✔Paint Me a Murder | Book 1

Chapter 34: Plan Into Action

How was it already December? Kazimir crossed through the slush on the ground with Emmett close behind him. The dampness seeped down into his fuzzy socks to his cold toes. Tugging on the drawstrings of his hoodie, the wind tried to blow him away.

Unbothered by the wintry hell, Emmett pushed through the abrasive gusts like a determined soldier. Kazimir caught up to the gang leader when he opened the door for them. They dusted the snow flurries from their clothes and stomped their feet against the mat. The snow fell so fast that it was like seeing through a white filter, right after they left the Lazy Bear motel.

"Chilly out there, ain't it?" Rylee greeted them.

"Not shit." Emmett bristled. "Get everyone in the rec room for a meeting. I plan on infiltrating the art gallery, where the Black Vipers have been dealing frequently. We need to strategize together. I'll be there in a few minutes. I have some business to tend to in my office real quick."

"Alrighty, boss!" Rylee dramatically saluted him.

Rylee wore a baggy purple hoodie that was two sizes too big on her. Kazimir saw the bulge of her gun in her pocket, where her hands rested. Kazimir brushed his fingers over his own gun in his hoodie pocket, hoping he wouldn't need to use it.

Following Rylee through their hideout as she gathered everyone together, Kazimir couldn't shake the nerves from his body. He clenched his sweaty hands at his sides, struggling to calm his frantic heartbeat. Had he made a horrible mistake? Rylee had a jittery pep in her step, unlike Kazimir. His steps were weighed down like heavy bricks.

Going undercover at the art gallery posed a lot of risks and it frightened him. The initial high of excitement he had faded away, leaving behind nothing but dread. Kazimir didn't want to get himself killed, but he had to go through with the plan he'd come up with. What would Jordy say if he knew how deep he'd dug himself into their underworld? Accepting their protection and coke was one thing, but planning to take their rival's largest drug distributor was insane.

Sinking down onto the couch, Kazimir waited with the rest of the gang members for Emmett's instructions. Hushed whispers floated around him from the gang members, who tried to figure out what was going on.

When Emmett walked into the room, everyone fell silent. Emmett's words were the only law they abided by. He was their powerful leader. They admired him, respected him, but most of all, they feared disobeying him. Just his stern glare made Kazimir shiver. It was nothing like the passionate man who kissed him and made love to his body. How could someone be so ruthless yet have a gentler side they hid?

"Here's the plan," Emmett said. "Kazimir and I will be infiltrating the art gallery downtown first, since he knows the manager there and has worked with him before. He'll be the one to get us in. He'll act like he's just there to sell his paintings, with me as his plus one. Charlie, Mal, and Everly will be across the street, ready to bust in if anything goes wrong and alert us."

"Hold up." Alfie leaned up on the couch. "The Black Vipers will recognize you as their enemy right away. The plan will blow up in your face."

"So what if they recognize my face? It's not like they know I'm your leader," Emmett replied.

Alfie shook his head. "I dunno, boss. This plan of yours sounds risky and stupid."

"Oh yeah? You got a better one?" Emmett asked.

"Why not sneak in at night, with all of us having your back?" Alfie questioned. "We won't have to worry about any innocent people getting hurt either."

"How would we get in though?" Kazimir asked Alfie. "You do know the art gallery has top-notch security, right? Their system would go off right away and the police would arrest us all."