Page 80 of Fierce Hope
“Duh. Check that shed over there by the rusty thing,” Sarah pointed at a storage closet made from rough-hewn wood.
Chad stalked closer, lowering his voice, but the acoustics of the empty mill carried his words clearly to where Jade and DJ were bound. “You said we were gonna take the money and disappear. You never said I’d have to spend hours digging in frozen ground.”
“Oooh, poor baby. What happened to all that bragging about how big you’re getting at the gym? But whatever. If you want out, that’s okay. Just say the word.”
“Don’t threaten me, Sarah. I’m not Kent. I won’t be pushed around.”
Their heated exchange continued. Jade strained to catch every word, searching for any advantage in their obvious discord.
Sarah finally threw up her hands in exasperation. “Watch them,” she ordered Chad. “I left my purse in their car.”
As the door slammed behind Sarah, panic jolted through Jade like an electric charge. Sarah was going for her purse—where DJ had found the phone to send his message. What if she noticed it had been moved? Would she realize what they’d done?
Jade glanced at DJ, her fear evident. He gave a small shake of his head, mouthing what looked like “I put it back” when Chad’s attention momentarily shifted away.
She hoped that meant DJ had returned the phone exactly as he’d found it. If Sarah suspected anything, their already slim chances would vanish completely.
Chad paced restlessly, clearly agitated. Jade watched him carefully, noting how his confidence had fractured during hisargument with Sarah. Here was an opportunity—perhaps their only one.
“She’s setting you up,” Jade said quietly, keeping her voice calm and matter-of-fact.
Chad stopped pacing, turning to glare at her. “Shut up.”
“Think about it. Kent ends up dead. Now DJ and I are about to end up dead. And you’re the one doing the dirty work every time.”
“I didn’t kill Wycoff.”
Lucky for Jade, Chad was an awful liar. The truth was written all over his expressive face. “Really? Because Sarah told us you shot him, put his body in the SUV, and sent it over a cliff.”
“On fire,” DJ added.
Chad’s eyes widened slightly. “That’s not—she’s lying.” His hands curled into fists. “It doesn’t matter what she told you. It’s not like you’re gonna be able to tell anybody.” He caught himself. “I mean, it’s not like you’re gonna tell anybody. You’re gonna have to lay low.”
“But that’s just it.” Jade leaned forward as much as her bonds would allow. “Right now, only DJ and I know you killed Sarah’s other boyfriend.” She used the hurtful phrase deliberately. “And we’re sure not going to say anything, are we, DJ?”
“No way,” DJ agreed quickly. “Sarah’s crazy. We just want to get out of here.”
Chad stared at them suspiciously. “What’re you saying?”
“I’m saying you should disappear with the money. Just let DJ and me go. Whether you kill us or not, DJs dad is going to hunt you and Sarah to the ends of the earth. You know that, right? Take us out of the equation. We’ll head back to my place and never look back. That’ll get DJ’s dad and his team off your back. Leave Sarah here and take the cash. All of it. Kent’s clientsmight be looking for Sarah, but they won’t be looking for you, right? You should bail while you can. Let Sarah take the fall. Like she deserves. Think about it, Chad. You’re the one doing all the hard work.”
She could see the calculation in his eyes, the temptation warring with suspicion. “Sarah would come after me.”
“Sarah’ll be too busy running from whatever mob she and Wycoff stole that money from. Run, Chad. Enjoy your life.”
For a moment, she thought she might have reached him. But before he could respond, the door swung open again and Sarah marched back in, her designer purse clutched tightly in one hand, the gun in the other.
Jade held her breath, watching Sarah’s face for any sign she’d discovered their message. But Sarah’s attention was focused entirely on Chad.
“Get this done,” Sarah ordered sharply. “We need to jet.”
She turned to Jade then, her expression shifting to an unconvincing smile. “Don’t look so worried. Chad’s just setting up a fake trail so whoever comes looking for you will think you drove off in a different direction. Once he’s done, the four of us will head down to Sacramento via backroads. Chad’ll take care of making your car disappear, and you and DJ can move on with your money.”
The lies were getting sloppy now, desperation edging Sarah’s tone. They were running out of time.
Her father’s voice echoed in her mind: “When the stakes are highest, that’s when you play the rube, Jadey-girl. Rope-a-dope. Make them believe they’re the strongest, the smartest. Let them think they’re winning. And then, when the time’s right, show them the truth.”
Jade nodded, allowing her shoulders to slump slightly. “I just want this to be over. I’m so ready for a new start.”
