"I'm bored, Dev."

"It's been two weeks," she said around a mouthful of food. My nose wrinkled, and she proceeded to roll her eyes at me. "You'll be fine."

"I literally laze around the warehouse all day. Either in the apartment or down on the main floor with everyone else. But there's not much else I can do, and I'm getting impatient."

"Is he hiding anything from you?"

"No," I grumbled, stabbing my salad with slightly more aggression than was probably necessary. "I've sat in on every meeting. I know the ins-and-outs of this deal they've got going with Weasel-Face –"

"Henry," Brandon corrected, raising his head from his phone to give me a mocking smile.

"Whatever. He looks like a damn weasel and you all will never convince me otherwise. That slicked back hair isn't doing him any favors."

"He seems to like you," he said. Devyn shot him a dirty look, nudging his shoulder with hers. "What?"

"That man would like anything on two legs if it smiled at him for more than two seconds," I retorted.

"Jules," Devyn sighed, drawing my attention back to her. There was laughter dancing in her brown eyes. "What do you want them to do? We've all kept an eye out for Jack, and we're coming up empty."

"It's like he vanished into thin air," Brandon added.

I scowled at the pair. When Devyn had suggested we get lunch, I had almost forgotten that we'd need a security team with us. Vincent hadn't looked happy with the idea, but it was no secret how stir crazy I was getting. Since he couldn't come with us, we brought Brandon and a team of four that had stayed on the outside of the restaurant. The four outside were people I had grown more comfortable with in the past week, lead by one of the few other girls I had met.

Her name was Angelica, and she was anything but angelic. Glancing through the window, I could just make out her head of burgundy hair on one of the benches outside. She was sprawled out, taking up as much room as possible. As if she could feel my gaze, her head popped up. She gave me a two-finger salute with a sassy little smile before dropping her head back so the sun could touch her face again.

Devyn followed my line of sight until her eyes found Angelica as well. "Don't any of you gang-bangers know how to be discreet?"

A laugh burst out of me at the look of sheer bewilderment on Brandon's face. "She has a point," I said, trying to hide my grin behind my hand.

"Angel is just sitting on a bench. She could be anyone."

"Tell that to the gun in her waistband," Devyn mumbled.

"She's the best marksman they've got," I told her. "If anyone can blow Jack's brains out before we even know he's here, it's her."

"Sounds like my kind of woman."

"I bet if you ask her really nice, she'll even teach you how to shoot," I teased.

That made her light up. "You think?"

"Please don't," Brandon groaned.

"Why not?"

"Nothing gets Angel hotter than talking about guns. I dodged a bullet with Arkin. I don't want to share you with anyone else."

I smothered another smile as Devyn's cheeks tinted pink. Brandon being assigned to watch over Devyn had forced them into close proximity, something that I had worried about. Devyn tended to get bored quickly when she spent too much time with any one person. But after two weeks of Brandon crashing on her couch most nights, she still went a little doe-eyed whenever he walked in a room.

Was that what I looked like when Vincent was around? No wonder she was always gagging.

Speak of the devil, my phone vibrated in my pocket.

How is everything?

We're fine, I wrote back.

Come home soon.

Sir, yes, sir.

The bubbles indicating he was typing popped up, went away, and then popped up again. I had to bite back my smile when his reply finally came through.

I miss you. I'll be sure to show you how much once you get here.

"What'd he say?" Devyn asked, leaning across the table to try and get a peek at my screen.

I locked it and stuffed it back in my pocket before she got the chance. "None of your business."

"Well, from the look on your face I have a pretty good guess. So, I guess that means it's time to get you back."

We paid our tab and headed out the front doors. When Angelica spotted us, she stretched her arms over her head. Her back arched, making her look like a cat rousing from a nap in the sun. She was just as lithe as one as she stood and made her way over to us. Her eyes were a deep blue, slightly upturned at the outer corner in a way that made her seem like she was perpetually laughing at you. And from the little I had interacted with her, she usually was.

"Did you bring me anything?" she chirped, coming to a halt beside us. She was taller than me, which wasn't surprising. But even with her attitude, she had never once made me feel like she was talking down to me. Even in meetings. There were times she caught my confusion before Vincent did, and she'd explain whatever had tripped me up. It was one of the reasons I had agreed to have her head the team that would go with us.

