Kane taps my shoulder and points. “Go.”
* * *
Adrenaline hasa strange way of both slowing and speeding perception. I recall each and every step I take through his doorway, through the dark bedroom, and toward the lump that lies in his bed, sound asleep like he doesn’t fuck with people’s lives.
He nearly killed Laine, and for that reason alone, the muted screams he lets out as I slide the bag over his eyes brings me pure, unadulterated pleasure.
He scared her.
So I’ll terrify him.
He’s the embodiment of her nightmares. He haunts her, and makes her believe the only way out of his torture is to end her life. With that in mind, my arms bulge and flex as I swing the butt of my new gun around and snap it over his temple.
If he dies, I don’t even care. If he dies, we’ll go with Kane’s desert plan and get rid of his body. This isn’t something that’ll hurt me as I grow older. I won’t think back to the time I accidentally killed a dude and wish I could take it back.
Bone and cartilage snap when the butt of my gun slams over his face. Muted screams turn to a deafening silence, and fighting arms fall lax against the bed.
“Go.” Kane taps my shoulder like he’s my lookout. I’m doing the work. He’s steering me.
I heft Graham’s unconscious body over my shoulder and turn.
“Let’s go.” I race Kane out of the room and touch nothing but the things in my hands – a gun, and an unconscious man. I move down the stairs and step on the fifth and third squeaky stairs without remorse.
Kane moves ahead of me and scours the room for incoming threats. His jaw ticks, his eyes see everything, and when he clears the room, he swings the front door open and lets me pass.
“In the trunk.”
We dash through the dark yard and across the street. Kane races ahead and pops the trunk open, laughing when he turns back with the tire wrench in hand. “Can we use your murder kit? I never whacked anyone with a wrench before.”
“No. Shut up.” I drop Graham’s hundred and eighty pounds into the back of my car and slam it closed. “Let’s move.”
“I’ll drive.” Kane extends a hand like he expects me to hand my keys over.
I scoff. “Not a chance in hell, Bish. You’re riding bitch, or you walk. This is my car.”
Quietly chuckling, he dashes to the passenger side and slides in. “Someone found their balls, huh? You get off on hurting guys like that?”
“I get off on hurtinghim. Everyone else in the universe can go about their business.” I start the car and pull into the street. “But Graham won’t go on without knowing my wrath. He nearly killed her, Kane. She was almost gone when I got her out of that shower.”
“Too fuckin’ close.” Sighing, he nods out at the street. “Head across town. I’ll show you as we get closer.”
Kane directs me straight through Main Street like he gets off on tempting the universe. If Alex or Oz pull us over, family or not, we’re probably going to jail if they search my car. We move to the top end of Main, past my garage, and around the hospital like he needs to make sure the girls are safe.
It takes fifteen minutes from Graham’s house before we pull into a dirt driveway on the outskirts of town. A large barbwire fence surrounds it like this is a compound –to keep people in? Or to keep people out?
Kane mentioned cameras when he was on the phone, and though I see trees that could easily hide them, I see no cameras.
“They’re off.”
Gravel crunches under my tires as we move forward. “Hmm?”
“The security feed. He turned it off.”
“Is he gonna sell us out?” I twist my neck when I catch a glimpse of something that speaks to my car loving soul.Later. I’ll ask about that later.“Can your friend be bought?”
“Anyone can be bought.” He points to the back of a concrete building. “If the price is right, I’m not sure anyone is immune. But no one except God has enough to get Spence to fuck me over. We go back a long way. Park here.”
I pull up behind the bunker-like building and cut the engine. Eerie silence greets us, but when I nervously turn to Kane, he chuckles and climbs out of the car. “Relax, you’re safe here. The only guy who should be worried tonight is this fuckface.” He stops at the back of the car and swings the trunk open.