Total pages in book: 54
Estimated words: 51825 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 259(@200wpm)___ 207(@250wpm)___ 173(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 51825 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 259(@200wpm)___ 207(@250wpm)___ 173(@300wpm)
“Then shoot him in the arm, the leg, the hand holding his weapon. The only good thing you did out there was put yourself in front of that kid. You’re a good guy. That’s why you need out of this. I’ll pay you to leave. A lot of money. I will write you a check.”
“I don’t want your money, and I’m not leaving. You’re my people now, Lilah. Why the hell do you think I tried to take another bullet for you?”
“Why do you think I’m trying to stop you from doing this job, Jay? It’s dangerous.”
“I’m not leaving.”
“Then you’re going to the police academy. If you make it through that, we’ll talk about what comes next.”
“I’ve told you before, I don’t want to be a cop, and if I make it through it? Really, Lilah?”
“Oh, don’t get your panties in a wad. I know you can make it through it. I was just giving you a hard time. I enjoy that.”
“So do I. That’s just another reason for me to stick around.”
“No, it’s not. And I didn’t suggest you become a cop. I said train to be a cop. Then you’ll understand your options in these types of situations, which by the way, do not include throwing yourself at a bullet. And in case you don’t know, the fact that you will, is why Kane likes you. He wants you to be willing to die for me, but I do not.”
“Too bad, Lilah. You won’t train that out of me.”
“Either you learn another way, Jay, or I’ll fire you. I mean that in the most loving of Lilah fucking Love ways.”
The attendant shows up beside us. “Your chopper is ready.”
“Get us another one,” I say. “We’re not taking the one that was supposed to be ours.”
The woman’s mouth parts. “But…we can’t do that.”
“You can,” I say. “I need you to do it.”
“That’ll be expensive. They’ll charge for—”
“I don’t care how much. We need a different chopper.” I flash my badge.
Her eyes go wide, and there is a lot of scrambling that follows.
“You think he messed with our chopper?” Jay asks, looking as pale as the white man he is not.
“Better safe than sorry, especially after Kane’s chopper went down.”
Fifteen minutes later, we’re informed that we have a new chopper. “Check the one meant for us before you use it again.” On that note, I exit the building to the runway area, with Jay on my heels.
When we’re finally buckled in, Jay looks like he wants to throw up, clutching his chair during takeoff. I’m not nervous. There’s no point. It’s too late to change what happens next.
Chapter Forty
Nice guys die first.
I’ve seen it time after time. And Jay is one of the nice guys. I can’t say that about all that many people, either. And that’s exactly why it’s a good thing he’s sitting on the other side of the chopper. I really do want to punch him for being so stupid.
The chopper roars around us and while I like silence a whole hell of a lot more than I do chitchat, right now, the sound irritates me almost as much as Jay trying to get killed again. I have questions I want answered, and the only way that’s going to happen right now is by text.
I open my computer, connect to the internet and text Tic Tac: Did you make it to New York?
Yes. I’m with your brother, Lucas, and Jack.
My brows dip. What? How did Jack get there? I type.
I invited him, is his reply.
Tic Tac is learning a little too well from me, I think. He leaves it at that and moves on, continuing with, The diner has no camera feed, his message reads. We’re checking street cameras. The owner is almost seventy, which doesn’t have to mean she’s not shady, but so far, no connections to anyone that feels relevant. And nothing shady in her background either.
This is going nowhere and slowly. I’ll have to go to the diner myself tomorrow and see where that leads, outside of me eating strawberry pie. I also need to see Pocher and my father, and dig for what they know, which is something. Of that, I’m certain. It’s just strange that they haven’t called, but then neither has the mayor or present governor.
I text Ellis: Have local government and law enforcement been told Murphy was the victim?
He replies instantly: They have not. That’s why we pushed out the locals. They believe there was a terrorist suspect.
The degree to which the government goes to keep the public in the dark is incredible, but suddenly my father and Pocher aren’t as suspiciously silent.
I text Kit: Did you connect with Rich?
No answer.
This time he probably really is with Kane, holding that meeting with one of the cartel members. This makes me nervous and I’m not a nervous person. In fact, nervous people agitate me, and I tell them so. What I cannot control is a poison to my mind. What doesn’t kill you makes you stronger, they say. I take that to mean, because you killed it first.