Page 110 of Follow Your Instincts

I fished his phone out of his pocket to turn off the music. When it cut off, I could hear Stephen’s breath sawing in and out and eased up the pressure on his back.

“Not here as a cop,” I said.

“Then get the fuck out,” he said.

“As soon as you tell me where Todd Phillips and his pack would hide something,” I said.

Stephen hesitated. “I don’t know who that is.”

“Bullshit. You helped him rob your family’s store.” It was a guess, but the guilt in Stephen’s eyes told me I’d hit the mark.

“I told you, I didn’t have anything to do -”

“Again, bullshit. Listen, I don’t give a fuck about that right now. And if you help me, I will make sure this doesn’t come back on you. But you need to tell me where they hid that jewelry.”

“Or what?” Stephen sneered. “You can’t prove shit.”

“Or I’ll fucking kill you. And get away with it because no one will look too hard for a little shit stain like you,” I said and pressed my knee into his back again.

Stephen fought for breath until I eased up the pressure. “And if I tell you, you’ll keep my name out of it?”

“Yes,” I ground out through gritted teeth.There goes my morality.

“Let me up, then,” he said.

I hauled him up and he bolted immediately for the front door. I roared in frustration, but as I reached the front hallway, I saw Lucas barrel into him from the front porch. They went to the ground, wrestling, and I slammed the front door shut again before helping Lucas subdue him.

“You don’t understand, they will fucking kill me,” Stephen said, his eyes rolling in panic, his greasy hair sticking to his face in the sweat that broke out on his forehead and upper lip.

“Don’t care,” I said.

“Please, man, I don’t really know anything,” he whined.

“I’d try to reason with you, but I don’t think you’d respond well to that approach,” Lucas said, then grabbed Stephen’shand. He bent his fingers back until Stephen cried out in pain. “Tell us what you do know, or I’ll break your fingers.”

“What? No! Come on - AHHH!” Lucas had applied more pressure and Stephen was crying now.

“Up to you,” I said.

“Fine, fine, they have a warehouse in the Glen,” Stephen sobbed. “I don’t know exactly where, okay? They didn’t tell me anything really important, but I heard them talking about it.”

“That’s it?” I asked. “Be very sure before you answer.”

“I swear,” he said immediately.

Lucas looked at me and I nodded grimly. It wasn’t much, but it was a start.

I leaned down into Stephen’s face. “If you’re fucking lying to me, I will find you and kill you,” I whispered.

Stephen sobbed again and nodded.

Lucas and I jogged back to the car and called Lachlan and Ben. He put it on speaker.

“Did you find anything?” I asked impatiently.

“No, we don’t think anyone’s home,” Ben said.

“We spoke to their neighbor,” Lachlan said. “The nice little old lady said she’s very lucky to have cops living next door, so it’s definitely the right place. But unless we break in, which I’m not equipped to do, this seems like a dead end. Did you learn anything?”

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