by Rye Hart
I hurried out and down the steps, crossing the parking lot. “I see you. Come out before I chase you.”
Cash walked out with his head down, and then he grabbed me by the arm. “Are you crazy? You want to get killed?” I pushed at his shoulder, pulling away from him.
“Do you? I didn’t tell you everything so you could come out here and get caught spying. These men are dangerous.” I didn’t expect the new guy to know anything about the infamous Kings Mitchell. The man was all over the news out of Atlanta a while back, and though I knew he was the one who was using my brother, admitting it out loud was like signing my death warrant.
He threw his hands up. “If I could get killed so could you, which is why you don’t need to be lurking in the shadows of your house. One wrong move and you’re going to get yourself killed. I only wanted to see up close if I could figure out what’s in it. I only wanted to make sure you were okay.” His eyes softened, but I wasn’t in the mood to go soft. He was putting himself in danger, and since I cared about him, and didn’t want to lose him, I was beyond angry. He wasn’t getting off so easily. It all seemed too ridiculous. He was worried about protecting me, but who was going to protect him?
I turned and walked across the lot to my porch, but he followed. I needed a drink, but I wasn’t going to wake Lu. Instead, I stopped at the door and spun around. “I’m a big girl. I don’t need a babysitter. I’m not your daughter, and I didn’t tell you all of those things so you could do something about it. This is my brother’s life and his safety.”
“Yes, and if you tell me everything you know then maybe I can help.” He stood right in my face, and he wasn’t smiling. He towered over me, his eyes hard and serious.
“Why are you so interested?” I folded my arms and stood before him.
“Because he’s a cop.” Lu’s voice sounded in the shadows, and I turned to see that she’d walked out and sat on the porch swing in the dark.
I thought she’d been asleep. I was so startled, and it took me a moment to take in what she was saying. “A cop? What?” I turned to look him in the eye, but he was busy glaring at Lu.
“Go ahead and tell her I’m right.” Lu sat forward in the swing, and though I couldn’t believe a word she was saying, I knew it was the truth. The answer was written all over his face.
He was quiet a moment, but then crossed his arms and let out a long sigh. “How did you know?”
“What? You’re a cop?” My heart pounded in my ears. I’d told him everything about Scott. He’d come here not because he was concerned about me, but because he wanted to arrest my brother. “You used me.”
“I care about you. Nothing’s changed.” His voice was commanding, and I wanted to believe him.
“If there’s one thing I know after all my years as a bar owner, it’s how to sniff out a cop. That first day, when you sprang into action to help me, it was obvious you were a trained man. I’d noticed Otis getting twitchy, and he recommended you, so I put two and two together.” Cash shook his head. “Don’t worry. You’re secret’s safe with me.”
“You knew, Lu? Do you have any idea what this means? I told him about Scott; he’s going to go to jail.” He was going to be the one to take my brother from me.
“It’s better that he takes him to prison than to the grave. I’ve been so sick over it, I can’t even stomach being in the bar.” That was why she’d started going home early since Cash had been hired. “I’ve been praying for a miracle and the way I see it, maybe that’s you.”
“Starla, I was going to tell you after the job. I need you to keep my cover until this is over.”
I stared back and forth between them, the two people I cared about most other than Scott. I was in the middle. “Like I have a choice?”
CHAPTER SIXTEEN - CASH
I should have known the old woman would sniff me out, and to make things worse, Starla was upset with me. She hadn’t looked me in the eye since Lu outed me and now she was only going to tolerate me because she felt like she had no other choice.
Lu went to the door and waved us in. “Let’s go make some coffee and talk about this.”
Starla pushed past me. “Yeah, I have a feeling it’s going to be a long night.”
I followed the two ladies and took a seat on the couch next to Lu who sat on the edge of her recliner.
Starla stood in the corner, her arms crossed as she paced back and forth in the small area. “So what are you going to do now? You’re going to arrest my brother knowing how much he means to me?” She stepped closer to Lu. “How could you hire him knowing what he was after? This isn’t some miracle, Lu. Scott could get killed in prison. He won’t survive a minute there.”
“Scott’s not exactly who I’m after, but he was in over his head already. We know he’s working for someone, we suspect it’s Kingston Mitchell. If you know anything about that, you need to tell me now. I’m not the only one on this case. I’m just the one they wanted to get close enough to get the facts without anyone getting hurt.”
“Yeah, so no one gets hurt. Right.” She met my eyes with a hard glare. “You tell yourself that, but you lied to me. You let me fall for you, and you’re not even who you say you are. Do you even have a daughter or is that your pig friends calling.”
The pig shot was a low blow, but I’d give it to her seeing how I had given her quite a shock. “Livvy is really my daughter, but I had a cover story in place to protect her so I could still communicate with her without dragging her into this. I’m still the same person, Starla, with the same feelings. I just have a slightly different personal life. I didn’t mean for us to get involved, it just happened and I’m not sorry that I care about you.”
“I’ll tell you what I know,” said Lu, earning a glare from Starla. “Kings is the man in charge. They’re using the office to cut their drugs. Kings had Scott bring him here to show him the place one day before we opened.”
“But he hasn’t been back?”
