Shirleen heard her phone ringing; she rolled, reached out, grabbed it and put it to her ear.

“This better be good,” she mumbled.

“Aunt Shirleen,” Darius said in her ear.

Shirleen came instantly awake and sober. “What’s up, son?”

“Got word. Shard’s back.”

Shirleen felt a chill snake down her spine. Anyone with an ear to the ground knew what was on Shard’s mind, namely making Jules pay.

“I thought Lee’s boys –” Shirleen started.

“Shard’s back and he’s pissed. He’s goin’ after Law’s kids. Gonna draw her out.”

Shirleen threw back her purple, satin covers. “Call Lee,” she ordered.

“I’ll take care of it. I’ve got some boys out lookin’ for him.”

“No, boy. You call Lee. Let the professionals handle this.”

“Aunt Shirleen.”

“Boy –”

“I’ll handle it.”

Disconnect.

Shirleen stared at the phone in the darkness for two seconds. Then she turned on the light and ran to her desk to find Daisy’s home number.

* * * * *

Sniff

Sniff was running. He was running, crying, snot coming out of his nose, breathing heavy.

He had to get to Law. He had to get to her. He had to get to her now.

When Cordova took Roam, Sniff had seen it. He’d followed them, knowing that Cordova was an idiot and an ass**le. Roam could handle Cordova. Hell, their geeky tutor Stu could handle Cordova. Sniff could even handle Cordova.

Sniff had caught a ride with some Mexican gang-bangers he knew who put up with Sniff because they thought he was funny. They took him to Cordova’s place then they’d peeled out, leaving him there.

Sniff had approached the house thinking to get a giggle while Roam kicked Cordova’s ass and when he saw what he saw through the window, he’d taken off.

He was so freaked out, he’d dropped his f**king, f**king (and he vowed to himself he’d never say “fucking” again if Law got Roam out of this) phone somewhere along the way and as usual he had no money to make a pay call.

A car came down the street and he stopped and put out his arm to flag it down, desperate, shouting.

The car passed him.

Without hesitation, he kept running and trying to keep the vision of Roam, bloody and what Sniff hoped was only unconscious, out of his brain.

Worse still, the vision of a dead Cordova.

It wasn’t working.

Sniff turned onto Colfax, running down the busier street, hoping he could flag down a ride.

He was miles away from Law, he’d never make it.

He saw a black Porsche pass him, the brake lights lit and then the Porsche pulled over. Sniff ran toward it, opening his mouth to yell when the door opened and Luke Stark knifed out the driver’s side.

Sniff could have jumped for joy.

Instead he stopped and as Luke approached him he doubled over, a stitch in his side, and sucked in breath.

“Sniff,” Luke put a hand to the back of his neck.

Sniff looked up at him, not caring even a little bit that this super cool guy was going to see his tears and snot and Sniff said, “We gotta find Law.”

Stark took one look at Sniff’s face and his own went hard in such a way that Sniff felt a thrill of fear mingled with hope.

“Get in the car,” Stark ordered.

Sniff ran to the car.

* * * * *

Roam

Roam was awake but pretending to be out.

Cordova was dead. Shard had shot him, like, seven times. Right in front of Roam. Roam had never seen so much blood in his life and Roam had seen a lot of shit in his life, including blood, including his own but not that much.

Roam had not put up much of a fuss when Cordova took him at gunpoint to his house, mumbling stupid shit about making Law pay, getting her attention. Roam figured he’d find some way out of it. Anyway, he knew Sniff had seen them and Sniff would call Law. His idiot, big-mouth friend had done it before, he’d do it again. Everyone knew Law could handle Cordova; she could handle just about anyone.

They’d got to his house, Cordova still ranting, telling Roam to sit, continuing to talk about Law and how she was just playing with him and she really wanted him and Roam thought it was kinda funny. It’d be a good story, it’d make Law laugh. He liked to make her laugh. She had a good laugh. She was one f**king hot white bitch normally but when she laughed her face was amazing.

Park made her laugh all the time. Park had worked hard at it. He loved to make Law laugh.

Hell, everyone did.

Then Shard had walked right in the front door, as calm as you please.

Cordova turned to him, saying, “What the –” and that was it.

Bang, bang, bang, bang, bang, bang, bang.

Dead.

Roam had been frozen in shock. He should have run.

If he’d been like Crowe he might have had his head together enough to do something, if not to save Cordova then to save himself.

Roam wasn’t like Crowe.

But when Shard turned to Roam he didn’t shoot him, he beat the shit out of him. Roam put up a fight but even all beaten up himself (his face was a swollen, bruised mess) Shard was still stronger, older and smarter than Roam.

So finally, nose bloodied, face cut, ribs burning and after he’d spit up blood the second time, Roam feigned being knocked out and went down.

And he waited.

Shard stood over Roam, Roam felt him there instead of opening his eyes. He listened as Shard called someone and said, “Got Roam. Tell the bitch I’m at Cordova’s. She comes alone or I put a bullet in his brain.”

Then he flipped his phone shut and waited.

Roam hoped Law wasn’t stupid enough to come alone. He’d never seen her in action personally but Martin and Curtis said she was the shit.

Still, Roam hoped she’d send Crowe.

* * * * *

Jules

Hector stopped his car and turned to me.

“Let’s roll,” he said.

I went out my side, he went out his.

He disappeared into the night.

I ran to the house Hector told me was Cordova’s, one block and three houses down.

Hector, still trying to protect his cover, couldn’t be seen. He was running backup for me only if I needed it and while he was positioning himself at the back of the house I was going to the front.

I hadn’t brought my phone and Hector didn’t know who had his tapped. We figured I could call the police or Vance once I sorted out Cordova. It wouldn’t take long.

It was a stupid plan.

* * * * *

Bobby

Bobby watched Vance shoot out of the underground parking area on his Harley.