Page 123 of Hold Me Before You Go

He was tired. He’d traveling non-stop. First the shitty flight, then nabbing a car from the airport parking lot, followed by driving up the coast, to a shitty boat town.

The man took a second drag, knowing this was his last cigarette. He’d need to get more soon, or his tick would set in again. Then, everyone’s day would be ruined.

A loud ring sounded from his coat in the passenger seat, the phone vibrating just as loud. It irritated him. However, that would be the boss calling, and the man couldn’t ignore the boss. He wanted to keep all his limbs attached to his body.

Keeping his eyes on the road, he leaned over, blindly fishing the device out before righting himself and answering the call. “Yes, sir.”

“Where are you?” Jack asked, sounding irritated. That wasn’t his real name, but it was the only name he’d given the man when he joined the Black Mist almost two months ago. He was still new and needed to pay his dues.

“I’m almost two hours away. Should be there soon, sir.”

“You get this job done, and I’ll make sure you’re treated right when you return,” Jack said. There was something in his voice that made the man feel uneasy, but he shoved it down.

“Of course, sir.”

“That fucking bounty hunter is gone,” Jack sighed. “He was beginning to irritate me. You know I don’t like that.”

The man did because the last time Jack got irritated, he skinned his bodyguard alive.

“And one more thing, Evan,” Jack called, getting his attention once more.

“Y-yes, sir?”

“If this woman is as pretty as our dear friend said she is, don’t kill her. Bring her to me.” With that, Jack hung up.

That dear friend was dead now. That was the first job for Evan, taking care of the body. His arms ached from dragging the body of that fat fuck, Brandon Hale, deep into the desert before setting it on fire. Still, the job was done, and that was that.

Now, he was heading to complete another task: get Carrie Hale’s fucking money.

Jack said he wanted all debts paid, including a dead man’s.

Chapter Thirty-One

Grayson

Mags was quiet on the other end of the line.

I’d just given him the news. Carrie was with Margo, heading to Rossy’s Bookstore for the second day in a row. As much as I hated being away from her, she needed to get comfortable here again, because soon, I wouldn’t be able to protect her.

“When are you going to tell her?” Mags finally asked, his voice quiet.

I looked down at my tablet, focusing on Agent Garner’s words.

Red Snake was done.

When the news of the prison break hit the media, it didn’t take long for Jeremy to put two and two together, and I’d suspected Garner was the one to help him figure it out. Pair that with the missing person reports of Carrie’s fucked up in-laws…The lid had finally popped.

My eyes scanned over Garner’s encrypted email for the tenth time in an hour.

Grayson,

I’ve held them off as long as I could.

I did what I could only because of my respect for you.

There’s nothing else I can do. It’s out of my hands now.

You have forty-eight hours to release the Hales and turn yourself in.

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