Page 26 of Along for the Ride

“Yeah, slept fine.”

That’s it. That’s all he says. I’m already pissed that some pussy is fucking up our job, but I’m irate that he’s also lying to me now. His own flesh and blood! We don’t betray each other.

The moment the thought floats across my mind, I taste the bitter sting of hypocrisy on my tongue. I betrayed Gentry in the worst ways. I fucked his wife. I gave him up for less prison time. In my defense, I planned to kill his wife while I was inside her, but he showed up before I could finish the job. And at least one of us had to do prison time, and he knew he could handle it better than me. I mean, look at him.

Gentry puts the car in drive, and I pull a some chips from my bag. I eat with my mouth open because I know it grinds his gears. His fingers wind around the steering wheel a little tighter with each satisfying crunch and smack. As his muscles flex in his lower arm, I notice the claw marks and shake my head.

“What the hell is the matter with you?” Gentry asks.

“You two fucked.”

He readjusts in his seat and tries to lie. “We did not.”

I scoff. “Yeah, I suppose she tore up your forearms while you two were jumping on the bed. That would also explain the headboard banging against the wall, right? And then she fell and hurt herself, which is why she was moaning.”

“Shut the fuck up,” he mutters.

“What was that song we learned when we were kids?” I bounce two fingers near his face. “Two little monkeys jumping on the bed. One fell off and—”

“I said shut the fuck up!” He swats my hand away and clenches his jaw. “Hate to tell you, Karson, but what I do—orwhoI do—is none of your fucking business.”

“It’s my business when we’re supposed to be working.”

The little thief leans forward and sticks her pretty nose where it doesn’t belong. “What is it that you guys do, exactly?”

“Don’t ask that,” my brother and I say in near unison. At least we’re on the same page aboutsomething.

“You can’t keep it from me forever,” she says. “How do you plan to do your super-secret job when I’m with you everywhere you go?”

“Yeah, how?” I turn to G, and his lips tighten. “You gonna leave her in the car like a dog?”

“Fuck off, Karson!” His voice rises to an explosive level for such an enclosed area, and it silences both me and the girl.

While he’s still riled up, I reach out and flip on the radio. He roars out an inhuman sound before smashing the off button, leaving only the remnants of his scream behind.

I turn to the girl. “You know, thief, I have no clue what part of this made you spread your legs.” I gesture toward Gentry.

She shrugs and sits back, dropping her gaze. I hate how easily she gives up today. I’m about to hop into the back and see how long it takes to make her squirm when Gentry’s phone rings. The ringtone lets us know who’s calling, and I see the hesitation in Gentry’s muscles. He doesn’t want to answer it, but we always have to answer it. We’realwayson call.

“Fuck,” he says under his breath before tugging his cell from his pocket and accepting the call. “Hey.”

I lean closer and try to listen in, but he hits the volume button down so I can’t. Or maybe it’s so she can’t. Either way, I’m left out of the loop.

“We’re still heading to the other gig,” Gentry says into the phone. “You sure you want us to take a...detour?” He’s making this call sound the least homicidal as possible and it’s tripping him up. “We’re almost in Ohio.” Gentry nods as he listens to our boss. “Alright. We’ll be there.” He hangs up and sighs.

“Still think you can ‘figure it out’?” I quip.

He glances in the rearview mirror and tightens his grip on the wheel.

“I don’t care what you two do,” the thief says from the back. “There’s no need to try to shield me. I’m not an innocent little girl, you know. In case you forgot how I got this vehicle.”

“Theft isn’t even on the same playing field as what we do,” I say, and it’s almost laughable that she thinks she’s reached our level. If she saw what we do for a living, she’d probably shit her panties.

“Do you deal drugs? Guns? Fucking organs?”

Growing tired of her stupid guessing game, I give an exasperated sigh and ignore her.

“You really aren’t going to tell me what you guys do?” she continues. She’s like a yappy little dog, and it’s wearing on my last nerve. “What are you guys like...hitmen or something?” She lets out a chuckle, and I’ve had enough.

---