Chapter 33
Ember
I watch Tico leave and an uneasy feeling comes over me. Throwing off the covers, I quickly throw on some clothes, my boots, and then I braid my hair. Pacing the room, I chew on my thumbnail as my gaze bounces between the door and my nightstand holding my gun.
“Fuck it,” I curse and cross the room, pulling it out. I debate whether I should use my ankle or side holster and end up putting on the side holster before putting my cut on over it to cover it up.
I pace for another ten minutes when someone knocks on the door. I freeze, staring at it for a minute before crossing the room.
“Who is it?” I ask through the locked door.
“It’s Corvus, Queenie. Tico texted me to come sit with you while he and the others go into Church.”
I hesitate, remembering he’s one of the ones Tico, Taco, and Wire suspect could be the rat.
“He said you could text him if you want to verify. I won’t take offense, I’d do the same thing in your shoes.”
Before he’s even done talking, I pull out my phone and type a quick message out to Tico.
Ember: Just to verify, did you ask Corvus to sit with me while you guys are in Church?
A few seconds later, his reply comes through.
Tico: Yeah, I did. Wire found out some shit and Corvus was still up, so I asked him to keep you company.
I breathe a sigh of relief and reply.
Ember: Okay, thanks. I just wanted to make sure.
Pocketing my phone, I pull out my gun and aim it around chest height before I unlock and crack open the door. Surprisingly, Corvus huffs out a little laugh and smiles when he sees my gun pointed at him. Not seeing anyone behind him, I let him in and lock the door behind him.
“Knew you were one of us, Queenie. When shit is going on, that’s the best way to answer the door in the middle of the night.
” He pauses as he tilts his head and looks back at the door.
“Though, maybe talk to Wire. While Tico and Taco both have access to our security feeds, the rest of us have an app on our club tablets and phones that lets us look to see who is outside our door. We can’t access anything else of the feed, but Wire hooks that up for every room. ”
I pause at that. “Huh. They hadn’t mentioned that. I’ll ask them, thanks.”
He tilts his head and then turns on the bathroom light, partially closes the door, and then turns off the lamp on my nightstand.
I frown at him and he points at the windows. “This way, we can still see out the windows in case something happens. And it doesn’t illuminate us to them either. I’m not sure what Tico and the other officers are meeting about, but my guess is that it’s something about the Chrome Vipers and Oasis.”
He steps near one window, looking out but making sure he stays in the shadows so it’s harder for people inside to see in. I take up position at the other window, doing the same thing.
For a few minutes, we stand in silence but it’s not uncomfortable silence, which is odd since Corvus is one of the suspects.
“I take it Tico filled you in on the plan for later today?” he asks and I nod.
“Yeah,” I reply, though I make no mention of Uncle Marcus giving us even more information and that the plan will most likely change some.
“Those assholes need to be stopped, and I know what those women and children are going through. I’m more than willing to help draw them out if it means freeing them. ”
Corvus’ face darkens at the reminder of what the Chrome Vipers and Oasis are doing to innocent people. “People capable of doing shit like that to anyone else should be put six feet under.”
The venom in his voice almost startles me and the first flicker of doubt goes through me about him being the rat.
A board out in the hallway creaks and both Corvus and I freeze. He mostly shuts the bathroom door, leaving just a sliver of light illuminating the room. Both of us point our guns towards the door.
“Stay back there, Queenie,” he whispers, “but keep your gun trained on the door. I’m going to see who it is.”
I give a silent, curt nod and he quietly creeps across the room. At the door, his hand hovers over the doorknob and he looks over at me. I give him another nod, letting him know that I’m ready.
He throws open the door and then breathes a sigh of relief, so I lower my gun, though Corvus doesn’t let in whoever it is, nor can I see who it is from where I am.
“Sorry, man. Is Tico done with his meeting?”
I start to move forward but then freeze when I hear the person’s voice.
“No worries, and naw, they’re still in there but he asked me to come up with everything going on.”
My blood freezes when I hear something unfamiliar—something colder and darker than usual—in Zane’s voice.
Corvus must notice as well because something crosses his face and with his hand still on the doorknob.
He flicks a finger up, silently telling me to raise my gun again but I was already moving.
Unfortunately, Zane must notice Corvus’ hesitation as well because the door is forced open wider as he points a gun at Corvus and fires.
Corvus moves but not fast enough—the bullet pierces his shoulder.
It’s only then that I realize Zane has a silencer on because the sound is muffled.
I take aim but before I can shoot, Corvus launches himself at Zane, knocking the gun out of his hands and towards me.
I kick it out of the way and without taking my eyes off them, I pull my phone out of my pocket, dialing Tico, but the call doesn’t go through.
“Fuck!” I curse as I hit the second predial, Taco, but get the same response. Each person I call, the phone refuses to connect. What the fuck is going on?
Pocketing my phone, I keep my gun trained on Zane and Corvus, who are still fighting, and I wait for a clean shot.
Footsteps come from behind me and I whirl but then something hard comes down on my wrist, making me drop my gun. I curse and launch myself at the masked man when suddenly I feel a prick in my arm. The guy gets in a cheap shot when I take a few seconds to glance down.
“Fucking son of a bitch,” I curse, my voice immediately slurring as my vision starts to swim.
Still, I keep attacking the masked man, hoping to buy us some time, but then I feel a second prick.
“You fucking pricks darted me again!” I slur and swing, but with my vision now insanely blurry, I completely miss.
My arms are wrenched behind my back as I’m thrown to the ground and I groan when I hear the sound of zip ties securing my hands.
Right before I black out, I see Zane lifting his hand and I try to cry out a warning to Corvus, but nothing comes out.
Right before black dots consume my vision, I see Zane bring the butt of his gun down, striking Corvus across the temple and knocking him out.
“Corvus,” I slur, but then everything turns black as I pass out.