Page 48 of Fast Fury

This piece of shit lowlife lived in one of the most expensive and exclusive places in Kahului, paid for by the suffering of so many vulnerable people who’d become hooked on the poison he pedaled. While her daughter’s ashes lay scattered in the ocean.

Her shoes crunched lightly on the gravel as she approached the gate, slipping through just as it began to swing shut. Hani’s truck was in his driveway. He was still sitting in it. She could shoot him as he got out, then flee.

A prickle at the back of her neck stopped her cold. She froze, whipped her head around to search behind her, sure that someone was following her. Nothing but shadows met her gaze, but a moment later, headlight beams cut through the darkness and headed straight toward her.

She scrambled over to the sidewalk, stood there in the shadows cast by the roofline with her heart in her throat as a cherry red Mustang roared up and parked to the side of the gates. Had the driver seen her?

The driver’s side door popped open.

Cursing, she darted across the small strip of lawn that separated the first two townhomes and ran for Hani’s unit, determined to do this. She would wait for the right time, hopefully get him as he exited his truck, or maybe as he unlocked his front door.

This is for you, baby, she told Bailey silently, pushing past the fear threatening to drown her.One down and a few more to go. I’ll keep going until they stop me.

She couldn’t let anyone stop her. Not until everyone on her list was dead.

Chapter Fourteen

After turning off his truck, Hani expelled a breath and pulled his phone out of his pocket, still buzzing. No surprise, it was Kai again. His cousin had called five times throughout the day, left three texts and one voicemail.

Hani, we need to talk. Call me.

Much as Hani wanted to—much as he would love for this whole thing to blow over and go away, it wasn’t going to happen. The fight this morning had done its job; he’d seen the pain in his cousin’s eyes. But had it been enough? If not, he had one last idea in mind.

Invent a reason that would convince Kai to takeTutuwith him when he left, as a precaution. Juan’s seventy-two-hour deadline was mere hours away. Time was running out fast, and Hani’s life was in jeopardy just as much as Kai’s now. The sooner Kai left, the better it would be for all of them.

Phone in hand, he exited the truck, breathing in the scent of grilled steak from somewhere down the street. He started to shut the door, stopped when a large, shadowy figure appeared down the sidewalk from his place. His whole body tensed, ready to either grab his weapon or jump back in the truck and take off. Then the streetlight overhead revealed his cousin.

Shit.Hani braced himself, thinking fast. “What are you doing here?” he called out. Dammit, Kai couldn’t be here. Someone from the cartel was likely watching.

Kai kept coming, stalking toward him like a human heat-seeking missile, his expression hard. “Said I needed to talk to you.”

Hani slammed the truck door shut and shook his head. “I got nothing more to say to you.” Desperate, his mind raced as he tried to come up with a direct threat againstTutu. If anything would make Kai leave and take her with him, it was to protect her.

“Well I’ve got a thing or two to say to you,” Kai fired back.

“Whatever.” Turning his back on Kai, he started for his front door, knowing his cousin would follow.

He didn’t even make it to his front steps. Didn’t even hear Kai coming.

Out of nowhere a strong hand gripped his shoulder and jerked him around. Hani grabbed hold of the thick wrist clutching a fistful of his jacket and tried to wrench free but got nowhere.

With a hard glare directed at Kai, Hani planted both hands against his cousin’s chest and shoved. Hard.

Kai let go. They stood there facing off, both breathing faster. The hard set to Kai’s face and the anger in his eyes made Hani feel like shit. “Why are you still here, anyway?” Hani demanded, tugging on the hem of his jacket. Hadn’t anything he’d said earlier made an impact?

“Because it’s a free goddamn country, Hani, and I’m not done with you yet.”

Hani shook his head, his heart beating like a frantic bird against the inside of his ribs. Fuck. “I already said everything I have to say this morning. Just go, Kai, and leave me the hellalone.”

Kai glowered down at him. Hani was only a couple inches shorter than him, but Kai had a presence about him that made him seem at least a foot taller. Yet another way Hani had never measured up to his idol. “I came here, on my own, so we could talk like adults about this.”

He let out an exasperated breath. “About what?” he asked tiredly.

Kai shook his head in frustration, his jaw tightening. “You seriously wanna leave things like this? Huh? It’s killingTutu.” He glowered at Hani. “And how the hell did you find out the insider info on me?”

Hani flinched inside. “You thinkthisis killingTutu?” He let out a short, brittle laugh, thinking fast. What kind of threat could he name against her without giving his involvement with theVenenosaway? At that moment, he couldn’t think of anything. “It kills her more to keep watching you leave over and over, asshole. You want to stop breaking her heart? Go pack her up and take her back to the mainland with you. The sooner the better.”

“Hani, for Christ’s sake—”

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