Outlaws by Matt Rogers (phonics books TXT) 📕

It seems like I’ve got it.’

‘What did she say?’

‘That she’s accepted my retirement.’

‘Those exact words?’

‘Yes.’

‘Then it’s a trap.’

‘Why?’

‘Because it’s not up to her.’

‘They know I’m here,’ Slater said.

‘Because you told them.’

‘No point hiding it. Where else would I be?’

Alexis lapsed into silence. ‘Maybe me being the only personal thing in your life wasn’t for the best. It made you predictable.’

Slater nodded.

He said, ‘I have no choice.’

‘What if they kill you?’

‘You’re safe,’ he said. ‘No matter what happens to me. But they won’t kill me. I promise.’

She descended the stairs two at a time and came to him. He held her, and she buried her head against his shoulder. He thought he heard her stifle a sob. She wouldn’t let it show. She had the heart of a lioness.

She said, ‘How can you be sure?’

‘Because I wouldn’t sit back and let them do it. I’d put up a fight, and they don’t want that in the heart of Manhattan. Because I’d tear this city to the ground to defend myself. That’s why.’

She wasn’t one to let emotions overwhelm her, but when she stepped away from him she was pale. She wasn’t blinking. Her eyes were wide.

He reached out and touched her cheek. ‘I’ll be fine.’

‘Caring about you is so fucking stressful,’ she bemoaned.

He smirked. ‘Now imagine being me.’

Before she could highlight the ridiculousness of cracking jokes, he went to the door and opened it.

He looked back.

‘I’ll be okay. Trust me. I’m not going to roll over. Do you still have your taser?’

‘Yes.’

He said, ‘Anyone comes through this door that isn’t me … use it.’

She bit her lower lip and nodded.

Holding back tears with every ounce of willpower she had.

He closed the door behind him, and he knew, in the isolation of the empty loft, she would finally be letting them out.

32

After such a mentally exhausting day, King was satisfied with the training he’d put in, so he rid himself of guilt as he poured a couple of fingers of whiskey into a crystal tumbler.

There was no changing the past. Tomorrow, he’d go and apologise to Maurice. He’d admit his wrongdoing. There was no point posturing. Winning a pointless victory by arguing his case achieved nothing. There were endless excuses he could provide. His head wasn’t in the right place, there was too much stress at work, his closest friend might be running away for good…

All beside the point.

He’d been rash and reckless and impulsive within the walls of an esteemed jiu-jitsu gym, and that was all there was to it. The reasons why were beside the point. All he could do was ask himself, Where should I go from here?

It took a weight off his shoulders. It would be easy to find another gym, but there was more to it than that. Brazilian jiu-jitsu was a martial art founded on the principles of respect and humility. He’d do good to be humble, and it gave him peace.

Then Violetta unlocked his front door and appeared in the hallway.

He cradled the tumbler, raised it to his lips, and took a sip as he looked her up and down. She was dishevelled, her blonde hair frazzled, her eyes hollow with stress. She’d applied a touch of eyeliner half-heartedly, and then seemingly given up on the rest of her usual makeup routine.

No matter how draining his day had been, in a single glance he knew hers had been worse.

They kept looking at each other.

King said, ‘Do you want to talk about it?’

Her lower lip quivered.

She said, ‘I need to speak to Will.’

‘I know.’

‘He’s not back yet. Can I wait here?’

‘Of course. You know this is just as much your home as it is mine… why are you even asking?’

Her gaze lingered on his. ‘Because I’m not giving Slater good news.’

‘How is that my problem?’

She let his question hang in the air, highlighting its ridiculousness.

Of course it’s my problem, King thought. We’re a duo. A unit. We work together. We live side by side.

We’re brothers.

She said, ‘You don’t really mean that.’

‘He’s his own man. He makes his own decisions. If he wants to run, then that’s a burden he’s going to have to bear.’

‘It sounds like you’re just trying to convince yourself.’

‘Maybe I am.’

She didn’t take her eyes off him. ‘You know what this means, right?’

He raised an eyebrow.

She said, ‘What if you ever want out? What if I do?’

‘Then we won’t go about it as haphazardly as Slater.’

‘How, exactly?’ she said. ‘He came. He asked. I passed it up the chain. I got a firm answer. How can we make it any less haphazard than that?’

King said, ‘You need to think things through. I don’t like what you’re suggesting here.’

She shook her head. ‘I’m not suggesting anything. I just … need to talk to Will.’

‘He’ll come back.’

‘Did you know he was gone? He and Alexis … they were going to run. Tonight.’

King shrugged. ‘But you told him to come back. And he respects you. So he will.’

The faintest echo of a noise came from the hallway.

Violetta put her hands on her hips and sighed. ‘I hope this goes alright.’

‘What are you going to tell him?’

‘I said yes. My superiors didn’t.’ She paused — not to intentionally dramatise, but it had the effect regardless. ‘They want to meet with him.’

King froze with the tumbler in his hand.

He said, ‘They’ve never done that before. For either of us.’

‘There’s a first time for everything.’

‘That doesn’t sound promising.’

‘It’s not,’ she said. ‘It’s bad.’

Her eyes stayed unblinking.

She said, ‘They’ve never got involved before. I…’

She trailed off.

He said, ‘Tell me.’

‘I don’t even know them. I have a contact, like a middleman. He passes information back and forth.’

‘That sounds awfully complicated.’

‘It’s the deniability system for an entire country’s black ops.’

King paused, then shrugged. ‘You’re right. I guess it needs to be complicated.’

They both went quiet, listening for the sound of Slater at his front door.

They heard nothing.

Violetta waited a few beats, then suspicion clouded her features. She turned and threw the door open and took a long look in either direction.