Page 24 of Wrecked

Crow advanced into the room with his gun pointed at one man’s head. When the two girls made to run, Crow swung the gun at them.

“Sit the fuck back down.”

The two women sank back into their chairs.

“Hey man, we don’t have no money.” The guy who spoke got all of his attention. With greasy blond hair and pockmarks on his face, the guy looked like warmed-up shit.

“Is this your house?” Crow swung the gun on the man.

The greasy blond guy nodded.

“What’s your name?” Crow said, advancing on him.

“It’s Tony,” the guy gulped.

“Okay, Tony, I’m going to ask you guys some questions. If you give me the right answers everyone goes home tonight. But if you don’t…” Crow jiggled the gun in his hand, letting the words trail off.

“W, w, what kind of questions?” Tony said.

Crow flipped one of the chairs around and straddled it, facing the group.

“About your boss.”

Two days later…

Hollywood Hills was known for its spectacular views and secluded locations.

Jimmy Lincoln’s property was large for the area and on it stood a thirteen-million-dollar home that overlooked Los Angeles and offered panoramic views of the Pacific Ocean. The house itself sat at the end of a long driveway with access at the entrance behind guarded gates.

When the Uber driver dropped him off at the gate, Rebel waved to the guard in the shack. The guy gave a nod and buzzed him through the wrought iron gate.

It really was a nice walk up the driveway even though it was steep as hell. Reaching the pool area, sounds of laughter, splashing, and music filled the air. There was always a party going on at all hours of the night, but one good thing about this place was that the noise couldn’t be heard by neighbors.

“Hey, Rebel,” one of the guards at the end of the driveway greeted him.

“Hey, Bob.” Rebel gave the guy an up-nod and kept walking until he reached the front door and stepped inside.

The two men at the door held metal detectors in their hands and swiped them over him before he was allowed to fully enter the massive foyer.

Jimmy never allowed anyone—who wasn’t a guard—to carry weapons in the house. Of course, the guy had his own arsenal, but those were behind locked doors.

The inside of the massive house was even more majestic than the outside, and its rich interior was filled with expensive furnishings. Jimmy loved the classics and everything inside was an antique.

Instead of looking for Jimmy, Rebel turned to the wide staircase that would take him up a level. He walked down until he reached the room he’d been given.

Keeping his weapons off-site had been a chore. First, he had had to retrieve the case from the floorboards of the vacant apartment and move them to a closer location.

One thing he hadn’t done was spare a glance across the street at his old house. No way in hell did he want to get a glimpse of the woman who claimed to be his mother, but had lied.

Because if he did? He would kill her. It was that simple. Sure, he had hated people throughout his life—starting with Solomon and Tanis and a handful of others.

But the woman across the street who had given him hope? He had a special kind of hatred reserved just for her.

Perhaps that was when Rebel had begun to formulate a plan. The idea to eventually wrap his way back around to his fake mother’s house and slice her throat open—watch the life drain from her eyes. But that would beafterhe got as much information out of her about his abduction.

Once Rebel washed up, he slipped out of the door and closed it.

He had minutes before Jimmy would know he was here, so he had to hurry. Running lightly down the hallway, he took thestairs at the end upward and reached the second door on the upper landing. With a brief knock, he opened the door with the key he had made a month ago and stepped inside.

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