“It’s not that…” I had no answer for him. It wasn’t like we’d been quiet about searching for Jace, but he hadn’t seemed bothered in the week I’d been back.
“Well, did you find him?”
I shook my head and took a right turn. “No. We have no idea where he is.”
“Probably snitched to someone.” Hut laughed. “Not that they’d be able to pin anything on me.”
I flicked my gaze over to him and gritted my teeth at the smirk on his face. He may have thought he knew everything that went on, but he had no idea. Nothing had been able to stick to him yet. That was about to change. “He wouldn’t dare,” I said. “He knows what would happen if he did.”
Hut shrugged like he didn’t have a care in the world. “He’s old news now anyway. I’ll have someone find him and fix it.”
Fuck, if the guys had gotten there faster that day, they could have tracked Jace down and got him to safety. I shook my head. No, there was a reason I hadn’t told them right away. Jace had hurt Lola, and I wanted him to feel what she’d felt when he grabbed her. It was a stupid reason when I thought about it now in the grand scheme of things, but that was what happened when it came to Lola. I didn’t think. I only acted on instinct.
The navigation told me we were about to reach our destination, and I glanced around. We were in the middle of nowhere, but it didn’t faze Hut as I pulled the SUV to a halt. He sat there like he was king of the fuckin' world until a car pulled up behind us, and Ford and Quinn stepped out. The back doors opened seconds later, and they slipped inside, both of them looking around at the empty space and the lone road that had led us here.
“What is this place?” Quinn asked.
“Fuck knows.” Hut turned to look at him. “But this dude is gonna buy twice as much product as Carson, so if he wants to meet in bum-fuck-nowhere, then that’s what we’ll do.”
My cell vibrated in my pocket, but I didn’t pull it out. I’d contacted Jord to tell them Hut had received the call to meet his new buyer, so I knew it’d be him letting me know they were ready and not far away. All I had to do was give the signal when it was time, and all this would be over. Done. Finished. And I could get back to my own life and start over.
Headlights flashed twice ahead of us, and Hut whistled. “Well, shit, they came out of nowhere.” He pushed open his door, jumping out like a kid who was about to go into his favorite candy shop.
Quinn followed, but Ford and I stayed put for a fraction of a second. He hesitated, probably knowing tonight was going to be the night. The guys hadn’t let him know when they’d take Hut down, but Ford had instincts that had never served him wrong—the kind of instincts that would be served even better on the right side of the law.
“Come on,” I said, needing him to act like he normally did. The last thing we could afford was for Hut to find out he was an informant. It wouldn’t bode well for Ford or his cousin, who was now tucked away in a safe house. Once Hut was in custody, she’d be given a new life, a new name, and she’d be able to start over with Ford in tow. They’d both get out and start fresh.
My boots sank into the soft grass of the field, mud squelching as I stepped forward and behind Hut. Ford took up the other side of his rear, while Quinn stood by his side.
A door opened, and a second later, legs appeared. I narrowed my eyes to try and see better, but all I could make out was a tall guy with a goon beside him.
“Emerson Hutton,” a deep voice announced. “I’ve been waiting a long time to meet you.”
Hut pushed his shoulders back, his carefree, easygoing attitude slipping away from him. “You have?”
The guy moved closer, and as soon as his face was lit up, I swore under my breath. This wasn’t your average buyer. No, this was the buyer. Eduardo Garza—head of the Garza cartel—supplied all the cocaine in the neighboring state, and if he was now buying off Hut, that meant he’d gained control over part of this state too, which could only mean bad things for everyone involved.
“I’ve heard many tales,” Eduardo said, his gaze flicking over each of us in turn. “Both good and bad.” He stepped closer, his goon not following him this time. “AlI I need to know is if you can supply the correct amount.”
“I can,” Hut said, his voice higher pitched than usual. “You want to—”
“Good.” Eduardo nodded. “The figure we agreed upon is confirmed.”
