Page 9 of Violent Skies

“Yeah, Bird. Because I said so,” I snap. “It’s dangerous, and it’s stupid.”

“That’s bullshit,” she argues.

“You’re being irrational because she’s in rough shape.” I regret it the second it leaves my lips because Birdie starts laughing. Both Murphy and Rafe cross their arms, backing away from the fight.

“Irrational is selling the house and garage,” Birdie snaps at me. “Neither are worth that kind of money, and it’s going to take us more than three weeks.”

I clear my throat, but she’s nowhere near done chewing me out.

“And then what? Cress is alive but the four of us are homeless… jobless…” She scowls. “Irrational is jumping straight to the first plan without actually listening to the other options.”

I’m trying to protect you.

“Racing isn’t an option.” I remind her. Her hardened expression turns malicious. “For any of us.” I follow up but it’s pointless, once she starts, she doesn’t stop until she’s won. Stubborn, intelligent, bold and lethal. That’s Birdie.

This fight was over the second I questioned her mental stability. Poor word choices have walked me into darker corners.

“You’re scared,” she says, “we get why.”

Last time I was in a car, with those sorts of stakes. Koa died.

“But this is what we’re good at and it’s been so long.” Birdie vibrates. The thought of being behind a steering wheel going one hundred and thirty miles an hour up the side of a cliff is like a rush of drugs to her system. “Come on, Riggs. You know we can make more money in a week.”

“It’s true. The scene is all Daddy’s car boys and idiots just looking to recreate a street race they watched in those stupid movies,” Murphy adds. “We can beat them in that.” He gestures to the caravan behind us. “Birdie in her sleep.”

He isn’t wrong. Birdie is the best of us because she’s been taught by the best.

“Easy money,” Rafe smiles like he’s already team Birdie. Traitor.

I look at Cress who’s incredibly quiet during all of this. Her eyes meet mine and I can see the regret there. She might not act like it anymore but we’re her family too and the thought of losing one of them behind the wheel the way we lost him is daunting.

“I don’t want you risking your lives for me,” Cress pipes up.

“It’s what he would want.” Birdie shuts her down gently. “He’d be the first one in line to make this right.”

Koa. His name goes unspoken, my fear too loud to allow room to grieve.

“Pull the Cuda in here.” I clear my throat. “We don’t need extra trouble on top of this stupid fucking plan.”

Birdie squeals and throws her hands in the air for the guys to high five her.

“It’ll work.” She turns to look at me, nodding.

“It has to.” I stare at her.

“That, or we all die,” Murphy grumbles under his breath.

“Are you sure you want to do this today?” Birdie asks me as we pull up to the house. She whips the Skyline into the driveway and leans over to pop the latch on the glove box and her fingers wrap around the butt of the gun she has hidden inside.

“Seriously?” I hiss. There’s been too many secrets told over the last twenty-four hours and my head is spinning as I try to process it all. What had Koa gotten them all into, and why had he kept everything a secret?

We grew up together, I knew how hard our lives had been because I lived it with them.

Illegal electronic shipments and guns… I swallow hard as Birdie checks the chamber.

“I’m not walking into that house without it,” she says to me. “We don’t know what’s waiting for us.” She’s not wrong. We don’t know if they’re inside, and I’d rather not get anyone else hurt. She pulls a black knife from the thigh pocket of her wide-legged jeans and flips it out so the curved blade clicks into place. Spinning it in her hand she pinches the blade, extending the handle to me, “just in case.”

I take it from her and let the weight settle in my hand.