Page 61 of Hitch
I turn to Todd without acknowledging Braden. “You got any places we can use?”
“I’ve got a warehouse at the edge of Stockton,” Todd says. “We can use some of the rooms there.”
I nod. That’ll work for now.
“Okay, fine. That’s only half of the problem though,” Braden says. “We need to get rid of the blackmailerbeforethey go to the cops.” He throws up his hands. “Damn it, Duane. Get rid ofher!”
“It’s not her,” I say confidently. “It’s a man.”
“How the hell do you know?”
I tap the side of my head. “Instinct.”
“You’re not thinking with your head. She’s got you drowning in her lies, because of what? Her tight pussy? Because she lets you skull-fuck her?”
My jaw ticks. Did he just say what I think he said?
“You need to think real hard before you say anything else,” I warn.
“All right,” Braden says, for once being smart and backing down. “I just don’t trust her, Duane. Neither does Todd. And neither should you.”
Todd lifts his shoulders. “You remember that ex of hers? The sugar daddy? He said she was stealing.” He cracks his neck. “Maybe this is just another way to get money out of us.”
Something’s fishy here. It’s way too easy for the two of them to pin it on her, and I don’t like it one bit. I imagine cracking their heads together to knock some sense into them.
What if it’s been the two of them all along?
“What if it’s you?” I say, pointing to Todd. Shock spreads across his face, but then it dissolves as he laughs it off. He must think I’m joking. I straighten and turn toward Braden. “Maybe it’s you,” I say. “You haven’t wanted to do this job in a long time, bitching over some woman whodeservedto die. Come to think of it,you’rethe one always finding the notes.”
Braden swallows, his Adam’s apple bobbing like a buoy in the ocean. Braden’s the one who found Todd, who helped forge my father’s will, who took the job I offered when I moved out to California. I vowed to Braden that I didn’t need my father’s name to be successful. That I could make it without him. And Braden stood by me.
“Not true,” he says. “You found the first one.”
He’s right, but maybe he put it there for me to find.
Because since I killed his little crush, he’s been different. His loyal-to-a-fault mentality has been replaced with something else. Something that’s not quite right. First, it was like he was too paranoid to do something illegal again, butnow?It’s like the murder and the drugs don’t mean shit. He’ll do anything, as long as he doesn’t get caught. Almost like he knows he can get away with it, if he just waits a little while longer. If he pins it on me.
“It’s you, ain’t it?” I say to Braden. “You’re the blackmailer.”
“You’re not making sense,” Braden says, glaring at me. “Don’t let everything we’ve worked for disappear just because you’re in love with her.”
Love?
“I’m not in love withanyone,” I scoff.
He grits his teeth, then gestures toward the road. “I ain’t going to jail for this. Neither is Todd, and neither are you.” He clears his throat, his fists balled at his sides. “And if you don’t take care of her,then I will.”
The threat lingers on his tongue. Is he really threatening to kill Reggie right now?
Braden’s too much of a pussy. He wouldn’t kill anyone.
But I wouldn’t put it past him to try.
And hell, that’s all I need:to see him try.And I’ll put him in the fucking ground, just like I did with my father. I won’t let Braden disrespect me too.
“Don’t make a threat unless you can follow through with it,” I warn.
He narrows his eyes at me. “You watch yourself, Duane. She’s not who you think she is.”