“Yeah, I—”
“Excellent.” Eduardo spun around. “I’ll be in touch.”
None of us moved as he walked back to his car, not caring that he was kicking up mud on his expensive suit that probably cost more than six mortgage payments. The goon got into the driver’s seat, the lights switched off, and then he disappeared.
“What the fuck was that?” Hut asked, staring at the space Eduardo had just been standing in. “And who the hell was that guy?”
“That,” I started, “was Eduardo Garza, head of the Garza cartel.”
“The cartel?” Hut asked, spinning around. “The motherfuckin' cartel wants to buy from me?” His lips slowly morphed from a straight line into a smirk. “Well, hot damn, looks like we’ll be getting a huge payday then!”
He skipped to the car—literally skipped—and pushed into it, slamming the door behind him. I stared at where Eduardo’s car had been parked. He was most probably still watching Hut to see how he reacted. Guys like him didn’t get to where they were by not knowing everything about who they were dealing with, which meant he now knew my face.
Shit.
I pulled my cell out, shooting off a message to Jord to tell him what had happened, and then glanced over at Ford. From the paleness of his face, I was guessing he was thinking the same thing as I was.
You didn’t mess with the cartel and get away scot-free.
Chapter Twenty-Three
LOLA
I waited for Hut’s door to close and for his snores to ring out in the house. Once I was sure he was asleep, I ventured downstairs as quietly as I could. The last thing I needed was for one of the guys to be here and catch me in the act.
I had to channel my inner ninja to make this work.
I slowly walked down the stairs and around the house. I even checked out back in case someone was roaming around. For the first time in days, it was empty, and it was the perfect time to get this show on the road. The weeks had turned into days, and now it had morphed into hours. Hours until I was out of here and all alone.
I ran up the stairs, my breath coming in pants and my head spinning slightly.
It was about to happen.
Everything I’d planned for the last few years was finally coming true, and I’d done it all on my own.
My room was bare, everything packed into three trash bags and a backpack, but it was all I needed. I didn’t want any piece of this house coming with me, not when I was starting fresh. I called the cab company and sat on my stripped bed, biting the side of my thumb and listening for the tires to squeal to a stop outside. My stomach dipped, my hands shaking, and every little noise I heard I was sure was Hut coming to find me.
Maybe he’d come out at the last second and see me hefting the bags down the stairs. He’d catch me, and then he’d lock me in the house, and I’d never be able to escape him. I had one shot at getting this right, because if I failed, my life would never be the same again.
The thrum of an engine came closer, and I jumped off the bed to stare out of the window, spotting the cab idling at the curb. I took one last glance around the room, silently thanking it for becoming my safe haven, and then grabbed two bags and walked out. I’d have to take another trip to get the last of my things, which I told the cabbie and he just nodded, retrieving the bags off me.
With my backpack slung over my shoulder and my last trash bag clutched in my hand, I stared at the living room and kitchen.
This place held so many memories, both good and bad. It was just a shame the bad outweighed the good. My life could have gone so differently, but every action, no matter how big
or small, had led me to this moment.
With a final inhale, I pulled the front door open and stepped outside. I thought I’d feel a sense of freedom surround me when I walked away, but all I felt were nerves. I still had another couple of hours until I was fully away from him and planted firmly in my new life. Maybe that was why I didn’t feel the rush of relief. It would come though, I was sure.
The cabbie took my final trash bag, placed it in the trunk, and I slipped into the back, refusing to look at the house. I was leaving it behind, and I didn’t have a single regret about it.
The guy drove me twenty minutes outside of town, where he dropped me off at a gas station, and I proceeded to wait for a bus. The bus was due fifteen minutes later, and I hopped on when it pulled up, struggling with all of my bags but a huge smile on my face.
Step two of my journey was underway. The closer I got to my new life, the more weight was lifted off my shoulders. It didn’t matter that I was leaving the only family I had. It didn’t matter that the motion of the bus made my stomach roil and my gag reflex come to fruition. All that mattered was that the thirty-minute bus ride got me one step closer to my final destination.