Lu shook her head. “But I know he will be. I overheard Scott talking about it to one of the hired men. He told him the boss would want to see the weapons when they come in. They’d bring them here for inspection.”
“But you don’t know when that will be?” I’d have to get more information to get Kings within reach. Bringing him down during an arms trade would be all I’d need to take him down for good, but having that many weapons involved, the risk of someone getting killed would be much greater.
“I wish I did. I want you to get this guy before he does something to my Scotty. He’s a good kid, got careless with his money is all, and now he’s stuck and doesn’t know how to get out. I’ve seen it too many times, the way crime destroys. It did his father in, and now I’m afraid it’s going to get him too.”
Starla’s back stiffened, and she spun around toward her grandmother. “My father? You’ve never told me that my father was a criminal.”
“I told you he was a bad man, Starla. I wasn’t going to give you the details.”
“What kind of crime was he into?” I had to press for more. Knowing everything might help me figure out where they were stashing their bags before pickup. If Starla’s father had a similar interest, then maybe he had a hiding place.
“He was a grower, had a whole field out in the woods just behind the bar.”
“He what?” Starla held her hand to her forehead. “So he wasn’t only a criminal, he was a dumb one at that.”
“He almost put me out of business. I didn’t know what he was doing. When I found out, I sent him packing. But your mother, she couldn’t shake him. She loved him too much. The only good thing he ever did was give us you two kids.”
I wanted to pull Starla into my arms and hold her. I wished I could take away the past and I give her something better. “So do you have any idea where they’re stashing the bag?”
Lu took in a deep breath. “There’s a compartment under the floor. Scott Sr. had it put in as a hiding place, not for drugs, but so he’d have a place to hide if the cops ever c
ame looking for him. It’s big enough for a grown man, so I imagine those bags fit right in.”
“How come I never knew about that?”
Lu’s face paled, and she gave me a nervous glance before answering. “I only told your brother about it in case he needed a place to hide. I knew he was in deep, I just never knew it would all come down to this. I wasn’t going to let anyone take him.”
I realized she had planned to hide him from Kings if he came looking for him and maybe the police too. “Now you realize there are worse things than prison.” She met my eyes and the pain in hers was so great, I could see why she’d had a hard time with her health over it. Worry can affect everything.
“Promise me you’ll do what you can.” She held her hand over her stomach as if it pained her to think about losing him.
Without another word, Starla walked to her room and slammed the door so hard the old house shook.
“She’ll be okay. She’s had to take on a lot in life. You should go talk to her. I’m going to go to bed and try and sleep.” She rose from the chair, and I stood. She stopped a moment and then took my hand. “You’re a good man, Cash. I knew it all along, or I wouldn’t have let you near my granddaughter.”
“Thank you Lu.”
She patted my hand and then let it go, and as she went to her room at the end of the hall, I stopped at Starla’s door and gave it a soft knock.
She opened the door and crossed her arms. “You’re still here?” I walked forward, forcing her back as I entered.
“I know you’re pissed off at me, but I think we should talk.”
She turned and walked away from me and sat on a small chair in the corner of her room. “What else is there to say? You’ve been nothing but a lie, and you used me. Here I thought you’d be different, and you’re not even you. Guess you needed something to make your job more exciting; nothing like fucking the suspect’s sister to liven things up.”
“It’s not like that, and that’s not fair.” I shook my head; she had me all wrong.
“Not fair? Go to hell. What’s not fair is making me fall for a lie. I don’t know you. You could be a married man for all I know. I mean, you admitted you’re a family man.”
“I’m divorced, my ex was proven unfit so I’m Livvy’s sole guardian.”.” Her face fell, and she slumped as if I’d knocked the wind out of her. “I raise my daughter alone, and my mother helps.”
“I’m sorry.”
“I’m not sorry I took this job, and I’m not sorry I met you or for what we have. It’s been the best thing that’s happened to me in a long time, and I’ve had to wonder how I was going to break things to you when the job was done, hoping the whole time you’d understand, but knowing you’d probably hate me anyway.”
“I don’t hate you. I’m pissed that it has to be like this. I just want one damned thing in my life to be normal. I can’t even meet a man and fall for him like a normal person, not without some crazy story attached. And I’m dying inside knowing Scott’s going to go to prison.”
“There are things I can do for him. Things I can do are to help him separate from the bad guys and aid him in pleading his case, but I need you and Lu to cooperate with me and tell me everything from now on. I need you to keep my cover and let me do my job, both of them.” I stepped closer, but she turned her knees, shifting away from me. “I hope we can work things out between us. I do care about you, and I’m glad we have what we do.”
“What we did.” She glared at the floor, and I was so angry at myself for how this had all fallen apart.
“That’s up to you.”
She raised her head and met my eyes. “I want you to leave. I’ve heard enough for one night.”
Without another word I left, hoping that someday she’d come around.
CHAPTER SEVENTEEN - STARLA
A week had passed, and I couldn’t help but wonder what information Cash had gathered from Lu and from whatever bugs he’d hidden around the bar. He hadn’t admitted to it, but I had a feeling someone was watching my every move.
