𝐁𝐚𝐧𝐝𝐢𝐭 𝐋𝐢𝐤𝐞 𝐌𝐞

36|| Drive

Celeste // February 25
•••

"There's no way, Celeste."

Dante is speeding around Chicago – or, as he likes to call it 'his city'.

"It's the truth," I defend. "I took out five in one drive-by shooting."

He scoffs, still not believing me. "What, did the car go 10 mph?"

"No, we went pretty fast I think."

He raises his brows at me, giving me a quick unimpressed look before his eyes go back to the road. "You can't take out five people in one drive-by shooting, Celeste, the car goes too fast for that."

"Yes, you can." I turn to him. "I'll show it to you, right now."

We were ten minutes away from The Red Lion – a pub where Irish mafia members hang out to play card games and drink beer.

Lester had taken me there ones. He'd bought the place because he loved the mosaic glass in the window upfront.

I'd locked myself into a toilet stall the entire time we were there. The place was way too crowdy and noisy for my liking, but I can see why normal people like to spend time there.

After I'd told Dante about my issues with talking, I didn't get the panic attack that I'd been expecting and neither did it switch my brain into a condition that it could no longer make sentences.

Instead, he'd asked me to come with him on his drive.

His original plan was to drive by The Red Lion and drop a grenade before the front door as a response to what had happened to one of his men in his casino, but I told him that seemed a little unpersonal.

So, I volunteered to shoot as he drove by the pub and when he told me a grenade would do more damage than me, I informed him of my track record.

"You're joking, right?"

"When have I ever made a joke?"

This makes him snort in amusement. "Fair enough, but you're not going to be able to take five men out at this speed."

We're five minutes away and I start braiding my hair. "Hand me your gun and something to put over my face and I'll prove it to you."

He smirks in a smug way only he manages to make look sexy. "You want to prove yourself to me?"

I roll my eyes, not bothering with an answer as I slip between the two front seats and move to the backseat. When I finally sit down again, Dante hands me a and a gun.

I pull the black fabric over my head, securing my braid away from anyone's sight. It's way too big for me and the thing fits very awkwardly, but I guess it's better than shooting around with my bare face in sight.

I'm just about to switch the safety off the gun when a cramp hits me, reminding me of this.. period situation I've got going on.

"If I shoot five or more I want you to buy me ice cream."

Dante's eyes meet mine in the rereview mirror and I can't tell whether he's amused or unimpressed. "Do you always get paid in desserts?"

I switch the safety off. "Just say yes."

"Fine," he agrees. "If you kill five or more Irish members in The Red Lion in one drive-by shoot, I'll buy you ice cream." A pause. "But, if you fail then I want something from you."

"What do you want?" I rest my underarms on my knees as I lean towards him.

"I want to know who you send the money that you stole from me to."