âHey, has there ever been an ugly rich kid? Even if theyâre a bit rough around the edges, a little sprucing up and theyâre ready for prime time. Go check if thereâs any cash on this card, but donât you dare swipe it. If that pack of wolves tracks us down, weâre toast, got it?
The bossâs gaze was steady and chilling, sending a shiver up the spine of his guy, who gave a jittery nod. âSure thing, Boss. I wouldnât dream of touching the cash. I know thereâs a feast waiting for us if we stick with you. Weâre gonna make bank!â
Pleased with the response, the Boss cracked a satisfied grin, âGlad you get it. Alright, youâre coming too.â
With a casual flick of his finger, he designated another member of the group to join Skinny, the nickname for the somewhat skinny man who didnât dare show his displeasure openly.
It wasnât until they were aboard the town-bound bus that Skinny spat out in disgust, âPah! Thinks heâs the king of the castle, ordering me around. Back in my heyday, when I was a big shot, he was still wet behind the ears!â
However, the guy sitting next to him was a die-hard loyalist of the Boss. At Skinnyâs words, he bristled, âWho are you badmouthing? Watch your mouth, buddy. Have you forgotten how the Boss scored us a sweet deal last time? Without that, you wouldnât have two pennies to rub together for a steak dinner!â
Cornered, Skinny was quick to plaster on an apologetic smile, âI was just blowing off steam, man. No hard feelings! Weâre all in the same boat here, right? Why get so worked up over it? Iâm all for the Boss too. Without him, how could we brothers be living it up like we are now, eh?â
The loyalistâs face remained stern. The Boss had sent him specifically to keep an eye on Skinny, to ensure he didnât get any ideas about dipping into the bank account and risk being tracked down to their hideout.
He let it go but made a mental note to settle scores later, âGood.â
Once the loyalist closed his eyes to rest, Skinny rolled his eyes.
These guys really didnât respect him. There was a time when he roamed the streets, feared and respected. Now, that respect was a distant memory. But heâd have his moment again, he was sure of it.
Theyâd all come crawling back to him eventually.
Balfour had calmed Victoria down after their talk, and she had stopped crying, much to his relief.
âDo you know where we are?â Victoria asked, her voice still shaky.
Balfour hesitated to give her the harsh truth but was bound to honesty. âWe could be in some village, but after being on the road for so long, I canât pinpoint our exact location.â
The school Balfour and Victoria attended was the most prestigious private institution in the area, and it was a mystery how they had ended up on such a bumpy path.
Balfour was clueless, and Victoria even more so. Her heart had been racing, fear nearly knocking her out, but she had held on through sheer willpower, let alone trying to figure out where the car had taken them.