Page 123 of Poisoned Promise
“I’ve got an in with the gate guard. Once I’m through, Bree and her men will start bringing hell down on Caterina and her people. It’ll look like conflict born from a bad deal and hopefully give us the distraction we need to sneak inside and find Dove. Once we get her, we get her out and regroup at the park a few miles from the Estate. Bree doesn’t want anyone following us so she’ll have trucks waiting. Once she pulls back her men, we all flee and the trucks melt into the city with only one looping back here.”
“She really thought it through.”
“Yep. It’s all ready to go but only after you answer her question.”
“My question?” I say as we reach the kitchen.
Bree’s inside with a couple of her men, all armed to the teeth with automatic weapons and armor. “Felix.”
“Bree.”
“You realize going against Caterina is starting a war with New York. Your men are ready, as are mine and a few other families eager to get on your good side. Some others are… apprehensive and will await the results.”
“I want those names.” I want to know everyone who didn’t help when I needed it so I can remember that when they come to me for help.
“You’ll have them,” Bree replies. “But I need to know. Is it worth it?”
I meet her questioning gaze steadily, then glance at Toph who looks like he already knows the answer. “Yes,” I reply. “Anything is worth it for Dove. I lost her once. I’m not losing her again.”
Two hours later, the Salamone Estate is up in flames. Bree and her men hold down the front in a firefight that started the moment she ran a cement mixer full of oil through the front gates and into the building, and then ignited it with a gunshot. She might be more insane than Caterina, but at this point, I’m not judging.
It got Bree the attention she needed as the majority of the Salamone men diverted to deal with the attack, leaving the back open and free for Toph and I to sneak in with a handful of men.
“I still think my idea of using my gate contact would have been better,” Toph grumbles as I shatter the back door lock with three shots of my silenced weapon then head inside.
“Bree wanted to go big and it’s working,” I reply quietly. “So I think that’s a win. You’re just jealous.”
“Jealous?” Toph rolls his eyes, then rapidly lifts his gun and fires off two shots into the chest of a guard walking down the hallway. His body falls with a clatter and we step over his corpse.
“Jealous because her plan is way more fun than yours.”
“Whatever.” Toph rolls his eyes. “I’ll remember this.”
“Sure. And what kind of situation will we find ourselves in where you need to bring this up for a win?” Keeping to the wall, we hurry down the corridor as fast as we can until we arrive at the split of hallways. After that, it only takes a second for Toph to direct us the same way he snuck into the cells last time.
“I don’t know,” Toph hisses. “But when it happens, you’ll know and then I’ll be like oh, remember that time you called my stealth planboringbecause Bree was blowing shit up with a cement mixer?” He surges past me and takes out the next guard to rush by. “And you’ll be likeohhh yeah I remember I was such a dick. And then I’ll be likeyeah, well look at you now, begging for my help!”
We reach the door to the cells and Toph presses his ear against it, then tests the handle.
“Is that how it’ll go down?” I ask quietly as he opens the door and I move past him.
“Yup.”
“Having fun?”
Toph grins at me and holds his gun close to his chest while we hurry down the steps. “Loads.”
“Yeah, I’ll remind you that you said that.” It’s a nice distraction that dies the moment we reach the cells.
The long hallway housing several dark, heavy doors leading to each cell holds the weight of fear.
There’s no telling what’s happened to Dove in the hours she’s been here, or if she’s even still here.
The last Toph heard from his contact was that Caterina and Dove argued and she was dragged down here, but to what end?
The first two cells are empty and my racing heart sinks down to pulse in the depths of my gut.
The next cell is also empty but the fourth has murmurs of noise.