"They were all out of every single thing you like, sorry," Brandon said, wrapping an arm around Devyn's shoulders.

Angelica pouted, and I shook my head before pulling out the coffee I had been hiding. Her entire face lit up as she bounced on the balls of her feet. When I handed it to her, she all but snatched it from me.

"Be careful," I scolded, catching her wrist before she could raise it to her lips. "It's hot."

"Yes, Mom," she muttered, gently taking the lid off to blow on it.

Devyn let her eyes bounce back and forth between the two of us. When her eyes settled on me, she arched her pierced brow. "Angel, this is Devyn. Devyn, this is Angel."

Angelica let a crooked grin overtake her face as she extended her hand for Devyn to shake. "Hi! Sorry, I should probably have introduced myself since we'll be seeing more of each other."

"It's nice to meet you," Devyn said, taking her hand.

"It's just nice to have another girl to break up the testosterone."

"Hey."

Angelica's eyes trailed to where Brandon's arm was still draped around Devyn, and a coy smirk played at the edges of her lips. "No offence, of course."

"I hate you. I hope you know that," Brandon told her, eyes narrowing.

"Be nice," I said, turning on my heel to head for the SUV we had borrowed for the excursion. "I don't want to listen to you two bickering like siblings all day."

They scoffed at the same time, which cause Devyn and I to burst into a laughing fit. Angelica sped up so that she was walking at my side, and she linked her arm through mine. She escorted me back to the SUV before opening the door for me. With a grin to rue the Cheshire cat, she gave me a mockingly deep bow.

"After you," she teased. A playful huff escaped me as I made to step up into the SUV.

Before I could manage it, Angelica's coffee hit the ground.

In the next instant her hands met my chest as she shoved me. Hard.

Off balance from having been halfway into the car, I stumbled back a few feet.

"What the hell?" Devyn asked, leaping forward to catch my arm. I don't know what unspoken communication went on between Brandon and Angelica, but before Devyn could reach me, Brandon was yanking her back. Angelica dove after me, catching me around the waist. My breath left me when she landed on top of me.

And then the car exploded.

The screaming was lost in the sound of metal shrieking and glass breaking. My ears were ringing, and I was pretty sure I could feel blood pooling beneath my head. Whether it was Angelica's or mine I couldn't be sure. All I knew was that she wasn't moving.

"Angel?" I said, coughing as the heat scorched my lungs. We needed to go. "Angel, c'mon."

For just a moment, I couldn't tell if she was breathing. But then she coughed, a deep groan heaving from her as she shoved herself up. There was glass in her hair, and a cut leaking blood across her forehead. Her eyes were a little unfocused as she blinked down at me. But she shook her head, and when she met my gaze there was a determination there that I was coming to recognize within the gang.

"Can you move?" she asked.

"Not with you on top of me."

Despite the current state of events, a coy smirk tilted her lips. When she got to her feet, she grabbed my hand and hoisted me up as well. "Remind me to tell Vincent that I had his girl underneath me. It'll haunt him for weeks."

"Angel, can you not do this right now?" Brandon chimed in, sounding exasperated as he made it to us. Devyn was with him. Her eyes were so wide I could see the whites all the way around her pupils.

"We've got to get them out of here."

"No, wait," I said, raising my hand to silence them as my eyes scanned the pandemonium around us.

There.

On the opposite side of the square, a flash of bronze hair and tawny eyes. There was an unreadable expression on his face as our gazes met.

Jack.

"Motherfucker," I hissed, taking off after him.

"Jules!" three voices chorused behind me. But I was already gone.

They could catch up.

The back of my head was throbbing, and every muscle in my body was screaming at me to stop. But I pushed my legs harder. He had to have eyes on us. I hadn't left the warehouse in two weeks, and he just happens to be able to find us and plant a bomb on the car? Without any of the others seeing him? There was no way.

There was also no way I was going to catch him. He was blocks ahead of me, weaving in and out of people with ease. But every once in a while, he'd stop just long enough to glance over his shoulder. He was taunting me, and we both knew it. He came to an abrupt stop, turning far enough to give me a grin before ducking into an alley.

