Lucas climbed out of the Camry, stretching his legs, stiff from the drive. Ryan had insisted on lunch, claiming loudly that he couldn’t operate on an empty stomach, and even Wes grudgingly admitted food sounded good after their flight. Lucas hadn’t argued; he’d learned a long time ago that hungry men made careless mistakes.

  Big Tony’s Deep Dish sat tucked between two shuttered storefronts, its neon sign buzzing erratically. The sidewalk was cracked and littered with cigarette butts, adding to the place’s faded charm—or lack thereof. Ryan led the way with his usual swagger, clearly familiar with the spot. Wes trailed silently behind, hands deep in his bomber jacket pockets, eyes continuously scanning the street.

  Inside, the warmth immediately hit Lucas, thick with the scent of garlic, tomato sauce, and freshly baked bread. The exposed brick walls were covered in vintage Chicago sports memorabilia—faded team pennants, framed jerseys, and black-and-white photographs of past athletes. The red-leather booths were worn and cracked, the tabletops faintly sticky. Behind the counter, a bored teenager sat, eyes glued to a phone, barely registering their entrance.

  Ryan slid easily into a booth, draping himself comfortably, gesturing for Lucas and Wes to join. Wes took the aisle seat, alert even in this casual setting. Lucas sat opposite, feeling distinctly out of place.

  “Wes, you seriously haven’t had deep dish before?” Ryan asked incredulously, scanning the laminated menu without actually reading it.

  Wes grunted simply, “Nope.”

  Ryan shook his head, pretending disappointment. “We’re fixing that today.” He waved lazily at the teenager, who sighed dramatically and reluctantly shuffled over to take their order.

  As they waited for the pizza, Ryan filled the silence, leaning forward eagerly. “Why’d you join the company, big guy?” he asked Wes.

  Wes didn’t even blink, ignoring him completely.

  “Fascinating,” Ryan quipped, rolling his eyes exaggeratedly. He shifted his attention to Lucas, undeterred. “And you, boss?”

  Lucas glared sharply. “I told you to stop calling me that.”

  “Gotta call you something.”

  “Then use my name, you idiot.”

  Ryan beamed brightly, unfazed. “Now I feel closer. Why’d you join?”

  “Money.” Lucas’s response was clipped and honest. It wasn’t a lie; hunger had long since gotten old, and joining Black Lotus had been a straightforward decision.

  “Ah, me too, man,” Ryan said, stretching his arms casually above his head. He reached into his jacket pocket and pulled out his phone, quickly swiping through pictures before holding it out to Lucas. “And this kid.”

  Lucas glanced at the photo—a young girl, no more than five years old, smiling brightly. He barely reacted. Ryan seemed the type to have some kid somewhere.

  “Yours?” Lucas asked indifferently.

  “What? Nah, man!” Ryan laughed loudly, shaking his head vigorously. “No way I’m having kids—that’s my gift to the world, not procreating. Nah, that’s my sister.”

  Lucas shrugged dismissively, already losing interest, but Ryan pressed on, oblivious.

  “She’s super smart, you know,” Ryan continued proudly. “Great at math, Spanish, science. She’s gonna be better than all of us one day.”

  A sudden chill ran down Lucas’s spine, pulling him back into Vince’s car, Vince looking softly out the window at Serena and Vivian in front of the library. Lucas looked sharply at Ryan, who was still scrolling through his photos.

  “She won the spelling bee a few weeks ago. Kicked ass.” Ryan eagerly showed Lucas another picture of the little girl holding up a trophy almost bigger than herself.

  “Your parents?” Lucas asked, suddenly seeing Ryan differently.

  Ryan scoffed bitterly. “Gone. Dad ran off. Mom married some creepy fucker. Got her out as soon as I could. I ain’t leaving her there with that guy.”

  Lucas considered that, nodding slowly. “And where’s she staying while you’re here?”

  If you come across this story on Amazon, be aware that it has been stolen from Royal Road. Please report it.

  “Nice granny downstairs looks after her when I’m working,” Ryan said, shrugging carelessly, though Lucas caught a flicker of relief in his eyes.

  Lucas knew exactly how that felt—neighbors sometimes safer than family. Just another grim reality in their world.

  “Vince said that once,” Lucas said quietly, his voice steady but subdued. “About Serena’s cousin.” He wouldn’t name Vivian here.

  Ryan looked at him questioningly.

  Lucas clarified quietly, “That she was gonna be better than all of us.”

  Ryan paused thoughtfully, nodding quietly. “She probably is.”

  Lucas didn’t respond, instead adding evenly, “Good reason for you to join the company. Vince would approve.”

  The ghost of Vince hovered close. Ryan offered a small smile, almost regretful. “Wish I could have met the guy.”

  Lucas snorted dryly. “He probably wouldn’t like you. Hates talkers.”

  Ryan hung his head dramatically, and Wes let out a rare, short laugh, rough and genuine.

  Their pizza arrived, deep-dish slices steaming heavily, cheese melting over the crust. Ryan nudged Wes enthusiastically. “So, what you think?”

