Page 108 of Gifts

Chapter 27

Kick to the Gut

Raymond Wallace

“Where the hell did you get that heroin? She tested positive for fentanyl, dammit. I paid for the pure stuff, not the shit laced with who knows what.”

I look up and down the country road, not liking it here. There’s nowhere to hide, and fuck if I’ll wander out into that field with animals and shit.

“Answer me.” He takes a step toward me, making me step back. “She’s still in the hospital. This better not trace back to me.”

I shake my head and shrug. “They told me it was pure. I had to go out on my own to find it since my cousin wouldn’t sell it to me.”

“You think I can get anything for a girl who’s almost brain-dead? I had a high price on her and now her parents will be all over her. No way will I get in there for years and then it’ll be too late. My clients want them young.”

I stuff my hands in my pockets and stare at the jackass in front of me. When I went to Dooley with this to begin with, he shut me down fast, not wanting anything to do with assholes messin’ with young girls. If I think I’m fucked now, it’s nothing compared to what Dooley will do if he catches my ass tied to this shit.

“I’ll get with my source, see if I can get your money back. After that, you need to find another runner. I’m out,” I spit, doing my best to hold my ground.

He takes another step but this time doesn’t stop. I have to lean back when he gets in my grill, poking me in the throat. “The fuck you are. You told me you’d get this done and almost got a girl killed who I needed slightly strung out. Don’t think you can back out now—you’re in fucking deep.”

Fuck this. I push him outta my face. “What if I go snitch, huh? I’m no one’s bitch, man. I can just see it all over the news, ‘School big man gets caught selling girls on the black market.’ Go get your smack from someone else.”

I start to head for my car but feel a strong hand clasp around my bicep. When I look back, he’s sneering. “You think you’re so fucking smart? I’ve got just as much on you as you do me.” He pulls out his phone, flipping through the screen until he finds what he’s looking for. When he holds it out for me to look at, my face falls. I am fucked. “You think anyone’s going to want a snitch who’s been seen making deliveries to a girl who’s currently lying almost comatose in the hospital?”

He keeps flipping through pictures. Images of me handing over the goods in at least three different locations. They even go back as far as me standing on the porch with the guy who roughed me up and that red-headed chick who interrupted one of my deliveries.

“The answer to that, is no. I’ve got proof of what you did, but it’s your word against mine—an upstanding citizen who works in education, for fuck’s sake.” He lets me go with a push and slides his phone back into his pocket. “Now, you get my money back and go find another source. This time make sure it’s pure. If that means you have to shoot that shit up yourself to test it, so be it. They wanted the Hollingsworth girl, but she’s been too hard to get to and a pain in my ass. Especially after she spewed what she knew about Sutherby and Jakes. I only needed them out of the picture when they found out about the girls. I didn’t plan on a witness to your boys messing with their car. I tried to keep her quiet, but even fucking with her brother didn’t work. Maggie Stockton will be easier to get to, and since I’m late on the delivery, we’ll focus on her, but it needs to happen soon. I’m paying you good money to make sure this doesn’t trace back to me, so it better fucking not.”

My chest is heaving, not knowing what to do. I did not sign up for all this shit. I just wanted some extra money and was willing to make some deliveries. But fuck me—when it gets down to it, I don’t have a fucking choice. If I go to Dooley, he’ll cap my ass himself, no matter if we’re blood. My cousin deals straight up—he made it clear he didn’t want to dabble in trafficking.

I watch the fuckwad walk back to his car and drive away, leaving me in a cloud of country dust.

There’s no other way around it. I’m fucked.

*****

Asa

After pulling up Keelie’s drive, I park and sit back to look at her house and property. She’s got a two-car garage, but with bikes and other shit, it barely fits the Infiniti. There’s enough space for another two-car garage without hindering her view. Levi is leaving, but I’ll buy Emma a car in the next year. I don’t want any of us to have to park in the elements. If we add on, we could also build up with an addition to the second floor. Another bedroom or maybe a media room for the kids.

Summer is finally here and if I have any chance at getting an addition done by winter, we need to draw up the plans. Jimbo’s about done with the porch, and despite him being a little odd, he does good work. I’ll see if he can move around to the garage.

Making plans feels good. Not that I ever stopped, but it was annoying as hell waiting for Keelie to come to the realization that this is happening. We are happening. She’s been back to normal now for a little over a week. The first few days, I was wary, making sure she wasn’t going to snap on me again.

So far, so good.

It’s late. Everyone’s in jail who needs to be and the deaths of Sutherby and Jakes are under investigation by the police. Emma looked at a photo lineup and ID’ed the same guys who were driving the blue 300. Since Grady killed one of them and the other is in jail, I’ve been working later at Crew’s camp to catch up on things. We’re ready for new recruits and they need to be vetted.

That doesn’t mean I wouldn’t rather be here. My house never felt right, but this does. The six of us here together feels right.

I get out of my truck and listen to the animals go wild. When I look to the barn, I see Keelie’s strawberry-blonde hair piled high on her head as she’s pushing hay around with her feet. I grin, heading straight for her. There has to be a better way to spread that shit around the barn.

Instead of helping, I lean my shoulder on the sliding door and watch. I can’t take my eyes off her ass covered in tight jeans, with the bottoms stuffed in rain boots. Her tank fits like a second skin with her black bra straps unapologetically showing. I can’t stop staring even though I don’t need to—I’ve memorized every curve, slope, and arc. And since she opened up to me, she’s shed all her barriers completely.

She’s mine.

“Baby, there’re better ways to do that.”

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