I froze in place. How the fuck could he know that name?
Xavier kept going. “I’m looking forward to flaying the skin right off you. Riddling your bones with bullets. Grinding you into a pulp.”
He shot at the roof again, but a few feet farther along. He assumed I was still moving. I dragged in a breath, forcing myself to focus through my shock.
It didn’t matter what he’d said. I couldn’t worry about that now. If I wanted to stay alive, I had to get moving.
I eased a couple of steps back so that I could straighten up and eyeballed the opposite roof. The flattest spot was right across from me. As long as Xavier didn’t double back right away, I should be fine.
Shouldbeing the operative word. I was staking my life on that hope.
I swallowed hard and backed up a little more to give myself a running start. Xavier had stopped talking, so I had no idea where he was, but as soon as I peeked over the edge, he’d know whereIwas. I had to go in blind.
I braced myself and then hurtled forward with all the strength I could push into my legs.
My feet practically flew across the hardened tar. If Xavier heard me coming, I didn’t stop to worry about that. All my attention narrowed down to the need to propel my body across the six-foot gap between the buildings.
I hit the edge of the roof and sprang. The air whipped over my clothes and through my hair. A shot rang out, and I half expected to feel pain searing through one of my limbs—but I hit the shingles of the opposite roof with a quick roll, planting my hands to steady myself.
A tug in my gut called for me to stay, to see what else Xavier might say. Whether he’d mention something that would explain the taunt he’d made. But I couldn’t trust a single word that came out of his mouth. I had to get somewhere safe and make sure the rest of my men had stayed safe too. I had to warn them that Xavier and others had arrived.
I took off across the roof, running over that building and onto the next where there wasn’t any gap between them. As I fled, I yanked my phone out of my pocket and tapped out a hasty text to Wylder. When I felt safe enough to stop, I’d give him my location and ask someone to pick me up.
My heart was still hammering away in my chest. I made another, smaller leap and spotted a telephone wire arcing across the street that I could use like a zipline to get across.
As I reached it, I couldn’t help glancing up toward the stars twinkling into view overhead. Those words Xavier had said replayed in my mind again.Josey gave up her life.
How the hell did he know my mother’s name—and how was he so sure she was dead?