Bully Payback (Taking Revenge on Her Bully Book 1) Read online

“You don’t have any evidence, do you?”

  “I don’t need any evidence. You have my word!”

  “The Colombians assured me it hadn’t been them, and I trust them. Maybe you should question your men about it. It seems to me like you’re not running a tight ship.”

  “Damn it, Ryker. I won’t tolerate this any longer. I struck a deal with you because you’re a Cavano, but you don’t share the same values as you father did.”

  “You can be sure that I don’t.” Ryker’s voice was like icicles. Sanchez was playing with fire and he didn’t even realize it.

  “Fuck you. Our deal’s over.”

  I heard the door slam. Sanchez must’ve left. I had no idea what exactly they’d been talking about, but this recording would be useful to the cops, wouldn’t it? Ryker’s name had been mentioned, along with the Colombians and shipments. This was good.

  Very good.

  “Boss?”

  “Gather everyone,” Ryker said. “We have a problem that needs to be solved.”

  “Yes, boss. What kind of problem?”

  “Sanchez stole our cocaine and tried to blame it on the Colombians.”

  “Did he tell you that?”

  “Oh, for fuck’s sake, of course he didn’t, but it was him. I’m a hundred percent sure.”

  “What do you want us to do?”

  “Kill Sanchez and his men. Kill them all. We’ll attack his stash house tonight too and take whatever we can. I want to send a message.”

  “Which stash house, boss?”

  “The one near Big Belly’s.”

  “Yes, boss.”

  I held my breath and didn’t move, as if Ryker could somehow hear or see me listening, which was ridiculous, but I couldn’t help it. Big Belly’s? Where the hell was that? I had to find a map.

  Ryker had just ordered to have someone killed. If that wasn’t good enough evidence against him, then I didn’t know what was. He’d just given me everything I needed, but maybe I could get something more.

  If I could actually take some photos of him in action, then it would be harder for him to cover up everything or say that it was all doctored. And even his crooked cops wouldn’t be able to defend him. Actually, I could leak the photos to the press or to the whole world. There would be no way for Ryker to escape then.

  But first I wanted to figure out where Sanchez’ stash house was. Maybe there was a way for me to watch everything from a good hiding spot, and I might as well take photos of as many of Ryker’s men as I could.

  The Cobras had to be destroyed completely too, and if only Ryker went to prison, then someone else could be chosen as their new leader and things would continue as if nothing had happened. I couldn’t allow that.

  As I focused on the map, I studied the area around Big Belly’s. There was an older building nearby where a car shop used to be, but now it didn’t look like it was occupied. It was the perfect hiding spot.

  It was surrounded by other buildings and not on any important or busy streets, but there were still plenty of alleys and ways to reach it. Trucks could definitely come and go at night without drawing too much attention.

  Maybe, just maybe, I could get inside one of the buildings that looked on the stash house. If I stayed in the shadows, no one would notice me, and I’d be more or less safe, especially if there was a back exit that I could use in case someone ended up spotting me. If I ran fast enough, I’d be able to reach a busy street and lose anyone who might try to follow me.

  One part of me was terrified, but the other one was excited. After tonight, I could have everything that I needed to destroy Ryker, and I’d no longer have to worry about him. He’d finally pay for everything he’d done, and the Scarlet Cobras would suffer a huge blow.

  A smile spread across my lips.

  I was so close to my revenge that I could almost taste it on my tongue. And damn, it was so sweet.

  Chapter 22

  I LOOKED AROUND ME, and when I was sure no one was watching me, I pushed the door open. Luckily for me, this old building didn’t have any guards and the door wasn’t even locked, so I easily slipped inside.

  The lights came on, blinding me for a moment. I hurried upstairs before any of the tenants showed up. If I wasn’t wrong, there was a window at the end of the hallway on the second floor. From there, I should be able to see what was going on. It was possible that I was in a completely wrong place, but I was hoping that I wasn’t.

  Once I reached the window, I waited for the lights to turn off. When they did, I opened the window wide. Pressing myself close to the wall, I gazed down on the old car shop across from me. I gripped my phone tightly in my hand. Once Ryker’s men showed up, I had to be ready and record everything.

