“I just want information.” I said, instead of listening to my impulsive thoughts.
He paused, weighing up his options as he once more looked between his friends, waiting for them to nod too before he said, “Sure, I can give out information. Snitches get stitches though, so make it quick and then pretend you never saw me.”
“I’m looking for someone and we have their name and address, but I don’t understand this street things you have, so if you tell me where to find them then I will consider this deal done.” I grinned. “If you do it quickly, I’ll even be nice about it and give you some pocket money to buy toys with.”
He seemed too old to want to play with toys, but I was feeling like being a petty bitch. It was fun sometimes, and though I usually reserved my attitude for Lincoln, it had become less effective lately. Anytime I sassed my bunny now, he just fucked the attitude right out of me. Which was amazing. But also meant I had to find another handful of outlets for when I wanted to be annoying to ease the darkness in my memories when it tried to hurt me.
“I know people. Give me a name and I’ll get them.” The kid grinned.
“I’m looking for Cassidy Cardinal-Fineman.” Her name left my lips, and he froze, instantly pulling his blade back out, even if it was pointless.
“You know what? I changed my mind. I don’t know anyone in this area.”
His dark eyes narrowed at me were almost familiar, and I shook my head clear of the thought. There was no way I could mistake the sudden shift in his demeanour, or the fact that both his friends had whipped their head in his direction as well the minute Shannon’s false name was spoken. Which could only mean one thing.
“I take it you’re Ares or Hades? Sorry, I don’t know which one – they aren’t names I’m used to.” I tried to be polite about it and not laugh.
“That’s ‘cause the names are fucking dumb.” The tanned boy to the left of him snorted, right before his friend glared and elbowed him in the gut.
I giggled but chose not to agree. “Well, my name is Sapphire Montana. And I am… well, my daddy is an old friend of your mama’s. If I am right in my assumption…?”
“Ares.” The knife wielding miscreant muttered. “My name is Ares.” With a firm set to his jaw, and all joking gone, he barked, “Show me your ID.”
I did as he asked, a little surprised he wasn’t asking who I was, and instead seemed to be after confirmation. But my thoughts were only heightened when a second later, he gave out even more information when I flashed him a picture of my driving license, on account of not knowing where the original was.
Malone had taken it from me months ago and I had never gotten it back.
I doubted I ever would.
“Now show me your Red Diamonds tattoo.” Ares snapped, his jaw ticking.
“I don’t have one, as I don’t like tattoos on me and it is my gang – I do not need to wear a sign of my loyalty on my skin.” I waved to all the guys and Delilah. “But each of my team wears one, and I can even show you pictures of me with my daddy toshow I am who I say I am. Seeing as he was famous, and you seem to know Red Diamonds things, perhaps that would ease your mind instead.”
Ares asked me to do as I said, and as I flashed him more pictures, and each person I was with showed off their Red Diamonds tattoo, his two friends took off their masks. Neither boy was older than him, and once more I was shocked at how so many children were doing such things. But it wasn’t my business, and I wasn’t about to ruin the stroke of luck we’d had by bumping into Shannon O’Malley’s son.
A DNA connection I tried not to think about too hard for one rather aggravating reason.
I wanted to slaughter the entire O’Malley line, but I couldn’t bring myself to kill a child for no reason other than his unfortunate DNA.
Ares sighed when we were done proving ourselves. “Okay, I believe you. And mum told me that if you were to ever come looking, that I could trust you. So I guess we can take you home.”
“Trust me?” I repeated, brows raised.
I had been expecting Shannon to know of me, or perhaps be wary of my daddy coming for her again, but trusting us was unexpected. I had presumed my daddy helping her escape John had been a business deal of sorts, but it seemed I was wrong. Shannon seemed to know my daddy, and by default me, were good people.
Good enough that she knew we would not harm her son even with his O’Malley blood.
“Air.” The brown-haired and deeply tanned boy to Ares’ left muttered a warning under his breath, but it was mostly ignored.
“It’s cool, Madd’s. I got this.” Ares grinned brighter. “I’ll take you to my mum, but leave your car keys.” He eyed up my group. “And you can leave two of your people behind as insurance that you don’t do something stupid.”
I scoffed. “So you can steal them both and threaten my people with your blades?” It was a guess, but I was sure the other two boys carried weapons, too. It didn’t seem smart for just one of them to have a knife.
“Beni will watch your ride. Nobody will touch it or your people,” He promised as he pointed to his other friend; a skinny Asian boy who offered a little wave at me. “But I’m not taking you to my house armed to the teeth and with the option of a getaway vehicle. I might be young, but I’m not a fucking idiot.”
“Debatable, considering you’re running around with a blade threatening people.” I carried a gun at his age, but I knew what I was doing. For all I knew, he had picked up his weapon for fun and had no idea how to use it, or when it was best not to use it.
“You would carry to if you lived around here. I already said the option is to carry or get stabbed, and I don’t fancy getting stabbed again.”
