The Best Intentions

Chapter Nine

*Aphrodite*

Iron Beach had a problem with gangs ever since I could remember. It just wasn't that bad until Natalia Mendoza took over. She changed the game. I despised her. She was getting in the way of my main source for income; stealing. It was hard when almost every business owner on the east side was under her gang's protection. If I even managed to get any money, there would suddenly be a price on my head.

This was only on the west side of the city. For some reason, Mendoza didn't mess with the east side that much. She still had a few businesses under her protection, but the rest belonged to Dark Skies. Blue Blur and her little team weren't much help. If they took down one bad guy, five more showed up. They were only scratching the surface of all the criminals in their territory.

I didn't want to go to the east side of the bridge, but after a night of not being able to make a penny, I realized it was my last resort. As I cut through alleyways, my eyes drifted up to the night sky. The stars were blocked out by clouds and chemical fog. The farther I got into the east side, the heavier it started to rain.

"I guess that explains the name," I muttered to myself. I had no doubt in my mind Coldfront was responsible for the weather.

As I ducked under an overhang to get shelter from the rain, my phone started to ring. I muttered a string of curse words before answering.

"Hey, Sabrina. What's up?"

"Aubrey!" Sabrina exclaimed. "I thought you were spending the night. Where are you?"

I frowned. "That was tonight? I forgot. I'm kind of busy at the moment."

"Really? Oh. Sorry for bothering you. You usually don't mix events up. That's my thing."

I chuckled lightly as I climbed up a nearby fire escape. "I'll text you later. I have to go."

I hung up and stuffed my phone back into my pocket and sighed, letting my eyes scan over the city. Sabrina was my only friend, and here I was, blowing her off for this. It made my chest hurt just thinking about it.

I took off running before leaping onto the next roof. Repeated the process a couple of times, I only stopped when I had got to my target for the night; a comic book shop.

I let it soak in that I had fallen quite far to steal from this store before jumping off the roof. A bell dinged as I walked inside. The man at the counter didn't spare me a glance, leaving me to pick up a couple of comics. I threw them down on the counter and cleared my throat.

"Nice choices," the cashier said, still not looking up. When he finally did, I leaned forward and smiled widely, propping my elbows up on the counter.

Manipulating his emotions was easy. He almost drooled as I said, "Give me all the money in the cash register."

The bell dinged, taking my attention away from the cashier. I expected to see a customer, but was thoroughly shocked to find myself face to face with Coldfront.

"Please don't put me on ice!" was the first thing I thought to say.

Coldfront stared at me for a moment, his eyes wide, before doubling over. "Hah! Relax, Aphrodite. I'm not here for a fight. I've been trying to find you, actually. I'm kind of a fan."

I raised my eyebrows. "Why me?"

"I need your help taking down Night," he said. "If you join Dark Skies, I'll pay you."

"Night?" I asked. "Isn't that what Blue Blur calls her little team of heroes? Hah! You want me to on your team?" As I questioned Coldfront, I walked outside. He followed after me, never more than five steps behind me.