Page 63 of Renegade

“Goddamnyou, Trigg,” he gasped. “That fuckin’ hurt.”

Chapter Twenty

MIGUEL

“Sutter!” I spluttered, looking at the man I’d once fallen head over heels for. He was still the same man, but somehow older than the last time I’d seen him right before he’d calmly gotten out of the Humvee and ventured into the sandstorm to check the vehicle for damage. “What the hell is going on?”

“Christ,” he muttered in pain.

I glanced at the hand not holding the bridge of his nose as the blood kept trickling down, making sure he didn’t hold a weapon, almost feeling bad for thinking he’d come here to kill me. I stumbled back in shock, feeling the cold metal of the Ford’s door at my back as I tried to comprehend what he was doing here. I felt the weight of the gun in my shoulder holster,painfullyresisting the urge to pull it and point it at my former best friend’s head. “What’re you doing here? How are you even alive?” Even though I’d seen him at the restaurant, in the back of my mind, I guess I still hadn’t believed it.

He fumbled with the pocket of the worn, black bomber jacket he wore, and I stilled, realizing that, though, I was armed, I wouldn’t have the heart to pull my gun to shoot him point blank even if my own life was in danger. Instead, he produced several napkins from a fast-food chain and lifted them to his nose as he stared at me. “Got me good, Trigg.”

The recognizable voice, the way he used my nickname with such familiarity, made me feel unbelievably sad. “Jesus Christ. What’s going on?” I took a step toward him and then stopped ashe quickly glanced around, searching the parking lot. I realized we were still standing out in the open. If someone had been following me when we left the recording studio this morning or had been watching Vonne’s place, we might have a sniper rifle pointed at us.

“Not here,” he said, swinging his gaze back to me. He looked haunted—so miserable—anything else I might’ve wanted to say, stuck in my throat. “Let’s go somewhere else. I think they trust me, but that won’t last long. Things are in motion and they’re going to find out…Trigg, please, I—I know you don’t have any reason to trust me, but we have to go somewhere safe to talk. They don’t know where you live, but if I don’t check in, they will start looking.”

I frowned at him, shaking my head. “No fucking way. I’ve got people at home, and I won’t put them in any more danger from that Cassanova woman or the fucker who’s threatening us.”

“By us…by people, you mean Raven Mathis, right?” His words weren’t angry or bitter, just…sad?

My blood ran cold. “Yeah, Raven and others.” If he didn’t know about Raven’s grandmother or dear Dolly, I sure as hell wasn’t going to risk their lives too. “I’m not taking you to my place. You can’t be sure they don’t know about it.”

“Fine, but we’ve got to go somewhere else. I can’t have this conversation here. It’s not going to be a short one.” He wadded up the napkins, gingerly testing his nose as his green eyes watered again. A dark purple bruise was already forming on the bridge of his nose. He was no doubt going to have two shiners by tomorrow. “We gotta get somewhere undercover, someplace where we can’t be seen, Trigg. I have people of my own to protect.”

I thought, desperately trying to decide where we could go to talk. I had an idea. “What’s your status? You said they’ll know we’re talking soon enough.”

His face looked haunted. “I’ll be fine, but I’ve been protecting someone…a child and his mother. I need to make sure they’re safe…that they can’t be gotten to. I have them stashed but only for a little while. They’re expecting me back. I was sent to follow you and as long as I check in with them, everyone will be safe.”

“Daniel?” I knew I shouldn’t tell him what I knew but I wanted to see his reaction.

His face got stony as he nodded. “I don’t know how you know—” He stopped and looked back at Vonne’s building. “Vonne. Daniel told me he wrote to him. I asked him not to send the letter or our photo. I took the photo from him and threw away the letter. I guess he retrieved it,” he said with a sad smile. “That boy is much too smart for his own good. I shouldn’t have told him about any of you. It only put him in more danger.” He shook his head. “I painted a target on their backs. This is all my fault.” He narrowed his eyes at me. “You told Vonne about seeing me?”

I nodded. “Yes, just now. I had to tell him I’d spotted you at the restaurant. Vonne showed me the letter.”

“Vonne knows then?”

I scoffed. “That you’re alive?” He nodded. “Well, he sure as hell does now.”

“Fuck.” John looked at the ground. He paused but when he spoke again, his voice was shaking. “I’m sofuckingsorry.” When he looked up, there was a plea in his expression. “We need to go talk. Please, Trigg.”

“We can talk here at Vonne’s.” I nodded at the building.

John shook his head. “No. I…I can’t. I can’t put anyone else at risk. It’s bad enough that you’ve been dragged into all of my bullshit, but I can’t risk Vonne’s life too. Please, Trigg, we have to go now.”

Where could I possibly take him where he wouldn’t be a danger to others? I sighed. “Fine then. I’m taking you to the ATF’s office in Glendale.”

He blinked, uncomprehending for a minute before what I said, sank in. “The ATF? No!” He threw up both hands. “I can’t…I can’t be out of commission. I’m gonna tell you everything, but I’ve got to be able to protect Daniel. Please understand. The goddamned ATF will arrest me, Trigg, and if they do that, they’ll start looking for the boy. He’s only thirteen and his mother is an innocent in all this.”

I was shaking with anger as I pointed my finger at his face. “Understand this. I don’t know why you’ve turned up now, or where you’ve been for over a decade, but I know about the rogue CIA cell. I know you’ve been working with them in their little smuggling operation. I know about all of it, Sutter. So, we’ll do this my way, or you won’t get my help. Are we clear on this?”

He straightened. “Man, you don’t know the half of it.” He sighed. “Okay, I’ll let you take me to the ATF, but after they arrest me, I need you to go to Daniel and his mother. Hide them or get them into protective custody. Please, Trigg, I just need to know that they’re safe.” He looked away. “Keeping them alive all these years has been a living nightmare.”

I felt my heart break just a little as he spoke the words. I had no idea what he or the people he cared about had gone through over the years. I knew nothing about this man, but if Daniel and his mother were in hiding, stashed somewhere by John, he wasright. We needed to get inside somewhere and I figured a federal building with the protections it would offer, was the best place.

“I promise I’ll keep them safe, Sutter.” I nodded at his coat. “Are you armed?”

He stared at me in surprise for only a second before unzipping the bomber jacket slowly, pulling it aside and turning around so that I could see the back of his T-shirt which was tucked inside his jeans. When he turned back, his eyes were haunted. “Satisfied?”

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