Total pages in book: 48
Estimated words: 45785 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 229(@200wpm)___ 183(@250wpm)___ 153(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 45785 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 229(@200wpm)___ 183(@250wpm)___ 153(@300wpm)
“Boss, you gotta tend to your leg. It’s shaking.” Crew pushed the medic bag closer to me.
“In a minute.” Darius was typing again, and I wanted to see—there we go.
A status report too. Dante’s in surgery. He was shot in the chest. Madison is doing all right physically. Gray is with her at the hospital. I’m taking Piper home, and I’ll pick up a throwaway for her on the way. You wanna send someone to look after her or should I call in reinforcements? I think Ramirez is in town.
I winced at the pain in my leg and replied to him.
I appreciate it. Call Ramirez. I want only our people on this. We’re at the safehouse. I’ll let you know our course of action soon.
“Goddammit, Elliott,” Crew snapped. Then he was out of his chair and snatching up the medic bag. “You’re no good to us if you bleed out. Sit the fuck down.”
I stared at him, a little surprised, a little annoyed, a little impressed.
He flashed me a tired smirk. “Pull your pants down too.”
Ortega snorted softly and reached for one of the water bottles. “We might as well get cleaned up. If I’m meeting with the police tomorrow, I can’t show up with blood everywhere.”
That broke my stare-down with Crew, and I turned to Ortega. “Company hoodies and sweats in the pantry. ’Fraid that’s all we have on hand here.”
“Then you go first,” Crew told me. “In fact, take a shower. Then I’ll dress your wound.”
The kid was getting bossy.
No need to tell him he had a point. I’d just…go take a shower.
“Make a list of the clothes we’ll need,” I told Ortega. “We gotta discuss passports too.”
Chances were, I would have to track down Vincente somehow, and I had to blend in. Ortega could probably go home and change, pack a bag, whatever, since he’d be in touch with the police. Crew… He couldn’t look like a surfer boy.
2000
I frowned as something blocked the sun, and I opened my eyes.
You again.
Joel looked down at me. “You’re not supposed to sleep on your surfboard, dude. You’re supposed to be out there.” He jerked his thumb over his shoulder, toward the ocean.
“I already went, dude.” I flicked my hand for him to get out of the way. “Do you mind?”
After a couple hours in the water, I liked to soak up the sun.
He lowered his own surfboard next to mine and sat down on it.
Fourth afternoon in a row he’d come down here to see me. Shouldn’t he be off with Piper somewhere? Or his other friends? I was just the big brother who’d driven them places before Piper had gotten her own license. Pop’s stipulation for giving me his old truck.
I caught Joel looking at my upper body and wondered…
Nah.
He cleared his throat and glanced out at the water instead. “So, uh—”
“Joel!” That was my sister’s voice.
I sat up and looked over my shoulder, finding her jogging down the beach toward us.
“Your mom said you’d be here,” she said, out of breath. “You weren’t home.”
Joel squinted at her. “Did we have plans?”
“No, but…” Piper had nothing to add.
They were a riot sometimes. Our parents were waiting for them to get together, but Joel was fucking clueless. They’d been friends since kindergarten, and he seemed to be under the impression that they had a lot in common. That was why he loved hanging out with her, I assumed. But I knew my sister. She fucking hated football, surfing, watching history documentaries, and going to watch the Navy ships. All things Joel loved.
“Do you know why I come to this particular spot every day?” I asked. “Because there’re no people here.”
Take the hint, kids.
Piper didn’t take the hint. “How’s your shoulder?”
“Perfectly rehabilitated,” I replied. “I’ll be back at the base in two weeks. That’s kinda why I wanna enjoy my little summer break. You know, take advantage of Ma’s fussing, catch some waves, have a bit of solitude before I’m bunking with thirty other guys—”
Piper laughed. “Sounds more like your biggest fantasy.”
Uh, no. It really fucking wasn’t.
I got blunt. “Do I have to bribe you to leave, sis? I hung my jeans over the railing on the stairs at home. There should be a twenty in my back pocket. It’s yours if you just…” I jerked my chin at the nearest parking lot, hidden behind the sandbank.
She narrowed her eyes and jutted her chin. “Fine. Let’s go to the movies, Joel. My brother’s treat.”
Fantastic—
“I’m gonna surf,” Joel said. “I can catch up with you tomorrow.”
I stared at him. Was he stupid?
There were barely any waves right now anyway.
“My God, boys suck. Sure, whatever, we’ll talk later.” Piper stomped off.
I suppressed a sigh. She was gonna be pissy all night now.
“You cannot take a hint, can you?” I asked Joel.
He smirked faintly and scratched his nose. “No, I can. I just chose not to. Apparently I wanna get shot down by my friend’s brother before I’m off to college.”