Page 110 of Wandering in Darkness
“We’ve actually stopped a crime group, a serial killer, and a man willing to kill for fraud. We’re professionals,” Felix says as he whips out a business card and hands it to the bound woman.
I hastily snatch it back. “Why the fuck would you hand deliver to her a business card detailing where she can go to murder us if she gets free?”
“She’s not going to murder us. If we treat her with kindness and don’t declare that we’re going to stab her in the back and then punch her, she might be useful,” Felix says.
“I know you hate me, Cal, but I really had no idea Devon was going to have you kill Eddie. I really cared for Eddie. It upset me so much that I told Allen I was done, but I couldn’t just…leave him, no matter how much I wanted to. It was… all of it was shitty. You can blame me if you want. But I really will help you.”
TWENTY
CAL
I don’t know how to even start to trust Audrey, but everyone else must have more faith in her than I do because after dropping Ned off where Emma is so he can get some medical attention, along with her husband, we head to the place she directs us to. It’s a lavish house in a high-income neighborhood, definitely not something a lieutenant should be able to afford. There are fences around it and likely security we’ll have to figure out how to get through.
“I’m sure there’s security. Won’t we set it off the moment we enter?” I ask.
“I know how to disengage it. I think he believes I’m too dumb to pay attention to things,” Audrey says. “But you have to unbind me.”
I feel reluctant about that, but Felix is prepared to use her and does so while asking, “You’re going to be so good and help us, right? Right?”
“Yeah, of course.”
Felix smiles as Antonio shuts the SUV off and everyone begins piling out. Trav obediently waits when Grayson tells him to stay, but Brigs is enraged when he’s held back and starts pushing so hard that Lane has to be the one to hold him back until we can get the door shut.
“Why’d you bring the pig?” I ask, wishing Felix had a legitimate reason but knowing he doesn’t.
“Because… he’s… cute?” Felix tries out.
Everyone ignores him, leaving him and Lane to fight the stubborn pig. Finally, they get Brigs locked inside as he squeals up a storm, making sure that anyone walking by will immediately know that something is amiss.
“He’ll stop in like fifteen minutes,” Felix says.
I eye him. “In fifteen minutes, I’m hoping to be back in the vehicle.”
“I know. That’s about when he’ll stop. Lane, what do you think about having a guide dogandpig?”
“Absolutely not.”
By the time we reach the gate, Audrey has already input the code while Grayson watches. The gate opens and we head inside, following behind her.
“The only problem we have is that Allen has a guard dog—an evil son of a bitch who would love to take a chunk out of me if given the chance. Just shoot it the second you see it,” Audrey says.
Felix gasps and nearly takes the woman down right that second. “Don’t you dare shoot the dog.”
Her eyebrows rise. “You want him to kill you?”
“He will love me,” Felix declares.
“He hates everyone and everything, but if you want to let him chew on you while we do the rest, you can have at it.”
“You mean love me,” he corrects.
“We don’t need another dog,” Lane says, already reading Felix’s mind.
“Copper is lonely!”
“We don’t need a ravenous dog that wants to eat human flesh, you hear me? Felix? Felix, where are you?” Lane asks as Felix trots up to be next to Audrey so he gets the first opportunity to woo the dog.
“Felix, I don’t want you to get hurt, dammit!” he hisses while he urges Copper after Felix.