  Wes took a large bite, chewing thoughtfully. “Good.”

  Ryan grinned triumphantly. “I’m quoting you on the Google review.”

  Lucas watched silently, not sure what to make of them. He wondered briefly if Vince ever felt this way—watching him, watching the men who’d once followed him loyally. How had Vince always seemed to know exactly what to do next?

  Ryan’s constant talking was exhausting, but the guy’s obvious care for his sister was genuine. Wes barely spoke, but Lucas could see the quiet competence beneath. They were all roughly the same age, which made things even more confusing. Lucas had always worked with older members, the hierarchy was cleaner that way. But these guys? Lucas still had no idea what to do with any of this.

  He ate quietly, Ryan occasionally breaking the silence with jokes Lucas ignored. Wes maintained his quiet vigilance. Lucas felt grudging acceptance settling between them but refused to acknowledge it outright.

  When they finished, Lucas stood first, adjusting his jacket as he moved toward the exit. Ryan followed closely, chattering about nothing important, while Wes brought up the rear, eyes ever-watchful.

  Lucas glanced at them briefly. They were capable, loyal enough, but still untested, still young. He felt a reluctant flicker of respect but pushed it down quickly. He wasn’t sure yet what to do with them—wasn’t ready to decide if they were his responsibility or just temporary companions in this chaos.

  For now, he kept his guard up, wary but open. It was all he could do.

  *****

  Lucas directed Wes slowly toward the industrial area, following the last known ping from Serena's phone. The area grew increasingly desolate as they moved away from the busier streets. Old warehouses loomed overhead, windows shattered, walls covered in faded graffiti. Rusted machinery lay abandoned, overtaken by weeds.

  Wes parked the Camry discreetly, pulling up behind a large, rusted shipping container. Lucas glanced around cautiously, a faint sense of unease prickling at the base of his neck.

  "This the place?" Ryan asked, peering out through the window. "Looks like a set from a zombie movie."

  Lucas ignored the comment, scanning their surroundings carefully. "Phone pinged somewhere inside."

  "Guess we better take a look," Wes muttered, already stepping out of the vehicle.

  They approached the warehouse entrance cautiously, each footstep echoing faintly against cracked concrete. Ryan fidgeted nervously, eyes darting around.

  "Relax," Lucas said, though his own muscles were tense. "We don't even know if she's here."

  "Yeah, easy for you to say," Ryan mumbled, shifting uneasily from foot to foot.

  Inside, shadows clung to every corner, broken crates and pallets stacked haphazardly around the expansive floor. Lucas gestured silently for Wes and Ryan to spread out slightly, each of them advancing slowly, scanning for any sign of Serena or trouble.

  A sudden metallic clang rang out sharply, shattering the quiet. Lucas whipped around, immediately drawing his weapon. Before he could react further, figures emerged rapidly from the darkness, charging at them, their faces hidden by masks and hoodies.

  "Ambush!" Lucas shouted.

  Wes reacted first, grabbing one of their attackers and throwing him heavily against a stack of wooden pallets, splintering them under the impact. Lucas sidestepped a clumsy swing from another masked man, swiftly countering with a sharp jab to the throat before slamming him into the ground.

  Ryan scrambled backward, narrowly avoiding being tackled. He fumbled briefly before drawing his own weapon, firing wildly toward his attacker and forcing him to duck for cover.

  “Get back!” Lucas barked, recognizing they were quickly becoming outnumbered.

  They retreated quickly, covering each other as they ran back toward the Camry. Bullets rang out sharply around them, kicking up dust and debris from the cracked pavement. Lucas shielded his face, dodging quickly and returning fire with disciplined precision.

  Wes slid into the driver's seat, starting the car and throwing the passenger door open. Ryan dove inside, with Lucas following quickly, slamming the door behind him.

  The Camry roared to life and sped away, bullets ricocheting off the metal container they’d parked behind.

  Ryan exhaled shakily, gripping the seat in front of him as Wes navigated swiftly out of the industrial maze. "Shit, that was close."

  "Too close," Lucas muttered, eyes narrowed. "They were waiting for us."

  "Yeah," Wes agreed quietly, his eyes fixed intently on the road ahead. "Means someone knew we'd come."

  Lucas didn't respond immediately, his jaw tight. Whoever had set this trap had intended to finish the job quickly. He glanced briefly at Ryan, noting the younger man's wide-eyed, shaken expression. Lucas sighed inwardly. They were inexperienced, sure, but Ryan and Wes had held their own.

  The question now was who had betrayed them—and why.

  "We need somewhere to lay low," Lucas finally said. "Any safe houses nearby?"

  Wes nodded, already steering the car toward quieter streets. "Got a spot."

  Lucas leaned back, adrenaline slowly receding as they left the ambush far behind. Beside him, Ryan shifted uneasily, glancing out the window.

  "Next time," Lucas said dryly, "maybe skip the zombie comments."

  Ryan gave a weak grin, still visibly rattled. "Yeah, noted."