Total pages in book: 123
Estimated words: 114819 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 574(@200wpm)___ 459(@250wpm)___ 383(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 114819 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 574(@200wpm)___ 459(@250wpm)___ 383(@300wpm)
Cash’s brow furrowed as he inspected the ceiling. “I don’t want it boarded up. If we need an escape route, that’s it, but where is it?” Cash went fully inside the bathroom and lifted a hand, pushing against the different connected tiles.
Seriously, how did Dev ever manage to hold his load? He couldn’t wait a second longer for Cash to figure it out on his own. “The give is in the far corner.” He waited at the door and nodded toward the back of the shower. Cash went there and used the heel of his palm, giving several heavy hits until the ceiling section popped out.
“So it leads to the attic and down to the street?” Cash asked, staring up into the dark attic.
“No, I go up. The cameras didn’t catch me because of the bad weather. I jumped to the neighbor’s roof and have an old pickup parked down the street at all times,” Dev explained.
“You went to see Cummings?” Cash asked, his steely stare shifting to Dev.
“Fuck no,” he said then shook his head for good measure. “I never want to see that sorry motherfucker again.” Dev had stayed out of the actual ending of Cummings’s life. He wouldn’t have made it so easy for the guy. The sorry motherfucker deserved to be tortured for the way he treated his kid, wife, and Keyes.
“So what happened?” Cash asked.
“Badass car accident. Fuckin’ ice. It’s a killer. Right?”
Cash stared at him.
Dev lifted a shoulder. “Ice is a bitch to drive on. It’s different from snow.”
Based on the dancing vein in Cash’s temple, Dev supposed the agent’s blood pressure was rising. Dev bet he had a pill for that stashed away somewhere and started toward the locked cabinet where he had his illegal drug stash. Cash needed to calm his ass down.
Chapter 3
“Wait. Don’t leave.” Cash stopped Dev’s retreat from the bathroom.
What outlaw biker with a rap sheet as long as Dev’s wouldn’t have an escape route in place? Cash got it. He’d even scouted the place for a point of exit and hadn’t found one. He figured Dev was more of a guns-a-blazing kind of guy.
He’d never imagined the entire ceiling lifted out of place. No trap door, a trap ceiling. But how had Dev hoisted himself up that high without being heard? Cash had a hard time reaching the edge and wouldn’t have been able to use the tips of his fingers to lift himself that high.
“To the right,” Dev said, as if reading his thoughts.
Cash used his tiptoes and placed his hand there. A handy ladder descended without much of a sound. The string of curse words running through his head made his blinding anger a little more bearable.
It was always going to be just like this where Dev was concerned. The reason for his damned nightmares. Dev constantly played with life until it was going to end in his death.
“So you snuck out while I was sleeping? I’m a light sleeper,” Cash said, leaving the ceiling ajar and the stairs hanging. He stepped out of the shower.
Dev mashed his lips together and nodded. At least they were past the snide lies.
What was he missing? They’d eaten together earlier in the day, a late afternoon meal. That was becoming their normal routine. He’d followed Dev to Fort Worth and waited on the street as he spent time with his children. They came home, forwent dinner to spend the rest of the evening and night in Dev’s bedroom…
“The beer you gave me had the cap off,” Cash remembered suddenly, his gaze moving to Dev’s.
Dev nodded like a proud parent. One finger touched the tip of his nose, the other pointing at him. “I’m datin’ a goddamn Perry Mason. Way to piece that shit together. See? You have the answers. You don’t need me.”
“You drugged me?” Cash asked incredulously.
Dev shook his head, as if that was the craziest conclusion. “Calm down. I didn’t roofie you if that’s what you’re thinkin’. I only helped you relax.” He lifted his hands to stress the point. “You’re so wound up all the time. Like a tickin’ fuckin’ time bomb. You drank a little, you fucked out your tension, and you went to sleep. Why’re we still talkin’ about this? I’m starvin’. Let’s eat.”
Dev left him standing there, heading toward the kitchen. “Shit, it’s cold in here.”
Like Cash had done about once a day since taking on this case, he thought about forcing Dev and his children into witness protection. After Cash made a case against the Disciples and/or the local Dallas DEA field office, he could go search them out.
“Tell me the missing parts,” Cash barked, following slowly behind.
Dev glanced over at the camera in his living room then cut his gaze back to Cash.
Understanding what Dev meant, Cash gave a cutting motion to his neck, indicating to Joe to kill the feed. The green light flashed red. His attention focused back on Dev. He needed every detail, and he needed it now.