The bus halted, and I stumbled off, dropping one of my bags on the way, but when I looked up, Sal’s grinning face was staring at me.
“You made it,” he said, his voice sounding like a proud father’s.
“I did.” I sighed. “I actually made it.” The three bags surrounded me, holding everything that meant anything to me, and I couldn’t have been happier.
“Well, let’s get this last leg of the journey completed, huh?” Sal stepped forward, picking up all three bags with ease, and moved over to his truck. He placed them in the bed and pulled the passenger door open for me, holding his hand out to help me up.
I still couldn’t believe this was happening, not even when we pulled up in the lot to my new apartment block and we jumped in the elevator to the sixth floor.
“If you smile any wider, you’ll break your face,” Sal said, grinning down at me. He was more than a boss to me. He was a friend who’d do anything to help me, and that meant more than he’d ever know. I’d had friends come and go over the years, but as soon as the going got tough, they were out of there.
Much like Brody.
Things had become complicated, but he’d not seen me since he returned on the first day. He’d stayed away, listened to my warning. I shouldn’t have felt dejected, but I did. I’d had this quiet voice in the back of my mind whispering that he’d come back. That he wouldn’t take no for an answer and tell me everything I craved to hear, but it was just that—a voice of something that wouldn’t happen. I was leaving Brody behind with Hut. What would he do when his undercover status came to an end? He’d go back to his wife. That thought sobered me, and I shook my head, trying to concentrate on the here and now.
The elevator doors whooshed open, and I hesitated. Once I took this step, there was no going back. I’d start my new life—a new beginning. I clutched my chest and took the step. The first step of many.
The hallway was painted a light cream, the carpet a mid-brown, and each door had a gold-plated number attached underneath a peephole. It wasn’t the most divine place, but it wasn’t run-down and barebones either. It was safe. The safest place I’d probably ever lived since my mom was alive.
We walked past three sets of doors, and I stopped in front of 607. This was it. This was now my new home. I pulled the key out of my pocket that the realtor had dropped off at the diner yesterday and pushed it into the lock.
“Here goes,” I whispered, pushing my weight against the door, and stepping inside the apartment.
It was small, but just enough for me. We walked right into the living room that had a half wall separating it from the tiny kitchen toward the right. A set of windows that started at waist height lined the back wall. The place was bare bones, but a sofa, kitchen essentials, a lone coffee table, and a bed had come with it.
Sal took the trash bags full of my stuff and placed them on the double bed. He stood with his hands on his hips and blew out a breath. “Needs a clean and maybe a fresh coat of paint.”
I nodded. “Nothing that I can’t do.”
“You know I’ll help you. Heck, even Jan said she has some things for you.”
“She does?” I asked, blinking at him several times and hoping the burning at the back of my eyes stopped. They weren’t tears of sadness and horror that wanted to break free, though. It was happiness. So much happiness, I thought I might burst any minute.
“Yep.”
“Wow, I don’t know what to say.”
His heavy hand landed on my shoulder, and he dipped down so he was eye level with me. “You don’t have to say anything, Lola-Girl.”
I snorted at his rough tone. “Thank you.”
“Thank me?” He guffawed and let go of my shoulder. “You don’t need to thank me. I didn’t do shit.”
“You did,” I said, following him out of the room. “You helped me get here and—”
“No.” He was by the front door in the matter of twelve steps. “You got yourself here. You did this, Lola. No one else, just you.”
The smile was slow to form on my lips as I glanced around. He was right. I’d done this all by myself, and for once in my life, I was going to pat myself on my back.
A page had turned, a new chapter started, and I was determined to make the best of it.
BRODY
“Shit! Garza?” The table wobbled as Ryan slammed his fist down on it. “How did we not see that coming?”
“It doesn’t matter,” I told the guys, standing in front of the table they all sat around. “We don’t need him. All we need is Hut.”
