Page 48 of Bite the Bullet

“Are you sure about this?”

“It’s not a big deal. I just bought my bike off that guy.”

“No, I mean, are you sure he’s reliable?”

“Of course,” I grunted. I didn’t know him, but he was former military. He wouldn’t screw me over, knowing that I was military also. That would be bad business.

She dug around in her purse, pulling out her keyring. After removing her house keys, she handed over the car key. I could see the wariness in her eyes, and I hated that I did that to her. It was right for her not to trust a stranger, but I was usually a guy someone could run to for help. With just a glance in the mirror, I saw how shitty I looked, like I needed a hit more than anything. My eyes were sunken and bruised from lack of sleep, and my face was pale, giving me a gaunt look.

“I really appreciate this.”

“It’s no problem.”

And it wasn’t, but I had a feeling she would become a liability before too long.

13

JASON

“That’s the house?”I nodded to the house adjacent to the one we were moving our shit into.

“Yeah,” Johnny muttered. “It’s a piece of shit.”

“It’s better than prison,” I pointed out. Not that Jack’s current life was anything to brag about. I hated that he was in this shitty town, surrounded by all these low-lifes. He was supposed to be with us, working with people he trusted. I wasn’t leaving until he came home with us.

I walked through the front door with the box of IT equipment, grimacing at the rundown house. “This is home for the foreseeable future,” I muttered.

“Don’t worry. I had someone clean it first,” Rae said, carrying her computer to one of the bedrooms.

I glanced down the hallway, then to the kitchen. There was no way there were more than three bedrooms. “So, what exactly are the sleeping arrangements?”

“We’ll have to sleep in shifts,” Johnny answered. “I don’t trust a single fucking person around here besides Jack. And even he needs to be watched.”

Because of the drugs. I hardly believed it when he told me. Itwasn’t like Jack to do drugs, but because of the circumstances…Fuck, I hated this.

“I’m gonna grab another box.”

I walked outside, keeping my eyes peeled as I made my way to the back of the truck. Someone at the end of the street was watching us. He thought he was being discreet, but it wasn’t hard to spot him with the reflection shining off his binoculars.

I climbed up the ramp and grabbed another box, then headed back inside. “End of the street. Someone’s watching.”

“That’s Marco,” Rae said, stepping into the hallways. “He’s Gelbero’s number one in this area.

“We need to get cameras up tonight,” Johnny said. “And we need to make our move right away. We don’t need everyone talking about us and questioning why we’re here.”

“Do you think they’ll buy it?”

“Gelbero did. That’s the only fucking reason we got this house.”

“Well, don’t get too cocky,” Rae said, hauling another box in her arms. “He tagged all our accounts the moment he found them.”

“Good, that’s what we were counting on.”

“Yeah, but it means he’s going to be watching us like a hawk. Getting those cameras up is going to be difficult.”

“I’ve got a plan for that,” I grinned. “I doubt the neighbors will like it, but it’ll get the job done.”

“Good, let’s get it done tonight,” Johnny said, stepping outside.

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