Chapter 181

Alyssa POV

We sit in the car, parked beneath the flickering lights of a gas station that looks like it’s two seconds from giving out entirely. It’s 2 a.m., freezing outside, and the only reason I’m not shivering is because Niko’s got the heater blasting like he’s trying to cook us.

Mason steps out to meet his “source,” and I try not to stare too long at the gray minivan pulling in behind a blacked-out sedan. It’s an older model—scratched, dented, and leaning like it’s been through three divorces and a failed robbery getaway.

King exhales sharply through his nose, the sound more growl than breath. “You’ve got to be fucking kidding me.”

“Hey,” Niko says with a weak grin, though he looks like he wants to gag, “At least we’ll blend in. Nobody’s gonna look twice at that piece of shit. They’ll probably think we’re on our way to a PTA meeting.”

King doesn’t bother answering. His eyes stay fixed on the transaction unfolding in front of us, his jaw locked