Page 239 of Like Grim Death: Part One
“Leave,” Tomas says again, his voice low. “Now, Mav. You don’t have much time.” Then, without another word, he ends the goddamn call.
* * *
“Elijah has lost control over RC,” Lucifer hisses from the driver’s seat.
“Breathe Into Me” by Red plays way too loudly in his car, but I don’t bother reaching to turn it down, considering all the shit we’ve got going on. The volume keeps me amped up.
Behind us, on the dark, dirt road leading away from Liber, Sid is driving her car, Cain is in the passenger seat with a gun, and Rain and Ella are in the back. Sid refused to let Rain ride here with Lucifer and me. I think I know why. It’s the same reason I wanted Ella in that car. My brother and I both are willing to sacrifice ourselves and this car to protect them. It would let them get away, giving them seconds at the least.
Behind them, Atlas follows in the G-Wagon, as a diversion, instead of taking his Range Rover. Ezra and Brooklin are in there with him.
Sevryn is in the BMW’s trunk. Lucifer was merciless when he tied his wrists and ankles and tossed him in there with duct tape over his mouth.
I think it’s a bad move, alienating and mistreating someone we don’t trust but who has to live with Luce. However, I didn’t exactly have time to get into a philosophical argument with my brother over it.
Lucifer glances in the rear-view, his jaw locked, just before we all put on our signals and turn onto a paved road, but an empty one nevertheless, placing distance between us and Liber.
It took us only minutes to pack up and get the fuck out of there. I didn’t mention the drugs to Atlas, or Sid’s secrets to Luce. Not yet. Besides, I think the confrontation might be better where we’re going. If we get away—and we haven’t seen any police lights yet, not to mention the fact our guards are in an armored car following Atlas—then no one will fuck with us where we end up.
Pluvia is a functioning hotel in Queen View, a bigger city than Alexandria, an hour from Liber. Elijah knows we own it, but it’s all us, not him or any of my other uncles. We use it for mafioso members coming to do business with us, so we can keep an eye on them. Otherwise, it stays empty. And tonight, only the staff and guards are there. It has the cover of being downtown, in the midst of thousands of other people. A showdown there with the cops would risk Mikhail’s own secrecy. It would crawl all over the news.
Even he isn’t that brash.
I don’t think.
“Did Elijah ever have control?” I finally counter to Luce, about RC. Lucifer said he asked him last night to protect us while we stayed at Liber to let Boaz cool down.
Clearly that didn’t work out.
“RC ranks higher but Elijah has history in this state, no matter RC’s fucking headquarters in Wilmington. Mikhail doesn’t spend enough time here to get that leverage. But—”
“But Mikhail has deeper pockets, and he can corrupt cops easier because of it.” Not just in wealth. Connections, favors, threats. Elijah doesn’t want to push the police force of Alexandria too hard because sometimes, they’re not just enemies. They’re tentative allies. And we have to live alongside one another. Mikhail can drop bombs and leave, never dealing with the wreckage in the aftermath.
“He needs to get the fuck out of here,” Lucifer hisses beneath his breath, his gaze rising to check in on his family again, behind us. I glance in the side view mirror, wanting to ensure Ella is safe too. I wish I was with her. So many things I always have to fucking brush aside for her, because of who I work for and what I do.
“He will, after he’s done testing you, right?” I ask Luce, bouncing my knee as I turn to look at him. Because clearly Mikhail is here to check in on us Unsaints.
Lucifer tightens his grip on the wheel, other hand over the shifter. But he doesn’t say a word. I’m considering telling him about Mikhail’s threats to me, because I’m not so sure the consequences matter now. We’re fucked as it is, running from RC until we can figure out what the fuck to do about Esther and Finn and the three fuckers I burned in the Town Car, but just as I open my mouth to come clean, Lucifer speaks instead, cutting me off.
“Fuck.”
I twist around in my seat, grabbing the Glock from between my thighs, finger darting to the trigger. Dread is heavy in my stomach, my heart racing painfully inside my chest.
I see blue lights, way back, but glowing along the night sky. If they wanted to get closer without making their presence known, they would’ve kept their lights off. But I don’t think it’s because they’re fucking stupid.
I think it’s because there’s going to be far more ofthemthan there are ofus.
Lucifer smacks his hand on the steering wheel. I know what he feels right now. My eyes are on Sid’s BMW behind us, and I can’t really see her or Ella or Cain or my nephew, but knowing they’re there is almost enough to drive me into panic mode. Almost enough to cause me to lose my fucking shit because only blind terror flashes in my mind. The desire to protect, to throw myself at them, to jump out of the car to keep them all safe.
It’s what Lucifer is feeling now, and as much as I love Rain, I know the feelings he has toward him, as his child, are far more intense.
I take a deep breath. I keep my grip on the gun.
We have to make it into the city limits of Queen View. If we do that, we’ll make a fucking mess skidding through traffic and Mikhail will call off his dogs because cults shouldn’t end up in the press.
I glance over my shoulder, through the windshield. Still nothing but darkness ahead with stars dotting the sky, the moon a crescent which makes me think of Ella, but I’ve gotta stop that because I need to thinkahead.
We’re still half an hour from Queen View.
