Total pages in book: 90
Estimated words: 87618 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 438(@200wpm)___ 350(@250wpm)___ 292(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 87618 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 438(@200wpm)___ 350(@250wpm)___ 292(@300wpm)
I can feel it then. Everything coming together. The light at the end of the tunnel. The only way this is going to work out. I need all my skill and a whole lot of luck, but this is possible.
Probably, at least.
“You’re fucking insane,” Riley says, pacing back and forth across the basement. She’s got paint swatches, lamps, bits of carpet, and thrift store paintings scattered all over the place as she tries to figure out what she wants to do with the area.
“It makes sense though, doesn’t it?”
“To a crazy person, sure.”
“Come on. Think about it. We need to get Los Sombras off your brother’s back, and we need to find a way to get rid of the damn watch without Mantis killing us. What better way than to pin it all on Diego Navarro and kill two birds with one stone?”
Riley laughs and gestures in the air. “How in the hell do you plan on pulling that off?”
“Easy. I’ll break into Navarro’s house, plant the watch in his safe, and create a fake trail of chatter on his home network. I’ll build up just enough proof that Mantis will buy it, all while making sure they won’t believe Navarro when he denies everything.”
“And how will that help Brenden?”
“Mantis will kill Navarro. Los Sombras will go to war with the Black Mantis, and at that point, they won’t give a shit about your brother anymore. Mantis will dismantle those fuckers.” I spread my arms, grinning like a lunatic. “The enemy of my enemy and all that.”
She rubs her face with both hands and groans. “It’s crazy. There are so many ways that can go wrong.”
“Yeah, you’re probably right, but if I pull this off, it’ll be the perfect hack.”
“The perfect what now?”
“Nothing, never mind.” I go to her and pull her into my arms. “Trust me, baby. This can work. It’s going to work.”
She sags into me. “I just don’t like it, that’s all. Just feels like too much can go wrong. You could get hurt, or Brenden could get targeted, and I just don’t know what I’ll do if it blows up in our face.”
“I won’t let that happen.”
She leans back and a little smile slips onto her face. “Does this mean you need me to pick some locks?”
“Absolutely fucking not.”
She pouts and pulls back. “Why? Come on, I did great last time. You said yourself, you’re the one that screwed up.”
“Riley, there’s no way I’m letting you get anywhere near this job.”
“What, you’re going to pull it off? The computer nerd?”
“I can do a lot more than break into security networks.”
“Can you pick a lock?”
I hesitate, then glare at her. “Can’t be that hard.”
“God, you’re clueless.” She chews a thumbnail like she’s thinking. “Fine, you convinced me. I’ll teach you.”
“What now?”
“You need my help, right? I can teach you.”
“I never said I needed your help.”
“Sure you do.” She waves a hand and starts pacing again. “You don’t want me going near that house, right? Well, I can accept that, so long as you let me contribute in other ways.”
“That’s almost like real growth.”
“I know, right? I’m really amazed with myself. I’m not impulsively running off to break a window!”
“It’s incredible. I’m so proud. But you’re not teaching me anything.”
“Don’t be such a big baby.” She pats my cheek, beaming. “It’ll be fun. I promise.”
She walks off, already making plans for how she’s going to torture me, and I am very sure that it’s going to be anything but fun.
Only the plan’s taking shape, and maybe it’s not perfect and there’s a lot that could go wrong, but it’s a genuine path forward.
I just have to hope that Mantis is as bloodthirsty as I think they are.
Chapter 37
Riley
“You’re about as nimble as a pirate with two peg legs.”
“Any pirate still alive after losing both legs is probably pretty dexterous.” Alexan glares at me as he wiggles the lock picks. “And you’re a terrible teacher.”
“You’re a terrible student!” I pace around the living room, glaring at him as he works. He curses and gives up, throwing the practice lock into the pillows.
“I’m a fucking systems engineer, not a thief. This is bullshit.”
“I learned it. How come you can’t?”
“It’s impossible.” He crosses his arms and glowers at me. “I think this whole thing is rigged.”
“Give me that.” I stride over, take the lock, grab the picks, and get it open in less than thirty seconds. I dangle it from my fingers, eyebrows raised. “Got something to say?”
“This is bullshit,” he grumbles through his teeth.
I click the lock closed again and hand it back. “Look, let’s take a break. We’re both getting frustrated.”
“No.” He goes back to wiggling the picks. “We don’t have time for breaks.”
“You’re just going to burn yourself out.”
“How did you do that? Walk me through it again.”
“We tried that already. I walked you through it ten times. It hasn’t helped.”