IGNITE

CHAPTER ELEVEN

CAIN

I get a text from Rev the next morning before my second cup of coffee.

Shipyard was overrun with roaches. We’ll need more teams to successfully infiltrate, but we did manage to return with cargo.

Before anyone can slap early meetings on my calendar, I stroll to the elevator, coffee in hand, and ride it all the way down.

Deceptively big, the lower levels of Sinro Enterprises span two blocks underground, all the way to the edge of our parking garage.

Stepping off the elevator on lower level two, I press my thumb to the security pad on the wall. When the door swings open, I find Rev still in his fitted black tactical gear.

Gabriel’s crony is duct taped to a wobbly stool in the middle of the room over a drain in the concrete floor. I know it upsets Henry to have less of a mess to clean up, but I don’t need the guy occupied with bleaching floors. I need him out running body retrievals.

Our captive quivers with fear, and I smell the disgusting stench of piss on his clothes. He’s rambling, promising us money if we let him live.

Disregarding him entirely, I aim my attention at Rev. “You shooting for a promotion or something?”

Rev cracks a grin while I sip at my coffee–no sugar or cream to cut through the bitter taste. I don’t drink it for pleasure. I drink it to wake my ass up, another checkmark on the rigid routine I’d developed after I got out of the army.

Plus, there’s something so human about brewing a cup of coffee in the early morning. And most days, I needed a reminder that I am, in fact, human.

“Nah. Told you. My sights are set on that corner office. There’s a surprise on the table for you, too. You’re welcome. After this, I’m taking the day off. Tired of doing all your work. I’ve got a hot date tonight.”

Shaking my head, I walk over to the table and find a manilla folder waiting there for me.

“What’s this?” I ask.

Screams erupt as Rev begins his work. I sip my coffee as I flip open the folder.

“Shut the fuck up. Businessmen are talking,” Rev says to his captive, and I hear a smack. “It’s my onboarding plan for Ezra.”

I let the folder fall open in my hands, not at all surprised to see that Rev wants to move forward with training Ezra to join his team.

After some back and forth over text last night, because sleep is for the weak, Rev decided Ezra was better suited for elimination than extraction, intel, basic security, or paperwork. He’s far too wound up to sit still.

I don’t mind the thought of Ezra learning how to defend himself, but I’m a little concerned about absorbing him into our dark world. Surviving on the streets is one thing, but becoming well-known to more high-profile criminals is entirely another, especially when he isn’t even trained with weapons.

And I’m not set on placing him with Rev’s team. Despite Rev’s seemingly warm personality, he can be pretty damn cold. Colder than me.

I set the folder down and turn around, leaning my weight against the table. Blood drips from the criminal’s wounds I can’t see from this angle. Rev likes to start with removing fingernails.