  The minutes ticked by, and my feet were staring to hurt, so I shifted a bit to get more comfortable. The dark hallway behind me was unnerving because every rustle and tiny noise made me think someone was coming for me.

  But it wasn’t very likely that would happen, unless a rat decided to pay me a visit. At least the tenants weren’t going anywhere. It would be a bit hard for me to explain what I was doing here.

  The noise of car engines made me perk up, and I aimed my phone through the window, pressing the record button. Movement near the car shop caught my eye, and then I realized two armed men had been hiding in the shadows where I hadn’t even spotted them. Shit.

  Since no one had come for me, I assumed they hadn’t noticed me either.

  Four SUVs came to a screeching halt in front of the car shop, and I braced myself for the sounds of gunfire that were inevitably coming, but there was only silence. The men were out of their cars, their guns in their hands, but it looked like they had silencers.

  They spilled into the car shop, and a light briefly flickered in one of the windows before going out. Where was Ryker? His men came out a few minutes later, their Cobra symbol on the back of their jackets.

  I focused my phone camera on each one of them so I could zoom in on the photos and the footage later. Maybe that would make it easier for the cops to identify them. But as I was looking down at the screen of my phone, I spotted Ryker.

  His men dragged two tied up men with them and forced them to their knees. Ryker was standing in the middle of the circle his men had formed around him and their captives.

  I had no idea what was going on, and it was a bit too dark for me to tell who the men were, but judging by their movements, they were pleading for their lives.

  But then Ryker lifted his gun, and it was like a scene from a movie, because the light was just hitting his profile in the right way. And then he pulled the trigger.

  Twice.

  The captives toppled to the ground, and I covered my mouth with my hand, my other hand in which I held the phone shaking slightly.

  This was the first time I’d seen Ryker actually kill someone, and I wished that I hadn’t. He was the same monster that had tormented me in high school. Maybe even worse.

  I slid down to the floor, hugging my knees to myself as I tightly held my phone. Everything that I needed was in my hand. All I had to do was get out of here. I had no idea if someone had spotted me, but it was better for me to get out of here as quickly as possible.

  After I crawled away from the window, I pushed myself up to my feet and broke into a run. The lights came on again as I rushed down the stairs toward the back exit. I poked my head through the door, and once I was sure the alley was empty, I raced outside.

  My lungs burned as I kept on running, but I didn’t want to stop. I’d always known Ryker was a killer, but it seemed way more real now. Once I reached a busier street, I slowed down, keeping my head down.

  A black SUV made me flinch, but it wasn’t one of Ryker’s. All I wanted was to get home and have a nice warm shower. Not that it could help me wash the grime that I was feeling all over my body. Somehow, I felt as if I’d been right there with Ryker when he’d killed those men.

  Maybe they had both been criminals, but that didn’t make me feel any bett
er. Ryker hadn’t even blinked. Hadn’t even cared about their begging and pleading. And I didn’t know why I was even surprised.

  He was a gang leader, not the man who’d cooked dinner for me or splashed me with water to make me laugh. Not the man who got off on pain. Not the man who I might want to take into my bed.

  What if he called for me now? I supposed it was too late for a session, but even if he wanted to see me tomorrow, how could I ever go back to him? Maybe I could tell him I was sick. He still hadn’t found the bug, as far as I knew, so he shouldn’t be suspicious of me.

  I broke into a run again, and this time I didn’t stop or slow down until I reached my apartment. Pushing my sweaty hair out of my face, I locked the door behind me and leaned on it.

  When I caught my breath, I dialed Nia’s number.

  “I think I have it. I think have what I need,” I managed to choke out.

  “That’s great, but I’m kind of in the middle of something,” she said. “Just returning some favors. That’s all. I’ll be back in a few days.”

  “Oh. Okay. I’ll talk to you some other time then.”

  Whatever she was doing had to be very important because she ended the call before I could say anything else. I needed her to help me identify the men who’d been with Ryker, but now I’d have to wait.

