Page 4 of Her Sloth

“He has a fucking Wikipedia article; no one will forget,” Nikki says. She’s such a realist it sometimes annoys me. I’m a doer. An act-first-and-think-later kind of person who is emotionally charged and driven by principles. Nikki has no emotions at all; everything follows logic, a plan. Which is why I need her for this job.

“If you ask me,” Nikki says, “It’s guilt talking.”

“Guilt?” I ask incredulously.

“Uh-huh,” she says and pulls herself back onto the railing, swings over it, and walks away.

“What guilt?” I shout after her, turning my head.

“The guilt of not fighting harder for her,” she calls behind herself without looking at me.

I stare after her long after she is gone as I process what she just said.

I should’ve fought harder for Elise. Should have pulled her out of the life she never wanted. Made her listen. Should’ve done more.

My fingertips dig into the cold metal of the railing.

My gaze wanders back to the skyline and the depth below my feet.

I should’ve done many things.

I swing myself off the railing and slip back down, and slip back into my Hellcat.

I drive.

And drive.

Because I can’t think straight.

I can’t have these feelings of guilt for all the things I should have done in me.

There is only one way to make all of this right.

Destroying everything her father has built, and if it’s the last thing I’ll do.

I’m almost up in Albany when a dark green Camaro shoots past me.

I smirk because Nikki must have been following me the entire time, making sure I’m not doing any stupid shit again. Like I said, she’s too good for my brother and everyone else, including me

I downshift and step onto the throttle with full force; I’m always in for a race.

We overtake each other several times just for the fun of it and come to a halt at a red light.

I let down the window.

“Have you been following me the entire time?” I ask her. I was so absent I didn’t even notice.

“You’re lucky I’m not a cop.”

“I’d make them out a mile away,”

“Sure,” Nikki says, laughing. “So what’s the job?”

I hesitate a moment.

“We’re taking down one company at a time,” I say. “Keep what we need and give the rest to the hood.”

“How many are we talking?”