That made it even harder to face Scott when he showed up with his usual posse. He came around the bar where Lu and I were tallying up and gave us a hug. Cash took that opportunity to slip out, and he’d given us specific orders to go right home when we were done and to lock the doors. Knowing that something was going to go down, I held my brother’s hug a little longer than usual and forced a smile even though I felt like a traitor.
“We’re going to hang out for a little while tonight after you guys leave.”
“Scott,” I said as he started to walk away, but Lu, who was behind him, gave me a glare as if warning me to choose my words carefully. She could tell I wanted to warn him but had already told me all the reasons why we shouldn’t. I couldn’t help it though. He was my baby brother, and I had the strong instinct to protect him. “Be sure and lock up, the door wasn’t pulled all the way shut last time.”
“Oh, my bad.” He grabbed a few beers and headed off to meet his friends as Lu and I finished up.
When we headed out, she stayed close behind me and then when we got inside the house she locked the door just like Cash told her. “You’ve got to let this go down as planned. Cash promised me that he would do everything he could to protect him and I’m going to trust him. You should too. He’s in love with you, honey.”
“Love isn’t based on lies. Besides, how could I ever be with him knowing he helped take down my brother?”
“How could you not, knowing he’s trying to save his life?” She brushed my hair away from my face and then patted my shoulder as she made a pot of coffee and turned off all the lights. “You love him too. You’re letting your anger snuff it out.”
“I don’t want to think about him, Lu. I’ve got enough to worry about.” Even though I was still hurt and angry, I worried about Cash too. Scott’s life wasn’t the only one in danger. Whenever this all went down, we were all going to be in danger, but Cash would be right in the line of fire. I only hoped that Scott wouldn’t arm himself against the police.
We waited in the dark until there was a knock on the back door. Cash pressed his face against the door, so I could see him. “It’s me.” I opened the door, and he rushed inside.
“The entire place is surrounded. If you want to get to safety now, I think it would be best. We’ve got a unit on the main road, and you’ll have to take the back exit. I can bring you there now if you want.”
“I’m not leaving my house,” said Lu.
“I’m not leaving Lu”, I said. His eyes hardened but I held up a hand. “Don’t even try to make me.”
“Fine, but you two need to stay back here and get down. Don’t come out front or open any doors. I’ll check on you when I know it’s safe.”
Lu gave him a hug. “We’ll be fine; you be safe out there.”
He pulled away and gave her a nod, but then he turned toward me. I wanted to tell him not to go, to stay there with me and let the others handle it, but I couldn’t even muster up the courage to tell him how I felt about him. I was still angry, and in the end, none of it would matter. He’d be going back to his normal life and leaving me behind. With Scott in prison, I wouldn’t be able to be happy, not knowing I’d stood by and helped put him there. “We’ll be fine.” I turned and then he ran out of the house, leaving Lu to lock up behind him. We got some blankets and put them down in the little wash area by the back door so Lu wouldn’t have to sit on the hard floor, and I made one more attempt to get her to leave the house.
We would be a good distance away, far enough not to have to worry about stray bullets, but in case the action moved, we needed to be prepared. She wouldn’t have it, so I prepared myself for anything.
Lu and I sat in silence for what seemed like forever and when I checked the time again it had only been ten minutes. I had kept my phone handy just in case, and it hadn’t escaped me that Scott was just a text away. I glanced at his name in my contacts and read the last message he sent to me. It wasn’t about anything i
n particular or important. I could message him and give him a warning, but I’d promised Lu to let this play out.
She leaned in closer looking at the phone. “Don’t do it, Starla. Let Cash do this his way.”
“I will. I just don’t think I’ll ever forgive myself if something bad happens to him. It’s either prison or the grave after tonight so either way, I lose.” The commotion started outside, and we could hear the sound of police telling them to put their hands up.
I hadn’t expected to hear it so clearly, but they’d used a bullhorn. I braced myself as the sound of the first gunshot rang out and then there were more.
I held on to Lu, hoping it wasn’t my brother using the gun. But then the shots stopped and though we could hear yelling we couldn’t tell what was going on. I heard a noise at the back door and figured it was Cash coming to tell me what had happened, but when I got to the door and opened it, a familiar face turned around.
I had seen it on the news before, and he looked a hell of a lot like his mug shots. Kings had been scrambling for a place to hide and had almost given up until I opened the door. Before I could get it closed, he pushed against it, knocking me to the floor. Lu scrambled to help, but he knocked her down and then pulled me up by my hair. I wanted to struggle, but then the shock of cool steel pressing into my temple and made me go limp in his arms.
He stood behind me; his breath was in my ear as his arms held me tight against him like a shield. “Don’t do anything stupid. You’re my ticket outta here, bitch.” He pushed me forward, my feet stumbling to keep up, as he forced me to the front door.
He turned the knob, and all I could think about was being shot by police as he pushed me to walk out of the house. He stayed behind me, using me as a shield, keeping the gun to my head for insurance. The other officers turned their guns on us, and I got a good look at my brother being taken out to the street where the cop cars were. His face was a little beat up, but he was otherwise fine, and Cash was right in front of me, his mouth opened wide, his eyes even wider as all the color drained from his face.