  My stomach did a nervous flip. So many things could happen in a few days, but I had to calm down first. Ryker didn’t know what I was doing, and all I had to do was avoid him.

  Hell, maybe he wasn’t even going to call me if he was busy dealing with his friends and enemies—somehow those two seemed like the same thing when it came to him.

  A few more days were nothing. I’d been waiting years for my revenge.

  I could survive this.

  I had to.

  Chapter 23

  I PACED UP AND DOWN the room, biting my fingernails. Nia still hadn’t called me and I was starting to get worried, but I didn’t want to disturb her if she was in the middle of something important. She’d already helped me enough, and I had no idea how I was ever going to repay her.

  But I didn’t think I could wait any longer. All the evidence was right there on my flash drive, and all I had to do was hand it over to the cops. And then my Ryker problem would be over.

  I’d finally have everything I could possibly hope for, and maybe then, I’d be able to truly leave my past behind and start my life anew.

  I grabbed my jacket and rushed outside. Ryker’s cops couldn’t be everywhere. All I had to do was figure out where to find the right ones. As I strode down the street, I wondered if maybe Sanchez’ territory might be a good idea.

  There was a police station just at the edge of his territory, or well, if he was now dead, then maybe it was no one’s territory at the moment. Even if the Cobras had taken over, surely they couldn’t have already wormed their way into everything so quickly.

  If any of the cops were Sanchez’ men, then maybe they’d want vengeance for what had happened to him. Sure, it was a long shot, but I thought I should try. I could anonymously drop off the evidence and see what happened.

  If it worked, great. If not, I’d have to find another way. Except Ryker would be on alert then, and I was hoping he wouldn’t see it coming. I didn’t want him to flee or go into hiding.

  It didn’t take me long to get to the police station that I had in mind, but just as I was passing by one of the nearby alleys, I caught a glimpse of a familiar jacket.

  Ryker’s men. Fuck.

  I pressed myself against the wall, taking a quick peek down the alley. It was just one of Ryker’s men, and he was talking to someone. The other guy moved, and then I spotted his badge. A cop. Of course.

  Ryker’s men already had their inside men here too. Maybe Ryker had been planning on taking Sanchez down for a long time. If he believed Sanchez had betrayed him, then he’d probably been plotting his downfall for a while. Shit.

  I quickly hurried back in the direction I’d come from. It was too risky for me to be seen around here. Someone might spot me or describe me to Ryker, and then he might figure it all out.

  If Sanchez was dead, then Ryker’s men might be working on covering up his death, or Ryker had already made a deal with the crooked cops.

  I supposed I should’ve seen it coming, and in a way I had. But now I knew that it would be hard to figure out where Ryker didn’t have his men. He could’ve been planning to take control of this city for years.

  Hell, maybe some of his men were cops and they were helping him out with the whole thing. It would be a smart thing to do, no matter how much gangs and mob bosses sneered at cops and pretended their code forbade them from joining their ranks.

  My phone vibrated, and my shoulders tensed. But Nia’s number was on the screen, so I relaxed. If it had been Ryker, I had no idea what I would’ve said.

  “Nia? Everything okay?” I asked.

  “Yeah. I’m back. Where are you? I wanted to pick you up, but you weren’t home.”

  “It’s a long story.”

  “Please tell me you didn’t do anything stupid.”

  “I almost did, but no. I’m on my way to your place.”

  “I’ll be waiting. Oh, and did you hear some cartel guy was found dead?”

  “Sanchez?” I asked.

  “Yeah, that’s him. His head was cut off. Do you think he did it?”

  I knew she meant Ryker. “Yeah. I have proof.” Although, I wasn’t sure if he beheaded Sanchez himself or if his men had done it for him.

  “Okay. Then get here as soon as possible, and we can finish that son of a bitch together.”

  “Yeah. See you soon.” As I pocketed my phone, I sensed someone was watching me.

  When I glanced over my shoulder, a guy behind me quickly averted his gaze. Shit. He was following me, wasn’t he?

