“No, I’m not.” Decker sat up, rubbed his eyes and adjusted the seat back. “What do you have for us?”
“Your truck thief is at 5124 Surrey, in Elida,” Sabrina said as steady taps echoed out of the speakers.
“She’s home,” breathed.
“She’s home,” I repeated the sentiment, then glanced at Decker. “Now what?”
“Your place. The sooner we take care of Teke, the better.” The sneer on Decker’s face sent chills through me. As much as I hated Teke, I still wasn’t sure if my brother should die. Have the shit beaten out of him? Yes. Go to jail for sexual assault? Hell yes. But die? “Deck?—”
“You’re not changing my mind, Krew.” The finality of his tone made me grit my teeth, but I didn’t argue—not with his handler on the phone, listening in.
“Before you two lovebirds get into it, I have info on that biotch Maya.”
“What do you have?” Decker asked, his eyes remained on me.
“She was last seen in the south suburbs with that guy Jess. The latest intel has her on the bus to guess where?”
“Elida?” Decker and I responded at the same time.
“Wrong. Vegas,” she chirped. “I love doing that.”
“Why would they go to Vegas?” Decker muttered to himself.
“Not they, bossman. She. Maya was on the bus alone. Or so I thought.”
I wondered about Sabrina’s last words, but Decker was still focused on Jess. “Where’s the guy, if he’s not with her?” Decker asked, as he chewed on the inner part of his lower lip.
I automatically reached out and touched his mouth with my finger. He paused, looked at me and then kissed it. The easy smile he gave was a boon, although the grin left his face as fast as it had arrived, and was replaced with a frown.
“From my contact, Jess Duncan is still holed up somewhere in the south side of Chicago.” More taps. “I don’t think he has long. Another contract just went out, this time a quarter of a mil is on his head. Damn, the Agonas Associates aren’t messing around and they’re blatantly advertising that they want him gone,” she explained with a bit of excitement. “There’s even a poll on how long he’s going to stay alive.”
“Jesus,” Decker said, then his eyes widened, like an idea struck him.
I leaned in closer to him and asked, “What are you thinking?”
“I’m thinking we need to keep Jess alive to find out how Maya got Regi and you involved in this. Because I’m beginning to think there’s more than just mistaken identity. I can feel it. Sabrina, reach out to Bonner Kelly. He still owes me a favor. Tell him to bring Jess Duncan to Elida alive. After we get done with him, he can collect the payout.”
“You got it,” Sabrina said with giddiness. “Also, before I hang up, this is where it gets delicious. Remember I said that Maya’s on the bus to Vegas? Well, your girl got a call from her dear best friend. Maya is actually home, because her father died. The woman on that bus was a decoy.”
“Christ,” Decker spat. “Regi is going after Maya—I know it.”
“That’s bad,” I said. Then an idea struck me. Hell, a two for one. Teke first, then that lying bitch. “Why can’t we take down both Teke and Maya?”
“Teke, definitely. But we need Jess to clear up some shit before we go after Maya. In the meantime, we need to take care of our girl, before she gets hurt. Or before your soon-to-be-dead brother gets his hands on her.”
I pulled back onto the road, heading straight to Regina’s childhood home, hoping Decker’s plan worked. Because after wishing so hard and long for a life with the two people I’ve always loved, nothing was going to hold me back from securing that future.
Even if I had to kill my brother myself.
Chapter Twenty-Nine
Regi
It took me almost ten hours to cross the border into Ohio. I still had another four hours to go until I reached Elida. There was a twinge in my gut that felt like a warning. A warning to stay away. To keep driving until the miles I’d gone were far more than what was already on Decker’s odometer.
The moment I drove past the Elida city limits, memories of my childhood crashed down around me like a tower of blocks. Good and bad, mixed into an amalgamation of happiness, tears, and then heartbreak.
The note Maya had written to me about my feelings for the two popular boys in our school. The day I met them at the park. How our friendship had bloomed. Our times at the Honey Pot. My parents—who I loved dearly—no matter how they felt about me spending time with Krew and Decker. Or how they would feel about me once I told them the truth.
