EVIL VILLAIN (The Royal Court #3) - Rebel Hart Page 0,47

as could, probably one very close to Concrete. I smiled, imagining moving into a small, modest place with Cherri and getting a dog. Maybe Venom and Felicity could come and visit and bring Concrete and our dog could bond with him. Was it dangerous to dream of such a delightful life? I had very little faith that I’d ever have that kind of life, but it didn’t keep me from wishing for it.

“Hey,” Felicity said, walking back into the room.

“Hi,” I said. “Any news?” She frowned, and that was enough of an answer. “No luck, huh?”

“Connor’s proving slipperier than he thought,” she said. “He’s coming up short, but he’s going to keep trying.”

“I know we agreed that we’d leave Nathan out of this, but the information he has could be really useful. Maybe we should reach out to him,” I said.

“That’s a last resort option,” Felicity replied. “Let’s give Nico a little more time and then if it really feels like he’s not getting anywhere, we can consider it.”

“Fine,” I said.

“There is something though,” Felicity said. “Something else I’m hoping you’ll keep a secret from your dad.”

“Okay?”

“There was a place he used to go. A trade show of sorts. It’s masked to look like a car show, but it was something of an underground black market. They use these flashy cars and all their money to hide just about any illegal business. Nasty stuff. Trafficking. Drugs. Embezzling. Blackmail. Murder for hire. If it would be considered a felony, you can find someone there who will do it,” Felicity said.

“Connor has to have used a place like that,” I said.

Felicity nodded. “That’s what I’m thinking too. Garret wouldn’t tell me where to find it, but Nico did.”

“Wait… You’re gonna go? That’s gotta be insanely dangerous,” I said.

She punched my arm lightly. “Maybe, but I can take care of myself. Plus, it would be worth it if it meant we could get a solid lead on Connor.”

“Let me come with you then,” I said.

She glared at me. “We agreed—”

“I know, but we also agreed we were going to work together,” I retorted. “If Venom knew I let you go somewhere he didn’t want you to go, alone, he’d break my legs. I’m not letting you go alone. Either we both go, or neither of us.”

She watched me quietly for a few minutes, and her jaw flexed and relaxed in a pattern while she considered it. Finally, she blew air out of her nose and nodded. “Okay. We’ll go together.”

My stomach actually lurched a little at the thought. It’d been a little while since either of us had mentioned Connor or looking for him, and July was officially underway. I’d very nearly tricked myself into thinking that this was just the life I was living. I was just a normal kid living with his mom and adorable pit bull, doing chores around the house, and getting a little too into co-op video games.

But no.

Reality came crashing back into me and it made me anxious, but also reminded me of what I was doing in the first place. I had a family to get back to, a real one. My mother, my brother, my best friend, and the love of my life. They were waiting for me and this was an active effort to move in that direction. I was glad for the opportunity. We turned off the video game and each spent a little bit of time showering and getting ready, then we fed Concrete and left in Felicity’s hot rod.

Not surprisingly, the car show took place at night, and instead of being at a convention center like a regular show might be, this one was outside in something akin to a warehouse district close to the coast. Like a scene out of a movie, everyone filing into the show was receiving a mask to wear, likely to protect identities. I was shocked when I saw some police officers standing around, but the booze most of them were working on and scantily clad women dancing around them led me to believe they were dirty cops paid by some powerful men to keep things orderly.

I was slightly nervous that getting in would be difficult, but Felicity knew the right things to say to the guy guarding the entrance, and then we received our masks and were allowed inside. It was helpful that, despite being 18, my muscular stature and overgrown facial hair made me look older, and I kept close to Felicity as she