Page 42 of I Stop Somewhere Waiting For You

My phone vibrates, redirecting my attention to my lap. I look down to find J’s name flashing across my screen. A wide smile spreads across my face as I swipe up to answer.

“Jesus,” Bent laughs, “I am never going to get used to that look on your face.”

“My person, bro. You could have the look too if you stopped denying yourself what the universe is trying to gift you.”

“Yeah, yeah.” He eyes me up and down, the remnants of his smirk still lingering. “Maybe there’s some merit to what you’re preaching.”

I snort. “I’ll consider that admission progress.” I bring the phone to my ear. “Hey, baby. I can’t talk too long. I’m almost at the drop. What’s up?”

“Mav.” Her voice sounds tense; my posture straightens in response. “I need you to pull over for a second. We have a problem.”

I tap Bentley on the shoulder, signaling him to pull off to the side of the road. This far out is pretty much all open farmland, so I don’t worry about raising suspicions with our little caravan making a brief stop. His brow furrows in confusion, but he complies, shifting us into park and killing the engine. “Gimme a minute,” I whisper to him before hopping out to take the call.

As I exit the car, I glance back to the truck where Finn and T have pulled off behind us. The van carrying the merchandise driven by two more of our guys parks behind them. I lock eyes with T, gesturing toward my cell before holding one finger in the air, letting them know I need a minute.

“Go ahead, baby. What’s wrong?”

“Someone hit Nicky’s shipment last night. Lifted it all.”

“What?” I spin off to pace in the opposite direction, my eyes going wide.

“Mav, the intel being fed to him is pointing at you.”

I stop dead in my tracks as I process what she’s telling me. “Run that one by me one more time.” My voice drops into a sinister seething tone as my blood begins to boil.

“You heard me. The evidence, whatever it is, is pointing to you. Obviously, I know that’s not true, which means—”

“Someone’s setting me up,” I finish her deduction, my grip tightening around the phone. Fuck. The last thing I need right now is for a war to pop off with Nicky C.

“Nicky’s not a hundred percent sold on the notion. Something’s not adding up for him.”

I exhale a breath and momentarily thank God for Nicky’s obnoxiously big-ass brain.

J continues. “He’s going to put eyes on you, Mav. He wants to look into it before considering his response. So, just know you’re going to be watched from here on out. Also, I’m getting put on lockdown.”

I feel my jaw tic in frustration at the realization of what that means. If it was hard to sneak around before, it’s going to be fucking impossible now. I bring my hand up, pinching the bridge of my nose as I resist the urge to shoot something.

“I’m gonna figure this out, baby. Okay? It might take me some time, but I will find who’s doing this and I will handle it.” The line is quiet as I’m met with the sounds of her breathing on the other end. “Nothing is going to keep me from you, understand? I will put whoever this motherfucker is in the ground, and then I’m gonna bring you home with me. Tell me you hear me.”

“I hear you, Mav.” Her voice comes out low, yet unwavering in her belief of what I’m telling her. That’s my girl.

“I love you, J.”

“I love you, too. Please be safe.” Her words spill through the line in a strained plea, and I have never wanted to rid myself of this bullshit gangster lifestyle more than I do in this moment. I cannot wait to be out.

“I’ll call you after I finish the delivery. Bye, baby.”

I disconnect the call. Sweeping my hair back out of my eyes, I grab a fist full in frustration. Who the fuck is starting shit?

A horn sounds out, and I turn just as Bentley’s head pops up over the roof of the Tahoe. “We going?!” he shouts out, his arm raised in the air.

I nod, motioning my hand for him to start the car as I make my approach. Bent drops back into the driver’s seat just as I look down to send off one more ‘I love you’ to J when suddenly…

I’m thrown backward as the force of the blast reverberates throughout the air around me. The back of my head bounces off the ground, briefly dazing me before I flip over, pushing myself up from the frost-ridden grass. I strain to focus my vision as the sight of the Tahoe engulfed in flames lies before me.

Bentley. No.

The screaming starts, dull at first, and I realize the hit to my head coupled with the volume of the explosion must have fucked with my hearing. However, once I see him, the terror unfolding before me rushes forth in full surround sound.

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