ve never been more ready for anything in my life,” I said.
She revved her engine. The others followed suit, one after another, until the noise was a living thing.
We rolled out into the night, the whole city stretching out in front of us.
Chapter Nine
