Page 19 of Torn
“You better talk fucking fast.” Pres bites out.
"Tracker and I were fifteen and on our own. Lorenzo was from our neighborhood his son Anthony was in school with us. One day he came up to us and said he knew we were living n the streets and he could help. He started giving us small jobs like dropping off packages and stuff. Then one day he said someone owed him money and he needed us to beat it out of him. He gave us each a baseball bat and sent us on our way with the understanding it was this guy or us." I look over at Tracker.
He clears his throat. "We took care of it, and he paid us more money then we had ever had before. We were with him for about two years. Then one night he was talking about some lawyer that had fucked over one of his guys even after he warned him. He picked a bunch of us to go with him to the family's house to make them pay. We had never killed anyone before so we never assumed it would come to that until we heard them talking to each other. We left town that night before it happened and never looked back. Lorenzo and his son Anthony replaced us, the daughter had been hiding in the closet and saw Anthony she put him away for years."
“Why the fuck would you have not told us this when we were talking about them in church on Saturday?” Whip spits out.
I take this one. “We didn’t think it would make a difference because it was so long ago.”
“So what the fuck changed this morning?” Torch asks.
“The girl her name was Natalie Howell, I found out last night that she is actually Rebecca Maxwell. Which would be why Brick couldn’t find much out about her.” I take a breath knowing this could be really bad.
“Carter’s fucking tutor?” Pres stands up from his chair. I nod. He picks up the phone. “Get me fucking everything you have on Natalie Howell and get it fucking yesterday.” He hangs up. “How did you find this out?”
Tracker takes a step back, thanks, brother. "I was at her place last night. She got in a fight with her brother, and he called her Natalie, then she told me everything."
“You tell her any of our shit?” Whip takes a step toward me.
“No, I didn’t even tell her how I was connected. I skipped out this morning and came right here.”
"This is really fucked—" The phone rings, there is no way Brick already has a full report which means he found something that can't wait. "Yea?…FUCK!" Pres throws the phone at the wall, and the sitter of glass is all you hear. "Her brother is a fucking FBI agent!"
Everyone stills.
Shit.
I guess that explains why he pulled a piece on me last night.
“You got something to fucking say Storm?” Pres is staring me down. “You already know this shit too?”
“No, I had no idea. He did pull a piece on me last night though.”
“Great, so he’s gonna have it out for us because you’re fucking his sister.” Torch says with a laugh.
I bite my tongue from saying I’m not fucking her because I know my comments will only make shit worse.
"Get everyone here right fucking now, Tracker. You fucking stay." Pres's eyes narrow at me. When the door closes, he looks back at me. "What are you doing with this girl? Because it isn't just affecting you anymore."
“I care about her, which is fucking crazy. But I do. She’ll probably hate me after all this shit though.” I shrug trying to pretend like I don’t give a shit.
“You know we can’t offer her protection if you don’t claim her right?” Whip offers and I nod my head.
"Get the fuck out of here. Help Tracker get in touch with the brothers, and you don't say shit to her about this till we have church. No fucking contact. Got it?" Torch orders.
“Got it.” I walk out of the room just as my phone buzzes.
Rebecca: Hope I didn’t scare you off last night.
I put the phone back in my pocket wanting more than anything to ease her mind.
Sitting next to Tracker I start calling brothers to get down here for church.
My phone buzzes again and without even looking I shut it off.
