Page 124 of Stella
“No!” I start, but he secures my legs with zip ties and hauls me inside.
Climbing into the passenger seat, the guy driving says. “What the fuck?”
“Got the next best thing. They’ll come for her.” He has a mask on, just like his counterpart.
“Would’ve been better gettin’ Deanna and the kid,” driver guy says.
“Not even sure that the blast took Cash out,” passenger guy goes on. “This way we know Callaghan will show up no matter what. Two birds, one stone. The order was to bring them both down.”
What in the actual fuck?
Who the hell are these guys?
“Yeah, well, we’ve done our part. The mayor won’t be happy, but we can’t be blamed for that,” driver guy goes on.
The mayor?
Cale was right, this runs deep. So much deeper than I can even imagine.
They drive forever until we get to St. Roch Cemetery. They haul me out of the van, driver guy cuts my feet ties so I can walk. “No funny business or you’ll get a bullet in the brain,” he says, shoving me forward.
“Don’t worry, pretty girl,” passenger guy laughs. “We can always have some fun while we wait.” I want to fight, really I do, but when he points the gun to my head and says; “Move.” I follow what he says.
Wait. I stop in my tracks, noting the tattoo on his forearm. “Bryce?” I strangle his name through my gag.
His eyes go wide, even though I can’t see his face, I know that tattoo.
“Fuck,” driver guy mutters. “She knows who you are?”
“I guess she does now, not that it’s gonna matter.” He shoves me to keep walking. “Move it. Some of us wanna get the hell outta here.”
This graveyard, like most, is creepy. But I don’t think there’s anything creepier than a New Orleans graveyard, often referred to as; Cities of the Dead. It certainly feels like it as the cool night air ripples goosebumps on my skin.
Somehow the mayor is involved in all of this? He hates Cash and Callaghan because they’re related. If the plan was to frame Cash for Lauren’s murder, then why blow up the clubhouse and why kidnap me to get to Cash and Cale?
Maybe there’s two parties at work here? Maybe the police are working separately? Too many things roam through my mind as I realize once I stop resisting that I’ve slipped out of my handcuffs.Could I really be this lucky?
I keep up the guise as the two of them talk amongst themselves. Since I still have my gun tucked into the back of my jeans — Bryce wasn’t clever enough to check me for weapons — I hatch a plan in my head. I’ve been shooting targets for as long as I can remember, but I’ve never shot someone for real before.
I remember seeing him the night I was on the stakeout with Brew and Haze, was he following me then, too? I’ll bet he was the one taking photos. Fucking wacko.
As we walk, I’ve no idea if they’ve brought me here to do something more sinister with that key to Razor’s creepy grave, or if they’re gonna bury me instead. Still, neither of them sees me as a threat.
We finally come to a stop, and I wonder if these guys realize we’ve figured it out. The boys were here earlier at the tomb. Did they really not know that?
Bryce turns to me. “Sorry, kid, it’s not personal, but some of us need to get paid.”
I would flip him the bird if I could have the use of my hands without getting caught, instead, I scowl.
The driver’s phone rings, and he picks it up. “Yo.”
Jesus. I should shoot him just for talking like that. We’re not in the freaking hood.
“We’re almost there, keep your hair on,” he says. When he hangs up, he turns to Bryce. “It’s almost pay dirt time. I wonder if Mayor Vanders will let us have some fun before we get to leave?” He wags his eyebrows at me.
I want to throw up. So all of this was a game with Bryce? Date me to try and get into the Rebels and when that didn’t work, secretly stalk me and my club instead? Loser.
Bryce sighs when he says, “He wanted her unharmed. She’s worth more alive.” He eyes me as I shake my head, acting like the poor innocent girl who isn’t about to kick his ass the second I get the chance. “That could change.”
