Heists and Vengeance

Twenty-One

Erin

As soon as she said his name, Ryder blinked, and looked at her more closely. "Erin? Why were you following me?"

            She stared at him. He'd known? Ryder seemed to sense the question, and gave her a wry grin. "Let's just say you'd never be able to make it as a spy." He removed the gun from her temple and backed up a bit.

            Erin would have laughed at his comment, but her mind was still reeling from all she'd just learned about her 'friend'. "You were part of the Reapers?" she asked quietly.

            Ryder stilled, and stared at her. "I-" he paused, and licked his lips nervously. "That's not any of your business."

            At that, Erin exploded. "Not any of my business? Not any of my business? You're supposed to be our-our leader, and our friend! But how do we trust you if you were once part of them?" She stepped closer. "Tell me everything. Now."

            Ryder scowled. "First Brett, now you-"

            "What? Brett knows?" She felt like she was about to cry. Had Ryder told everyone but her?

            "No," he said quickly. "He doesn't. But please don't ask me about this again – this is not something I feel comfortable sharing."

            Normally, Erin would have backed down. But this...this was serious. Had he been part of the Reapers while he was working with the Aces? Had he told them important information about their team? How could she trust him now?

            The only thing that she knew for sure was that he wasn't with them now, but even that wasn't as reassuring as it should have been – it had sounded a bit like he'd stayed in touch with them.

            She took a deep breath. "Tell me or...I'll tell everyone else that you were part of the Reapers. We both know exactly how they'll react" At the sight of the horror that dawned on Ryder's face, Erin felt a pang of regret. She didn't like blackmailing people...except when it was necessary. She was nowhere near as ruthless as the rest of the group – she'd always felt bad whenever she'd had to bribe someone for information.

            Ryder pursed his lips, and avoided her eyes as he started to speak. "What do you want to know?"

            He started walking back to their place, and Erin rushed to catch up with him, momentarily at a loss for words. What was it exactly she wanted to know? "How long were you with them for?"

            "Three years."

            She squinted. "When did you leave?"

            "When I was fourteen, so...seven years ago. Right before I met Brett."

            "Why did you leave?"

            Ryder thought for a few seconds before answering, as if he had to figure out how best to say it. "I...I didn't like how they chose their targets based on their...their race, religion, ethnicity, you name it. They were-are-supporters of the white supremacy." He shrugged. "I just didn't like that."

            Erin stared at him. Here was a man who would steal anything from anyone for the chance of money...and yet had made himself an enemy of a very influential gang because of their bigotry? When he, as a white man, had no reason to feel that way? Ryder had a very interesting sense of justice and fairness.

            "Just to be clear," Ryder said, interrupting her thought flow. "I'm going to stop answering questions as soon as we get back – and we're nearly there." Erin could see that – their hideout was only two blocks away.