Total pages in book: 115
Estimated words: 115964 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 580(@200wpm)___ 464(@250wpm)___ 387(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 115964 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 580(@200wpm)___ 464(@250wpm)___ 387(@300wpm)
Coming toward me, he saw Cavers and pulled his phone back out.
Another text came through.
Raize: Carrie, wait for Jake. Get a cab and I’ll send directions.
Raize: Cavers, grab a cab. I’m with you.
Cavers had his phone out and immediately switched position, going for the cab line.
Raize didn’t say anything, just made eye contact as he walked past me, following Cavers at a good distance.
I settled back against the wall. Who knew how long the baggage claim line would be.
The wait was thirty minutes.
Jake came out, bag over his shoulder, and he was pissed. When he saw me, we walked together toward where the cabs were waiting.
We needed to be talking.
Normal passengers who traveled together talked. They didn’t move silently, like they were oddly synchronized by the same thoughts.
Musing on that, I stepped up next to Jake. “How was the baggage claim?”
He cut his eyes my way. “Why?”
I lowered my voice. “Everyone is talking to the people they’re traveling with.”
He looked, too, and I felt some of his edge fading. He eased up and nodded. “Those bitches were there that were talking you up. They noticed me looking at you, and the cokehead wanted to know who I was.”
“Are you serious?”
He dipped his head in a quick nod, his tension coming back. “What’d Raize say to that one? She looked out for blood, thinking I knew you or something.”
“He threatened to kill her.”
He grinned, snorting. “Bitches don’t like threats like that. Think they’re above that shit. Fucking socialite princesses.”
“I think they’re just sheltered.”
We stepped forward, and I felt Jake studying me. “You know from experience?”
I opened my mouth to say, “My sister was the same.” But I caught my words.
Holy—I’d been about to spill to him.
I didn’t spill to anyone.
I’d gotten comfortable—comfortable enough that it was dangerous.
No one could know about my sister. No one.
But Jake was still studying me, still waiting.
I lifted a shoulder. “She’s a cokehead. What am I thinking?”
He frowned and murmured, “Those bitches are the kind that want your blow, but want you to fuck ’em while they snort it. She was frothing at the mouth, thinking Raize was her new drug dealer.”
I glanced sharply at him. “He comes off like that?”
“No. He comes off like an asshole or a soldier, but she saw what she wanted to see.”
Then the worker motioned for us, and we were at the front of the line.
A cab rolled up, and Jake waved him to stay in his seat. We held our bags with us and slid into the back. Jake pulled out his phone, reading the address Raize had sent in a text, and then we settled back.
We were on our way.
We were now in San Antonio.
I just didn’t know why we were here.
6
Carrie
We stayed in a rundown motel the first night, in two rooms that had an adjoining door. Raize and Cavers in one; Jake and me in the other. The door between the two rooms was open the whole time.
It was late at night, but it didn’t matter. Raize went to work.
He drove off and came back an hour later in an SUV. He picked up Jake, and they returned a while later with an older brown truck as well. I just sat back, watching through my window as Raize continuously left and came back with something else: a bag, a second bag.
Jake laid out our guns on his bed, going through and checking each one. Cavers went with Raize on his last two runs, and I was bored. I could’ve read. I didn’t want to read.
I started watching Jake, meticulously going over each gun. “I want to learn to shoot,” I told him.
He swung surprised eyes my way. “You don’t know?”
I shook my head. “I never wanted to learn.”
He whistled, going back to cleaning. “Girl, you loca. This life—how the fuck you still alive?”
“I’m more useful alive than dead.”
He grunted and bobbed his head, still cleaning. “That’s true, for sure.”
I waited.
He kept cleaning.
I leaned forward, resting my elbows on my knees. “I mean it. I want to learn how to shoot.”
He gave me another long, lingering perusal as he dipped his head slowly forward. “Girl, I ain’t the one who’s going to be teaching you. I ain’t the boss here.”
“You can still teach me.”
“When?” His sarcasm was thick. “This is the most he’s left you alone. You’re boss’ secret weapon. Why do you think I’m with you?” He motioned with his rag to the other room, currently empty. “He don’t trust Cavers with you, and he don’t trust Cavers not to kill me. That’s why we got the cab assignments and room assignments we got. You and me tomorrow will be in one truck and those two will be in the other.”
That all made sense. But that wasn’t what I was asking about.
I leaned back. “Teach me to shoot.”