Ray paused, and Alessandro leaned forward, his hands laced as he rose his brows, “Well?” he probed. It was almost comical, looking at both of them prying for information they hadn’t earned. Didn’t evendeserveto know. Ray breathed out.
Now for the difficult part.
“In return for this information, I ask for one thing.”
Maya’s eyes flared, a scoff leaving her lips as she shot up from her seat. The chair creaked loudly beneath her, but Ray didn’t dare flinch as the woman showed that raw anger she’d stored away,
“You havenoright.”
Ray bristled but didn’t move an inch.Screw this.
“Then I quit.” She said venomously, her eyes flashing as a sneer crossed Maya’s lips, “You kill me and that vital key dies with meandthe girl.”
They both fell silent at her demand, their surprise evident on their faces as Ray’s hands clenched.Neverhad she thought offuckingup the plan like this. But she couldn’t just let this be. Couldn’t just let this go on. Not with a girl’s life on the line.
And just when she thought Alessandro or Maya were going to rip out a gun and shoot her right in the head, Alessandro threw his head back and let out a roar of laughter.
Ray’s entire body filled with ice, her eyes widening by a fraction as the man banged his fist against the table and laughed. EvenMayaseemed to look back at him with a small tip of her lips.
What in hell–
“About time you made demands of your own Raylene Walker,” Alessandro said through his roaring laughter. A shiver climbed up Ray’s spine as Maya turned to her with a wry smile,
“EvenKylehas threatened us,” she said, and a faint numbness settled on Ray’s heart.Holy shit,she thought as Maya continued, “You were far too obedient to not look like a fucking spy. And now you’ve proved me wrong.”
As if proving her words Alessandro placed a gentle hand against her upper arm and said with a grin, “Pay up.”
Holy. Shit.
Maya sighed and flopped back in her seat, but pulled out some money from her pocket and handed it to her husband. Ray wasn’t sure if she wasbreathingwhen Maya’s cool eyes settled on hers,
“Make your request Raylene. We’ll see if we can grant it.”
She’d broken it. She’d broken the wall, the barrier.
Ray’s eyes widened, excitementjumpingin her blood as she forced herself to swallow her laugh,she’d earned their trust. She’d earned her fucking way in.
“I want to adopt her. I want her protected and undermyname,” She didn’t know how she’d managed to say the words. How she’d managed to doanythingbut scream at the entire world.
She’d done it.
Maya’s lips twitched and Ray braced herself, breathing out heavily as a curtain of silence descended upon them.Five, six,Ray counted, forcing herself to calm down. To not mess this opportunity up. And then Maya said one word and that sealed the deal. Sealedeverything.
“Done.”
Ray could see it all. The trust shone in their eyes. Albeit it was laced with a warning, Ray couldn’t believe it. After months,years,of trying to gain the upper hand. Of trying to gain their trust. And all she’d needed was Ira Walker in her life.
It was humbling,she thought as she dipped her head,how the Lions trusted the back stabbers. The manipulators. The suspicious.
“Thank you.” She breathed out, makingsureto show that tremor in her voice. Givingthemthe upper hand.
“Now.” Alessandro drawled, “The intel.”
Ray didn’t miss a beat, “It’s the vigilante group. The girl calls themIl Senza Nome.”She said, making sure to keep Ira’s name out of this conversation. Even if they’d agreed to hand her over to Ray, she couldn’t bring herself to trust their words wholly.
“The Nameless.” Maya breathed and laughed at the atrocious name, “How original.”
Even Alessandro seemed to smile cruelly at her words, his eyes cutting to Ray’s, “How dangerous are they?” he asked, looking for her opinion on this. Ray’s eyes averted in thought, making herself look like the perfect strategist for the Lions,
