STEAM & SMOKE | 18+

CHAPTER | 26 |

"Don't act like you care, boy. I have what you wanted." Ghost's uncle handed him an envelope across the table then sat back. "Now, the money."

Pulling out the black suitcase he brought, Ghost opened it and showed him the stacks of one hundred dollar bills. "No camera, no evidence and not a word about this."

"Nothing happened as far as I was concerned. It's a masked party, luckily and your names are fake. The cameras go off at ten so I'll come and collect the tape tomorrow afternoon."

The exchange was done and Ghost rose, ready to leave. His uncle raised an eyebrow.

"Sit down, boy. Have a meal then you can go."

Surprisingly, Ghost did as he said. "No games?"

"You're my sister's son. You think I would kill you?"

"You're the leader of a mafia gang."

"That you're supposed to be leading."

I tried to keep my face neutral. Ghost was part of the mafia? But why was he with Sinners? I felt his gaze on me as if he could read my thoughts.

"That's enough about that. Let's order some food."

"I need to go to the restroom," I said, getting up.

Maddox gestured behind me. "It's down that hallway."

Nodding, I left, trying to piece things together. Every time I learnt something new, it made me realize that maybe De Vil isn't the person that we should be after. Instead, it should be Ghost.

"I ruin the game."

But what was the game? I entered a stall and pulled out the folded piece of paper from my bra. A piece of paper that belonged to the assassin sitting in the restaurant who would put a bullet in me if he noticed I had taken it.

"FBI documents?" I whispered, noticing that it was printed from a file about tomorrow... "What the f*ck?"

RUSSO BALL

The following agents will go at 10:30 pm...at this location stated below...in order to pick up De Vil and any associates.

Ghost knew how to get into the system. F*ck. Panic rose in me. I couldn't even contact anybody. He knew everything, he was constantly one step ahead. From when? Everything seemed to go cold as questions filled my head and the sound of someone knocking scared me.

"Malia?"

"Yes?" I replied, trying to push down the fear inside.

"Are you okay? You've been gone a while."

I tore up the paper and flushed it, removing the evidence. "Yeah. Just nervous."

"Maddox won't hurt you. He's a gentle guy."

"Who just happens to be the leader of the mafia?" I came out of the restroom after washing my hands and looked up at Ghost.

He was dangerously beautiful. The world was at his feet and he could cause misery if he felt like it but the smile on his face made it seem impossible.

"Like I said a gentle guy," he replied, placing a hand on my hip.

A hand that has blood on it.

I exhaled. "If you say so."

We sat back down and dinner continued. In another life, I would've enjoyed myself but it felt like one huge trap. Ghost had control of everything in my life. I couldn't leave - there was no money, no phone. My weapons were gone and it hit me.

I had been so stupid.

"You f*cking asshole," I muttered, in the car as we drove back.

"What did you say?" Ghost asked not looking at me.

"You f*cking asshole," I repeated louder. "Why am I here? With you?"

"Why are you asking?"

"You could have left me in that club."

"If I recall, you chose to come with me, angel."

He wasn't wrong. "You've trapped me here."

Ghost laughed and stopped the car, turning to face me. He reached for my jaw and held it. "You can run. You can leave, angel. If anything, I'd prefer you do. What I'm going to do is put many people in their graves and make others wish they were dead. I sleep beside you every f*cking night. You could easily kill me and stop all of it but you don't. You stay. You've trapped yourself."

Tears of fury were ready to fall. "I want to go home."

"There's a credit card in one of the drawers beside the bed. If you want to leave, go." His gold eyes darkened. "I'm sure you know I don't even need you, angel."

"What do you mean?"

"Next time you steal from me, don't take the first page."

"How did you get it?" I asked, getting to the point.

"Your phone."

"There was nothing on it."

"There was a tracking device, FBI technology and sadly for you, I'm good at hacking."

"Why? What do you gain from this?"

He paused before speaking. "Revenge, angel. Revenge."