Page 61 of Justice for Radar

“How can I know?” I said through the speaker then cursed myself for giving away the fact that yes, they were indeed talking to Justice.

“Okay, Cher,” the big tattooed man La Croix said. “You do what you gotta do to git a hold of him. We’ll wait right out here until you feel safe enough to open the door.”

I blinked and got up from my seat and taking a deep breath and letting it out slowly went to the door and opened it.

He looked down at me and smiled kindly, his eyes unnerving, terrifying, the whites black with ink the brown dark enough to make them almost solid all the way across.

“You get ahold of him?” he asked and I shook my head.

“Why are you here?” I asked.

“Best if we come inside to tell you that, ma’am,” Collier said with a polite nod. I bit my lips together and stood aside, heart racing, hands shaking.

“What made you open the door?” La Croix asked as he came inside.

“It’s one-hundred-and-four degrees out there and you’re all in black leather…” I said.

“Kind of yah,” Collier said. “But we woulda waited.”

“What’s going on?” I asked. “Why are you here?”

My phone buzzed in my hands and it was Radar.

“Answer ‘im, let ‘im explain,” La Croix said.

I answered the phone.

“Hey baby.” It was Radar who sounded breathless. “I heard you call, but we were on the Interstate. Had to pull off. Are the boys from the Voodoo Bastards there?” he asked.

“Yes, but… why? What is going on?” I asked. “You’re all scaring me.”

“I know, I’m sorry, but you’re safe that’s all that matters and I am on my way there. Just eight or nine more hours to go. Can you hand the phone to one of the boys?” I handed the phone to La Croix.

“He wants to talk to you,” I said faintly and La Croix took the phone.

He took some steps away and Collier, who was much younger and very handsome in comparison to La Croix’s heavily tattooed… well, badassery.

“Surprised he’s talked this much.” Collier smiled at me. “Not like ‘im.”

“Oh,” I murmured. “I’m sorry, I’m forgetting my manners… can I offer you something to drink? I asked.

“Nah, we’re all good, but you might want to make a cup of tea or pour a glass of wine or somethin’ for yourself. You look rattled, Cher.”

I chewed my bottom lip and looked at La Croix who had his back turned, shoulders hunched as he listened to Radar on the phone. He was in my living room while Collier and I had ended up in the dining room. He pulled out a chair for me and I took the seat, my knees turning to jelly.

“Why did he send you here?” I asked, speaking of Radar.

La Croix ended the call on my phone and turned around coming back over, tapping the back of my phone against his fingers.

“It’s good you’re sitting down,” he said and sighed. “I’ve got some bad news…”

I listened to what he had to say, my tongue gone numb, my hands clutched in my lap, stunned – just stunned.

“I…” I felt my jaw working, that funny taste flooding my mouth as my stomach roiled. “I think I’m gonna be sick,” I confessed and both men stood clear as I bolted to my feet and into the bathroom just off of the kitchen down here. I slammed the door behind me and collapsed in a heap on the floor in front of the toilet and heaved up bile. When I was empty, the weeping began and I didn’t think it would stop.

I didn’t think any of this would stop…

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