Page 58 of Doubling Down

“Why?”

“Besides you not answering your phone?” Dane asked.

Good point. “I was sleeping.”

“Well wake up. I found Collins.”

All sleep instantly vanished. “Where?”

“Don’t freak out.”

“I don’t like the sound of that,” Eric told his friend.

“I was thinking about what you said. How sure you were that Collins would be around the casino. How you thought he might target Ezra.”

“Yeah?”

“What if he was at the casino? And he saw you. Knew that Ezra was most likely with you?”

“Okay.” Eric started to pull on his jeans. “What are you getting at.”

“I followed you home,” Dane said. “Parked down the street and decided to watch your house.”

“You—” Eric shook his head. Of course Dane would do something like this. “You’re staking out my house?”

“It’s a good thing too,” Dane told him. “Collins is parked two houses north of you. Been there about twenty minutes.”

“Fuck!” Eric rushed to get the rest of his clothes on. “You’re sure it’s him?”

“I acted like a neighbor out walking my dog. Took Maverick and we circled the block. He wasn’t even paying attention to me. It’s him.”

“He’s still there?”

“Yes. I called it in, but he looks antsy.”

“I’m on my way.”

“Go out the back. Come from the side of the house and he shouldn’t see you. I’ll come up on the passenger side.”

Eric glanced back at the bed. Ezra was sound asleep. “Give me five minutes.”

“Got it.”

Since Ezra and Annabelle had moved in, Eric had begun to keep his service weapon in the safe that was hidden under the carpet of his SUV. He couldn’t risk going out to his vehicle and being spotted. He did have a spare gun in the safe of his bedroom closet though.

He was quiet as a mouse while finishing dressing and walking to the closest. He used his thumb and passcode to get his safe open and grab his firearm. The house was still, no movement, but they’d left the living room lamp on when Eric had carried Ezra into his room.

Five minutes wasn’t long to get into position. He slipped out the sliding glass door and into the backyard before he hurried around to the side of the house. The gate wasn’t locked and while that helped him in that moment, it was a reminder that he needed to beef up security. He couldn’t have Annabelle or the boys playing and anyone able to stroll right in.

The gate was new and didn’t make a sound as Eric passed through it.

Eric stayed up against the side of the house as he made his way toward the street. He was right on time.

Sticking to the shadows, Eric moved.

He spotted Dane but that was from experience. They could move as a team without needing to say a word. One house away, Eric could see the vehicle that Dane had spotted.

Just as he was preparing to show himself, Collins pushed the door open.

---