  But why? Did Ryker know? What if the guy was here to kill me?

  I quickened my steps, pushing my way through the crowd.

  I didn’t want to look back again so that the guy wouldn’t figure out that I’d spotted him. How could I get rid of him? I couldn’t lead him straight to Nia.

  I entered one of the stores, quickly hiding in one of the aisles. When I peeked out, the guy was just at the door. He had a thick beard and light blue eyes, and he was a wearing a black jacket.

  A tattoo of a cobra was on his neck, plainly visible. I ducked behind a shelf. Now all I had to do was get out of the store without him noticing. But how could I do that?

  A group of loud teens burst through the door.

  Perfect.

  I rushed from aisle to aisle, making sure to avoid the guy who was following me. And once the teens blocked his view, I dashed for the door. Breaking into a run, I glanced behind me, but I couldn’t see Ryker’s guy anywhere.

  A bus came to a stop not too far away, and I hurried inside with everyone else who’d been waiting for it. A few moments later, the bus was on the move, and Ryker’s guy was standing in the middle of the street, looking left and right. I turned my head away from him, but there was nothing he could do right now.

  I breathed out a sigh of relief. Ryker had sent someone to follow me.

  Shit, shit, shit.

  Was it because he knew exactly what I was up to? Had someone seen me enter that building the night he’d killed Sanchez and his men? Had his men spotted me in Sanchez’ territory?

  I had so many questions, but I wasn’t about to call him and ask. Maybe Ryker was just curious where I was. Maybe he wanted to know if I was meeting with someone in secret.

  Or he’d sent his guy after me to kill me.

  I closed my eyes for a moment, leaning my head against the seat. Whatever happened, I couldn’t let Ryker catch me.

  Chapter 24

  “WHOA, SLOW DOWN,” NIA said, her eyes wide. “What do you mean someone was following you?” She hurried to her door and took a quick look through the peephole.

  “Don’t worry. I lost him. But it was one of Ryker’s guys.” I could finally b
reathe again, but I supposed I wouldn’t feel truly safe until Ryker was arrested, and maybe not even then.

  “How do you know?” She turned toward me.

  “He had a cobra tattooed on his neck, and he was definitely after me. I managed to lose him, but I don’t know what that means. Why are Ryker’s men following me? Do you think he knows?”

  She shrugged. “It’s hard to say unless he tells you himself. But we should be safe here. The only thing I need to do before we...”

  My phone rang, and I let out a startled gasp. I was seriously starting to hate any sounds my phone made.

  “Oh shit,” I choked out when I saw the number on the screen. “It’s Ryker.”

  Nia dashed across the room to grab her laptop. “Do you want to answer it? I was about to block your signal, but if you don’t talk to him for too long, he shouldn’t be able to track you down.”

  “I don’t know.” I stared at my phone as I bit down on my lip. Did I want to talk to Ryker? Did I want to know why he was after me? Would he even tell me that? I was too curious not to answer.

  “Lexi?” Ryker’s voice was tense.

  “Yeah, it’s me. What’s up? Do you need me to come to you for another session?” I did my best to keep my voice as steady as possible.

  If he wanted to see me, I’d come up with some excuse. Just because we’d signed a contract didn’t mean I’d always be available at any moment.

  “No. Actually, I wanted to tell you that you might not hear from me for some time, so I don’t want you to get worried.”

  “Why? Is something wrong?”

  “It’s just business. I’m in the middle of something, and I’ll very likely have to go away for a while. But once I’m back, I’m going to call you. Okay?”

  “Yeah, sure. Thanks for letting me know.”

  “I have to go now. Bye.” He ended the call and I lowered my phone, blinking at it in surprise.

  “I blocked your signal. He can’t find you know,” Nia said. “What happened? Did he tell you anything?”

  “Yeah, he told me that he might be going away. He said that it’s just business.” I pressed my lips into a tight line. “Isn’t that a little convenient? But if he knew what I was planning, he wouldn’t have called me. I don’t understand. Unless he wants to make me think I got away with it and that he’s away, so I’ll feel safe and then he’ll strike.”