“We can’t just let him walk if he’s doing a deal though,” Kyle commented, his brows furrowed. “If we take them down, we gotta take them all down.”
I shook my head. “I already spoke to Aaron. He said all he wants right now is Hut.”
“What?” Jord fumed. “He expects us to sit back and not do—”
“No. He doesn’t expect you to do anything. He’s telling you.” I stood upright and glanced at each of them in turn, pounding my point home. “We’ve been working this case for over half a year, and our objective hasn’t changed. We dismantle his crew and bring him down. Hut, and only Hut.” I stared at all of them in turn. “For now.”
The silence rang out around me like a bomb exploding, loud and destructive. I felt what they did. We lived to take drugs off the street, to bring the people down who were at the top of the food chain.
“So, what happens now?” Jord asked, a muscle in his jaw ticking.
“We concentrate on Hut. We tighten our reins, follow every instinct, and be ready to take him down at a moment’s notice.” I crossed my arms over my chest. “This is what we do best, and we’re gonna finally take this motherfucker down.”
“Agreed,” they all answered in unison.
“Now”—I pulled a chair out and sat down, my breath leaving my body with a whoosh—“where are we with Ford?”
Ryan sat straighter and stared right at me. “He’s giving us all the intel he can. Basically whatever you’re doing, and whatever Hut is doing. He doesn’t trust you, though.”
“Smart,” I commented.
“He thinks you’re onto him.” Ryan shrugged. “He wants us to investigate you.”
I snorted. “And what did you tell him?”
“That we’d look into it.” Ryan smirked and placed his hands on the table, drumming the pads of his fingers on the wooden surface. “I’m currently putting together a file on you and your arrest records.”
“I wanna see it,” I said, rapping my knuckles on the table.
“Thought you might.” Ryan stood and moved over to the station we’d created all those months ago when we first rented this place. “Ford also hid a couple devices in Hut’s house.”
I raised a brow. “That’s new.”
Jord pulled a tablet out. “We haven’t got
much yet, and right now, it’s quiet as a mouse. But it could come in handy.”
“It could, apart from the fact that Hut gets us to sweep the house once a day for bugs.”
“He said he’s gonna move them around every day.” Jord shrugged. “I think he wants out almost as bad as we want to bring Hut down.”
Ryan passed me a folder as he sat down, and I stared at Jord. He wasn’t wrong. Ford had been antsy since I’d come back. He was getting impatient, and that was never a good thing. It would only take one slipup for the whole operation to blow up in our faces, and that would mean casualties. Casualties I refused to have, especially when Lola would most likely end up in the firing line.
“We need to reassure him.” I flipped open the folder on the table but didn’t look down at it. “He’s getting antsy.”
“Yep.” Jord nodded.
I flicked my gaze down at the file, grinning at all the shit Ryan had managed to make look legit. According to this, I was a former drug dealer who’d been in lockup and come out only twelve months ago. It would cover for the fact I hadn’t been around before I joined Hut’s team, and tied in with what I’d told them all. Lying was my profession, and I excelled at it. Too bad it was also my biggest downfall.
“What’s the plan then?” I asked as I closed the file. They’d obviously already talked about it and seen the signs. There was a reason I had chosen them to be on my team.
Kyle cleared his throat. “I say we move the schedule up with his cousin.” He looked over at me and then Jord and Ryan. “If he knows she’s safe, then he’ll stop trying to rush it.”
“He could also double-cross us if we do that,” Ryan pointed out. “What about if we get the ball rolling on his extraction? Maybe make him some new documents and show him the proof?”
“That could work.” I bounced my foot a couple of times, thinking about it. “No, that really would work. Get him and his cousin’s papers ready and take a picture as proof. He feels like he’s in limbo right now, so with that security, he’ll most likely calm down.”
Fallen Duet: Brody & Lola: Free Fall & Down Fall (Easton Family Duet Boxsets Book 1) Page 24