That day came much sooner than I expected. It was a few days after we’d rescued Jo, and she and I were getting along well. She was living on the boat, and I was still flying high after working with Jace and Bentley—who, it turned out, was Jace’s brother—to save her. Things had been set in motion. We’d helped to do some good and give Jo closure. It was a good feeling, but there was still a lot of work to be done.
I lost myself in music during the bus trip home from school. Hopping off at a nearby stop, I hoofed it the rest of the way—about six blocks through industrial buildings until I reached the warehouse. All of us were trained to change up our routes to our illegal little home base.
Establish a pattern and eventually someone will notice.
My grief over Supersize lingered, but in the distance. Like my mixed-up feelings about Emmett. I’d managed to tamp those things down and fill the gap with plans for revenge. Diesel’s betrayal had gutted me, and I’d put myself back together the only way I knew how. The same way I’d managed to walk away from my parents and adapt to life in the ring. I was in survival mode. The force of it put sort of a shield around me, cutting off the pain and nurturing the anger.
For the moment I was simply thrilled that my plan had been set into motion. With Jo, Jace and Bentley on my side, I knew the end was in sight. Hadn’t we just toppled one of the city’s most corrupt cops?
Go us.
I had little time to celebrate, though, as mass chaos greeted me the moment I arrived at the warehouse that afternoon. About ten of the fifteen kids living at the warehouse, along with most of the chop-shop guys, milled around in little groups. Gesturing wildly with their hands. Talking loud enough for me to hear them over the guitars squealing in my ears.
When they noticed I’d entered via the side door, they bolted for me like zombies on fresh meat.
I popped out my earbuds and was soon overwhelmed by the clamor, the chorus of voices echoing to the rafters. When I’d left that morning, no one would talk to me. Now no one would stop.
“Did you hear about Kat?”
“So glad you’re back—we thought they had you too.”
“Diesel’s been losing his mind. You know he has us on lockdown?”
What did they mean, lockdown?
“Guys, calm down.” I held up a hand, and gradually they quieted down. “What happened with Kat? I have no idea what you’re talking about.” Where was Link? Didn’t he know there was practically a mutiny going on?
As if reading my thoughts, Link’s gruff growl sliced across the warehouse. “Raven, about time you showed up,” he called from his ground-level office just beyond the hydraulic lifts used to hoist the cars for easy dismantling. Even from this distance, I could tell he was good and pissed. He crooked his finger. “We gotta talk.” The same finger jabbed in the air at the kids milling around. “Everyone else, get back to work.” He strode into his office, leaving the door open for me to follow.
I felt the stares of everyone as I entered the office and closed the door on their disgruntled faces. In the muffled quiet of Link’s office, I watched as he paced the narrow room. I leaned my back against the door. Waiting. I’d learned over the years that Link would talk when he was good and ready. Push too hard, too fast, and he just clammed up.
Not what I wanted.
Finally he found his words. “Diesel sent a group out on another run. I told him it was too soon after Supersize, that no one’s head was in the game, but you know how he’s been.”
Boy, did I. I nodded.
“Kat got sloppy. She was picked up by the cops.”
I swore under my breath. So much for getting her in on my plan.
“Diesel is at his paranoid best. Now that you’re back, the warehouse is officially on lockdown.”
“What does that even mean?”
Link shrugged. “Just what you probably think it means. The police force will be hunting down all the car jockies they can track. No one comes in or out, unless it’s to do a job.”
“For how long?” Crap. While I’d been focused on staying out of Diesel’s way, things around the warehouse had been steadily getting worse. I’d been in denial, really, hanging out with Jo at the houseboat, helping her adjust to life with a semipermanent roof over her head. I kept thinking she’d take off at any moment and head back to the streets, but the girl was smart. She knew when to lie low.
In her case, it was the right move. In mine? Not so much. Avoiding the warehouse seemed to have only made things worse.
“Until his cops say the pressure’s off. Until we know Kat hasn’t talked. We don’t want anyone to put her together with Supersize. Right now, the cops have declared his death an accident. But we can’t have any more incidents like that.”
Incident, right. Diesel had to pay.
But how could I put my plan into action if I couldn’t even leave the warehouse?
I slapped my hands on my thighs. “But what about school? I’m not the only one who goes. The semester is almost over. I have exams…”
“You’ll catch up. You always do. And trust me, the others don’t care as much. You’re the only one stressing over school.”
“Maybe. But did you see them out there?” I gestured at the door. “They’re ready to bolt, Link. You can’t keep us trapped in here. We’re not rats in a cage.”
“You don’t get it, Raven.” Link grabbed my arms and gave me a shake. “There’s more at stake than you know. I need you to get those kids under control. Work on them until you get them to sit tight and I can get Diesel to ease up. Talk to them—they trust you.”
“Yeah, right.” I let out a huff. “After what happened with…” I couldn’t even say his name out loud. “They blame me, Link. Everybody does. Everyone turned against me. Even you.”
“No, you’re wrong.” Link’s jaw worked. “We were shocked, that’s all. Couldn’t believe what Diesel was trying to pull. Pointing the finger at you when we knew exactly who sent the kid on a suicide mission. I tried to tell them, but they won’t listen to me. They’ll do what you say. I’ll try to keep the heat off you, but if—”
A knock at the door interrupted whatever Link had been about to say. He released me just as the door opened.
Diesel’s goons—or, as I called them, since Diesel had never offered their names, Thing 1 and Thing 2—stood in the doorway. “Is there a problem?”
“Not at all, my friends. Just filling Raven in on the situation.” Link gave me a push. “Well, get a move on, girl.” He gave me a steely look. “You know what to do.”
I sucked in a slow breath. Coming to terms with this new reality. I should have left and sailed away on Big Daddy when I had the chance. This haven, our home, had become a prison. And I had to talk everyone into accepting it.
Standing in the middle of the warehouse with Diesel’s goons at my back and every kid in the place sneaking glances at me, looking for guidance, I hoped Link hadn’t seriously overestimated my powers of persuasion. Because I’d rally the troops, all right. But I wasn’t planning on encouraging them to blindly follow Diesel’s orders.
Not anymore.