Page 26 of Hidden But Not Safe

At least the men had stopped fucking his mouth when it no longer worked properly.

“I guess it doesn’t matter. That’s not the best part anyway,” she mumbled, her body turning into his as she relaxed against him more fully.

The realization that he hadn’t pulled away but remained comfortable, even after she’d hinted at sex, seeped inside him right before sleep took him.

The other dealers had heard about them taking out one of their own during the last shipment distribution. They showed up extra twitchy to pick up their drugs.

Their twitchiness made Julio nervous, and it was a shit show even before Meg walked in on it.

She froze just inside the side door that led in from the trailers, her eyes widening.

“Oops,” she said, forcing a smile as she began to back up. “Sorry.”

The dealer, one that looked like he used too much, with greasy hair and bloodshot eyes, pulled his gun.

Naz shot him before he could send his own bullet into Julio, but the dealer had brought four of his own men, and a couple squeezed off bullets before Julio’s crew could take them all out.

Julio had been smart enough to duck and roll, but José had frozen like a deer in headlights and wound up on the floor, bleeding from the chest.

“Fuck!” Julio shouted, sending another bullet into the already dead dealer. His eyes looked almost panicked as they took in José’s groaning form.

Seb was already beside José, pressing down on the wound to try to staunch the blood.

Julio stalked toward the entrance Meg was cringing in. “What the fuck did you do?”

She turned and bolted.

“She’d better be going back to the damn trailers, where she should have stayed all along.” Julio glared at Naz. “Go check. We’ve got enough shit to deal with without chasing her down if she runs.”

Naz paused in his task of searching the bodies. It’d be better if Meg did take off, even if the idea of it made his pulse throb. He waved toward the bodies.

“For fuck’s sake, they’ll keep!” Julio snapped. “Make sure she knows to stay put until I have time to deal with her.”

Miguel sneered. “She needs to be taught a fucking lesson. You’re letting her pussy run the show.”

Julio was on him before the words ended, punching him in the throat and sending him to the ground. “You want to fucking question me again?”

“José needs a doctor,” Seb called out. “The bullet is still in his chest.”

Julio stared down at José. “Do you know whose son he is? If he dies, we’re all toast.” His hands twitched at his sides. “Rocks, help Seb and me get him to the clinic.” Julio crouched down to stare into José’s eyes, which were rolling in panic. “It’s not that bad, coz,” he lied. “You better not fucking die and get me killed.”

Rocks was able to keep José’s body straight as the three of them lifted together, Miguel racing ahead to open the car door.

“Naz, get that fucking girl,” Julio snapped over his shoulder as he headed out, “or you’ll pay the consequences instead of her.”

Naz was used to taking orders, and figured Meg was freaking out anyway, so he was halfway to the trailers before he spotted her on the edge of the woods with her backpack.

Meg waited for him to approach, but her feet shifted, as if she was getting ready to run.

“He’s pissed, isn’t he?” she asked. Her hair was up in a ponytail, and she was wearing the flannel shirt he hadn’t seen since those first days. “I fucked up. I know I fucked up. Is he going to kill me?”

Naz hadn’t thought that far ahead. His stomach hardened as he realized how likely that was. Especially if José died.

Meg squeezed a hand around her ponytail. “I can’t believe I forgot. Julio didn’t remind me, but I should have stayed in the goddamn trailer today. I just wanted to see—” She broke off, her eyes squeezing shut. “I wanted to see you,” she said, her voice low.

The words seeped inside him, scalding his chest.

A harsh laugh burst out from behind him. “She’s totally working you over,” Miguel said, his eyes hard when Naz looked at him.

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