Total pages in book: 206
Estimated words: 192184 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 961(@200wpm)___ 769(@250wpm)___ 641(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 192184 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 961(@200wpm)___ 769(@250wpm)___ 641(@300wpm)
I found him sitting in the backyard by the pool in just his boxers, his feet in the water, smoking a joint. I frowned. I’d never seen him do that before.
“Hey.” He looked up at me and looked around, “Fuck, where are your pants? There are guys around.” He picked up his phone from the pavement beside him and dialed, then demanded, “Steer clear of the pool area till I tell you; tell the guys!” He practically barked those orders.
“Sorry.” I spun to head back in the house.
“Don’t go; sit.”
I sat beside him and put my feet into the water. It was warm; felt nice. He passed me the joint. I took a puff and then a second puff, then gave it back.
“I don’t smoke much. Just once in a while at night when I can’t seem to chill,” he explained and took another haul off it and then put it out in an ashtray beside him.
If pot chilled him out, maybe he should smoke it more often. I decided not to share that info at this particular moment. I put my head against his arm. He put his arm around me so I nuzzled into him, looking up at the sky. It was a nice night. Too bad so much was fucked up for both of us right now.
“Why aren’t you asleep? It’s late. Trouble shutting your mind off, too?” he asked, kissing the top of my head.
“I guess,” I said. “I think I’d sleep better beside you.”
He leaned down and kissed me. I held tight to him.
“Let’s go put you to bed,” he said softly and got to his feet. He touched his phone screen and then put his phone to his ear as we walked hand in hand back inside. “You’re good. Off to bed. Yep.” He ended the call.
The pot definitely made me sleepy. My body felt all loose and gooey. I fell asleep running my fingers through his hair.
15
Tommy was shaking me.
“Baby, c’mon and move! We gotta bounce!”
I sat upright in bed, feeling groggy. “Huh?”
“Move!” He pulled me by the hand and was throwing a bundle of clothing at me. “Pack a couple changes of clothes for both of us and bathroom shit, whatever you can fit in that bag. And your laptop and phone and charger. Hurry.”
“What’s going on?” I felt so groggy.
“I’ll explain on the way. We gotta hurry, Tia. Hurry!”
I sprang into action, trying to shake off the grogginess and grabbed underwear, socks, jeans, t-shirts, shorts, bras for me then jeans, socks, underwear, t-shirts, and long- sleeve shirts for Tommy. Then I grabbed my train case in the bathroom and threw our toothbrushes and toothpaste and Tommy’s razor and shaving cream into it. In three minutes flat I was ready, wearing sweats and flip flops. I threw a pair of sneakers into the bag. He was dressed in jeans and a t-shirt and he grabbed the bag, my train case and purse, and then he ushered us to the Jeep.
“Something’s fucked up,” he said, as we pulled out onto the street. He hit a button on a small remote and the gate closed.
“What do you mean?”
“My guards disappeared. Jimmy is AWOL. We’re going to the safe house.”
“Jimmy disappeared?”
“He took off. Or got taken. Don’t know yet.”
“What?”
“He didn’t show up tonight for a dinner thing with Tess. She hasn’t heard from him. He was supposed to be here at midnight to pull night duty and relieve Dex. Dex had to split, so I got someone in to cover when Jimmy didn’t answer his phone but he’s been acting weird. It’s possible he’s flipped. Or someone has him. It could have something to do with the cops picking you up today. That he didn’t tell me about the weapons you gave him isn’t cool, doesn’t look good. He didn’t know I was armed under the bed. No one but you knew that. Did you tell him where you got them?”
“No, I just carried them out to him in a plastic grocery bag and said, can you please put these somewhere? Tommy left them. He just took them from me and said okay.”
“He has all the codes to get in the house and I’ve changed everything, but I won’t have us be sitting ducks. I don’t know where the guards are all gone. I woke up out of nowhere, feeling like something wasn’t right and no one’s here. Shoulda been two guys. Phones all go to voicemail.”
“And you think it’s James?”
“I dunno.”
“But he’s your brother-in-law, he’s…”
“Dare’s moving Tess and the boys to his place while we figure it out. He’s either been taken or gone rogue. My guards are gone, Tia. Gone. Two guys just vanished and the gate was closed but unlocked. Something is fucking very wrong and we’re not sitting around to wait to find out what that something is.”