Page 10 of My Hotshot
“Pretty sure if someone told me the Banachi were coming for my ass, I’d be halfway to Mexico by now,” Cue Ball said with a dark chuckle.
“Yeah,” Yarder nodded, dry as a bone. “Almost like you tipped him off that the Banachi were coming, and he let Boone and Gibbs know.”
“He said he’s in deep,” I continued. “That he couldn’t stop now. Told me I know him and asked me to keep the Banachi off his ass.”
Yarder threw his hands up. “Un-fucking-believable, Dice. Not only did you talk to Stretch and keep it to yourself, now we have to talk to the Banachi and tell them to ease up? After we practically begged them to get involved?”
“Lay off Stretch,” I said. “Not Boone and Gibbs. He didn’t say anything about stopping them.”
“Sure,” Aero said with a humorless laugh. “I’m sure Leo and Brynn can run in guns blazing and magically dodge Stretch in the chaos. Sounds easy.”
Yarder ran both hands through his hair, seething. “I am so fucking sick of this shit. We were this close to wrapping thisup, and now we’ve gotta pump the brakes because Stretch thinks he’s goddamn Jason Bourne. You—” he jabbed a finger at me, “—you’re gonna be the one to talk to Leo and Brynn. I put my neck on the line to get their help, and now we can’t even fucking use it.”
“I’ll get a call into them,” Compass offered.
Yarder shook his head. “Nope. I’ll call them, but Dice is doing the talking.”
He yanked out his phone, hit a few buttons, and laid it on the table. He hit speaker, and we all stared at it like it might bite.
It rang five times. Straight to voicemail.
“Leo,” Yarder said. “Give me a call back when you have a chance. We’ve got some intel you’ll need.”
He ended the call and muttered, “So fucking sick of this shit.”
He stood abruptly and pointed to the rest of us. “I’m done for the day. I’m hauling Poppy into our room, locking the fucking door. Don’t bother me unless the goddamn place is on fire.”
And with that, he stormed out.
Aero looked at me like I’d just kicked his dog. “You really thought it was smart to keep it quiet that you talked to Stretch?”
I shrugged. “Yeah. Because if I told Yarder right away, he would’ve made me call Stretch again, and that’s the one thing Stretch said not to do.”
Silence again.
We were all pissed. Hurt. Confused. Stretch had been one of ours. Still was, if I was being honest. Even if the guys wouldn’t admit it right now.
“Can’t fucking go back now,” Fade muttered, standing and stretching his back.
“Let’s just hope he’s not lying to you, Dice,” Throttle added.
One by one, the guys got up and headed out of church, filing back to the common room without a glance back.
I was the only one left.
I tapped my fingers against the edge of the table, jaw tight, heart heavy.
I hoped Stretch wasn’t lying to me either.
Chapter Four
Lainey
“So, what’s the verdict after week three at Mt. Pleasant High School?”
Lottie laid her head back on the headrest and sighed like she had just completed a triathlon. “I mean… it was pretty good.”
I couldn’t help but smile as I looked over at her. Lottie being happy was all I had ever wanted. “Yeah?”
