Total pages in book: 141
Estimated words: 143382 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 717(@200wpm)___ 574(@250wpm)___ 478(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 143382 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 717(@200wpm)___ 574(@250wpm)___ 478(@300wpm)
I knew from the dark look that passed through his eyes this would be impossible in the now, but I hoped I planted a kernel that might someday grow.
Javi lifted his chin to acknowledge he heard me, but he said nothing.
I couldn’t do all this emotion. Days of it. Too much.
So I went on, “And Harlow is worried about you. She sends her thoughts.”
“Pain in my ass,” he muttered, but his mouth had softened the minute the name “Harlow” came out of mine.
Because it did, I made a split-second decision only time would tell if I’d regret. Though, with that gentle look I’d witnessed, I had a feeling I wouldn’t.
“I could set that up,” I offered.
“Total pain in my ass,” he said as he moved away.
I shifted into the walkway and called after them, “See you on the flipside.”
Jeff, on the stairs, jutted his chin to me. Clarice was already strutting toward the security gate. Javi, still on the walkway, didn’t look back, just lifted a hand and flicked out a couple of fingers—Mr. Cool.
I stood out there until I lost sight of them when the security door closed behind them, and then I dashed into my house.
I nabbed the toothbrush to finish brushing (after I disinfected it with bleach since it’d hit the floor, my house was clean, but…gross).
Though, first, I went to my phone to report to Eric what I’d just learned.
It was ringing before I got to it on my nightstand.
The screen told me Eric was calling.
“Hey, I was just going to call you,” I said as answer.
“I bet. What were your brother, Javi and Clarice doing at yours?”
I looked around, wondering if there were hidden cameras in my pad.
“How do you know that?” I asked.
“Because we hacked into the parking lot cameras of the Oasis so we can keep an eye on the three of you. Four, when Harlow moves in next week.”
Oh.
And…
Rad!
I forgot Harlow was going to be moving in that soon. I needed to ask if she wanted help packing.
“Jess,” Eric prompted in a growly tone.
Mm. Yum.
I shook off my pleasant reaction to his growly.
“First I will share how proud of myself I am that I’ve managed to curtail my homicidal tendencies twice today.”
“Okay,” he said slowly, like he was prompting me to go on, but he wasn’t sure he wanted to know.
“My parents are assholes,” I stated the obvious. “But Jeff and I worked shit out. I’ll explain more tonight.”
“Right. So the twice is both your parents?”
“No. I woke up wanting to kill whoever had the idea for the stakeout. Then I remembered it was Harlow, and I thus I determined I wasn’t down for bestie-icide.”
I listened to him chuckle.
Since I wouldn’t hear that much if I was in prison, I was super glad I had such fantastic willpower.
I continued my brief. “Javi put the word out it wasn’t his idea on the raid, but whoever this crew is doesn’t care, and they went after Cody. Javi and Jeff took care of Cody, whatever that means, I didn’t ask, but they did it. Though, apparently, Clarice is Javi’s attorney, and she set up a safe house for them in the mountains. Before they vanished, Jeff wanted to say goodbye.”
“Right,” he murmured. Then he said, “This is good, Jess.”
“I know,” I replied. “One other thing of note, Clarice told me she knew you’d been at work for two hours. I don’t know why, but I think that means Arthur keeps tabs on you.”
“Whoever this guy is probably he keeps tabs on anyone who touches the Angels.”
He didn’t seem concerned.
“That doesn’t bother you?”
“Since we’re looking out for you, if he’s looking out for you too, I don’t give a fuck.”
Great answer.
“Any word on this crew?” I asked.
“We’ve dedicated some resources to gathering intel, and we aren’t liking what we’re learning.”
Damn.
“What’s that?”
“Montoya was right. They’re expanding aggressively. As much as we’ve learned so far, they’ve got three active feuds ongoing, adding the one with Montoya is four. The cops are putting out fires everywhere, and by that I mean draping sheets over dead bodies until the coroner can bring the body bags. These assholes have a burn-it-to-the-ground-then-go-in-and-plant-seeds mentality. In other words, if they want your turf, you back off it or they’ll annihilate your crew and take it anyway.”
This was not good news.
Seriously.
But still, it didn’t answer why they’d be snatching unhoused people.
“Any theories on why they’re grabbing people from the camps?”
“No good ones,” he replied.
“Lay them on me anyway,” I ordered.
“Bossy,” he purred.
“Eric, don’t try distracting me by being sexy,” I snapped. Then I amended, “Or more sexy than your resting sexy.”
I heard another chuckle before he let out a big sigh and said, “A guess? Free labor.”
“You mean they’re—?”
“Putting them to work sorting massive shipments into saleable-size merchandise? Yeah.”
“Oh my God,” I breathed, my mind flipping through the variety of ways you could force someone to work, who was so disenfranchised from society they lived in a tent without running water, available food, electricity, etc. And those were the ones who used shelter. Others might have a blanket and a prayer.