take a nosedive. Six months of being Zodiac’s runner turned into six years. It hadn’t been too bad, depending on how you look at things. A little bloody and violent, but manageable. Living in a different city that Zodiac only visited on occasion allowed me to stay on the edge of his gang. Do I like working for that psychopath? No, but I’m not dumpster diving for food anymore. I had money; I had Megan and Wyatt. They were safe.
And just when you think you’re catching a break, karma comes along and fucks you up the ass without lube—a reminder that, in the grand scheme of this game called life, we’re all nothing more than pawns. Apparently, turning twenty-one reminded the powers that be I still existed, and now everything is going to change for the worst.
When I die, God—or whoever is running this shit show—and I are going to have a come to Jesus meeting.
“This is a bad idea, V,” Wyatt warns me, his lips pressed in a hard line.
I sigh and rub my hands over my face, then pause to look at my palms. “That’s all I have these days, Wyatt. Bad ideas and bloody hands.”
“It doesn’t have to be this way. Stay with Megan or go back to school. Something. You can be free of this life now.” He looks down at me with a sad expression, knowing that’s not an option for someone like me.
The weight of his concern has emotions bubbling up to the surface. I snuff them down quickly. “I’m glad Megan’s prick of an uncle tracked her down and gave her the inheritance she’s entitled to. She has the shop she always dreamed of now and somewhere safe to lay her head down at night. She has you to keep her safe. She’s happy, Wyatt. That’s all I ever wanted for her. A safe, normal, happy life.”
“And what about you, Viddy? Don’t you want that for yourself?”
I glance up at the apartment building when the light goes on in Megan’s bedroom, and then offer Wyatt a wry smile. “With a white picket fence, kids, and a dog? We both know I’d go fucking insane.”
He doesn’t crack the slightest smile. Ignoring the thickness in my throat, I continue, “Wyatt, I’m twenty-one tomorrow. Zodiac wants to induct me—officially—into the gang. Refusing isn’t an option. If I did, it would only bring trouble to Megan’s door. I’ll never do that.”
“A gang though, V…” His voice trails off and an ice pick chinks a piece of the hardened wall around my heart. I step into him and wrap my arms around his waist. After a beat, his giant arms come around in return and squeeze me until it’s difficult to breathe.
“I could kill them all for you,” he offers, making me snort.
Once upon a time, Wyatt had a wife and a kid. But they were brutally killed during a gang initiation. Instead of lying down and dying with them, Wyatt tracked down their killers and wiped them out.
The. Entire. Gang.
This situation with me having to be inducted is his worst nightmare playing all over again.
“And spoil my fun? Hush, now. I have a plan, but it will take time. For now, I have to go and play the part. Just promise me, whatever happens, you’ll keep Megan safe. And if something happens to me—”
He cuts me off by gripping my face in his hands. “Nothing will happen to you, Viddy, or I’ll paint that city red.”
I swallow the lump in my throat. “I’ll be safe, I promise.” I just hope this isn’t the one promise I’ll have to break.
Wyatt drops his hands from my face and steps back. “At least say goodbye to Megan before you go,” he pleads, trying to delay the inevitable a bit longer.
I shake my head. “I can’t. If I watch her cry while she begs me to stay, I’ll cave and put us all in danger. Even without Zodiac, I’ve made a lot of enemies of my own doing his dirty work.”
He sighs, his shoulders slouching, and nods in understanding.
“I need you to do something for me.” I shove a Post-it note in his hand with the information he’ll need. “I buried something a long time ago and I need you to move it to a safe deposit box for me.”
He stands a little straighter. “Of course, I’ll do it tomorrow.”
I blow out a relieved breath. “Thank you. I have to go.” I lift up on my toes and place a kiss