I slowed my pace. He wasn't going to trap me again. And I was in no shape to fight him either. Everything was still a little hazy, and I could barely hear anything out of my right ear. Bracing my hands on my knees, I reached into my pocket and pulled out my phone.

It was already ringing.

"Vincent," I breathed once the call connected.

"For god's sake, Juliette," he snarled, and I could almost hear the phone cracking over the white-knuckle grip I was sure he had it in. "What were you thinking?"

"Which part?"

"All of it. You just about died, and you took off after him?"

"He headed to the East side. Have we checked there?"

I was panting for breath, and people were giving me a wide berth. Moving my stiff limbs, I leaned against the wall nearest to me. I couldn't imagine the picture I painted. Lingering bruises still ringed my neck, and now add in the aftermath of a car bomb and I was sure I was quite the sight.

Vincent was silent on the other end, but I could hear the car crank over.

"We searched everywhere, but we didn't look too hard on the East side because we figured he'd be avoiding the gym altogether. We can double check it. Can you still see him?"

"No."

"Jules!" Brandon skidded to a stop in front of me.

I just pointed in the direction Jack had gone. "Down the third alley," I told him.

"Are you okay?"

"Where are the girls?"

"I sent them back with one of the extra guys. Devyn will stay with Angel until I can look her over. Now, are you okay?"

"No. Now go." He hesitated. His eyes bounced back and forth between mine and the phone in my hand. Vincent had gone suspiciously quiet on the other end, but I could still hear the engine. My lip curled as Brandon's gaze snagged on mine. "That is an order, Brandon. Find him."

Just like the night of the party, his squared his shoulders and gave me a sharp nod. "Stay here," he threw over his shoulder as he broke into another run.

"Stay here," I mocked, leaning my head back against the wall behind me.

Everything hurt.

But my heart beat out a little stutter-step in my chest as a dark chuckle sounded down the line. "Did you enjoy that?" Vincent asked.

"Maybe a little."

"Don't get used to it."

"What was that you told me once?" I teased, wincing as a surge of pain lanced through my head. When I touched the spot radiating bursts of pain like electric shocks, my fingers came away red. Great.

"You're going to have to be more specific, princess."

"Something about me not outranking you."

"You still don't." I harrumphed as I let my head fall back again. "You're just on the same level now."

A smile twisted my lips.

"Are you okay, miss?" a timid voice asked from somewhere to my left.

"I'm fine," I replied, moving the phone away from my mouth as I shifted look at the woman beside me. She was maybe a few years older than me, and there was sheer worry shining in her blue eyes. Smiling, I shook my phone a little to draw her attention. "Help is on the way."

"Jules?"

The new voice made every ounce of color drain from my face. My attention shifted to the man coming up behind her, and if I could've melted into the brick behind me, I would have. A myriad of emotions played over Chris's features as he raked his eyes over me. The woman with him could have been his twin. She had the same aristocratic features, the same blonde hair, the same blue eyes. Eyes that were bouncing back and forth between us in rapid beats.

"Chelsea, why don't you go ahead and head into the restaurant?"

"Okay," she said, her gaze finally landing on me. As she passed me, she reached out and touched my shoulder. It was light and comforting. Then she vanished into the door of the building I was leaning against.

Shit.

"Princess?" Vincent said in my ear.

"I'll see you in a bit," I told him, ending the call. I sent him my location before stuffing the device in my back pocket.

Chris looked like he had just stepped out of the courtroom. His suit was immaculate. Not a hair out of place.

Gods, how long had it been since I'd seen him? Not since before the party. That was for sure. My teeth caught my bottom lip. Of all the times for me to run into the lawyer, it was now? I could still see the smoke in the distance from the explosion. Could hear the sirens racing to the scene.

Double shit.

________________________________________________

Boom.

ETA: Also, for anyone who doesn't remember, the last time we saw Chris was when Jules made Vincent take his drunk butt home in Chapter 14: Small Favors. He was her lawyer regular who had a crush on her. He has been patiently waiting to make his reappearance now that Jules is solidly in the gang life.

Happy Wednesday! Love y'all!

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Erin