Can I even do nice?

Whatever.

Smiling, I tilt my head, smiling at the man in a way that gets his attention.

Staring at him for a second longer than I should as he runs his tongue along the paper of his blunt to seal it. I’m thinking very impure thoughts about this man and wondering if I fuck him in the bathroom if that would be enough distraction.

No.

Focus, Sammie.

Can’t fuck him in the bathroom.

“No,” I finally answer, “I think I’m right where I’m supposed to be.” He smirks at this, holding up the joint he just rolled like he’s offering to share.

“You want to go outside with me?”

Not really.

“Sure.” I respond, following him out a side door, making sure to kick down the stopper so I can sneak back in without any trouble.

Men are simple creatures.

They haven’t developed in the last hundred years so you can expect them to do the same shit over and over again. Fall for the same tricks every time. They’re predictable creatures.

Which makes it easy when he leans in close to me, licking his lips and trying to be seductive.

Ugh.

My hand comes out, catching him in the throat and making him choke. The joint falling to the ground as he tries to catch his breath from how I took him by surprise. He won’t.

I press my fingers into his pressure point, watching him crumble and pass out.

One down. Nine to go.

I don’t really have to take out any of the security. As long as they don’t interfere it’s not a big deal to let them hang around.

They didn’t see Ilaria go in and they won’t see her come out because she will use the service entrance that I know Tessa is already waiting at to help her escape.

Checking my phone I see we’re running on time.

By now Becca is gone from behind the bar, already in the car and ready to take off. There is about ten minutes left in this card game and we can leave.

Most of the guards aren’t paying attention still and none of them have noticed they’re down one.

Of course they haven’t.

My hands itch and I pull out a cigarette, lighting up as I move over to the bar playing the fit in game so that I don’t have to stand around anymore.

I order a gin and tonic, paying in cash.

Can’t leave a trail for them to find us.

My mind goes back to our first time playing this game against the Cartel.

We had been in college still, Becca had just lost her boyfriend and was a shell of herself.

We wanted her back. Wanted revenge on the people who had taken her away from us. Wanted to see her smile again.

It wasn’t about her boyfriend who had gotten himself mixed up with the wrong people. Honestly, really didn’t even like the guy when I met him and knew that Becca deserved way better.

I don’t like many men after-

Not letting my mind go to that subject.

Ilaria had always been good at cards. Maddie was a genius with computers. Becca was the potion master. Tessa and I had always been violent.

So we made our own little girl gang. A sort of Robin Hood where we take from the Cartel and donate to charities that benefit women around the world.

Of course we keep a portion of the money too so that we can live too.

Taking from them made us feel good and gave Becca a purpose. It made her smile again and we kept doing it even after she didn’t need help smiling anymore.

What do people say?

Bad habits die hard.

My phone vibrates.

Meet at the car

Maddie must see me drinking in one of the cameras so I lift my glass towards it, saluting before downing my drink and standing to walk away.

None of the guys know their bosses are passed out in the card room or too fucked up to alert them that something has gone very wrong.

Dummies.

I’m slinking out the door, walking calmly so not to alert anyone that something is wrong but also keeping my eyes peeled to make sure that nothing is wrong.

Maddie is deleting the footage from the card games right now and then following the trail of us from the hotel. She will leave her room in about thirty seconds, deleting her own trail in live time until she is in the car with us.

When we get home she’ll scour for traffic cams and anywhere that might have gotten a glimpse of us. She’s very good at what she does.

Turning the corner, I see the getaway car.

Becca is in the back with Maddie, who has her laptop out as she cleans up, and I slide in beside them. They smirk, the tension from what we’re doing a mix of excitement and fear in the vehicle.

We’ve never been caught yet and there is something about it that makes it harder to be afraid of when we do.