Page 80 of Forty

I dig the muzzle into his temple. “I have no problem splattering your brains all over this barn. Your brother Book’s still kicking around, isn’t he? Down in Florida? I make a phone call, I have ten men at his condo in Jacksonville in less than sixty minutes.”

“I don’t know no Ellises man!” His voice is high-pitched, panicked. His bravado’s gone.

“Brother.” Heavy gently lays a beefy hand on my shoulder. “A word.”

I can’t tell if Rab’s speaking the truth, but I wasn’t going to pull the trigger anyway, so I reengage the safety and back off slowly. Charge takes my place. I follow Heavy though a side door, out into the moonlit night.

An ember burns a few yards away where Boom smokes, standing sentry with Scrap. An owl hoots in the distance.

I start for the van we rode up in. “I need the keys, man. I gotta go back into town. Nevaeh left the clubhouse. She’s at Lou’s place.”

I check my phone. No reply. Damn it.

“Keys!” I snap.

Heavy stands there, arms loose at his sides. He’s outlined by the light spilling from the open barn doors, a still, shaggy giant.

“There’s no time to do this with you now, man.” I fight down a wave of rage.

“She’s fine.”

“Fuck you. Give me the keys.”

“She’s fine, man. The Raiders didn’t have anything to do with her car. She did that herself.”

What is he talking about?

“Just give me the keys, man.”

“Listen, brother.” Heavy scrubs a hand over his face. “I was waiting for a time to tell you. Shit’s been so crazy. Harper’s the one who noticed it.”

“Noticed what?”

“The S’s. InDie Steel Bones Whore. They were pointy, looked like dollar signs.”

“Yeah?”

“Nevaeh drew her S’s like that.”

“What the hell? Tons of people draw S’s like that.”

“I had Big George check out her keys. There was red paint residue on them. Man, she did that to her own car.”

I draw in a deep breath and close my eyes. Ridiculous. Having Big George go all crime lab on Nevaeh’s keys.

It’s totally something she would do. That’s what she’s been trying to tell me. Crazy woman.

“She can’t be trusted, man. I’m sorry.” He steps forward and reaches out to clap me on the back.

I shake him off. “What’s your problem with her? For real.”

“Seriously? Sheliedto you. Her shit distracted us from the mission. You’re fine with that? The fuck, man. What’s with you and this bitch?”

“You never call her a bitch again.”

“Or what?” Heavy’s drawn himself up, and there’s probably few men who wouldn’t blink, confronted by a literal giant. But I need those keys.

“I don’t have time for this.” I snap. “Keys.”

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