Page 10 of The Wrong Man

“Did you get your mom’s latest bill yet?”

“Yes.”

He sighed heavily, the sound making me feel like I’d just disappointed a parent. “Are you still considering doing it?”

“Yes. I, um, actually got a large offer today. I think the bid may be maxing out. It was three hundred and fifty k.”

“Pfft. Essa, you’re priceless. Don’t do this. Please. It could be anyone. He could be a creep. He could hurt you.” On the tip of my tongue was a plea for him to be the one to take it. But he’d just tell me no, and I didn’t want to hear his rejection out loud. It was painful enough to read on paper.

“I’m just thinking about it right now. I haven’t accepted any offers.”

“Well, just talk to me about it before you decide. I want to make sure you’re safe.Fuck, my P.O. is calling. Text me if you need me, okay?”

Containing a squeal at the thought of being able to text him when I wanted, I schooled my voice into a normal tone before replying, “Okay, I will. Bye.”

“Bye, sunshine.”

ChapterFour

ELI

Scrambling away from the arm that grasped my leg, the blood seeped closer. Shouts muffled my ears, the words impossible to understand. I needed to flee, but everything was in slow-motion. A knife dripping red lay next to a dead man’s head, his face screwed up as if in a tortured scream.

The nightmares continued despite my freedom. As I jolted awake, my gray sheets clung to my dampened skin, coated with sweat. Now that I was in my own place, well, Rhodes’s place, I enjoyed sleeping naked. Sitting on the edge of the bed, I took a moment to clear my thoughts before heading to the shower. Inside, I lounged in the tub, letting the hot water rain over me, trying to wash the dirty memories away.

Years ago, I figured these were not just dreams. They were recollections of events from that night. The night I was arrested for carrying so much grave dust that I was locked up for seven years. No one could get me on murder charges, but the amount of drugs on me was enough for the conviction.

All the events were jumbled into a muddled timeline, and I would probably remain confused until I talked with Davis and Dix. I never asked Dix what happened when he visited me in prison, too paranoid a guard would overhear us. How did one start a conversation like that anyway?“Hey, remember that night I think I killed that guy? What happened?”

Adon gave me a pass to his gym for the month until I could get on my feet enough to buy my own. Being there helped to shake the rest of the grime from my mind. Once I finished, I left with a good burn in my chest and triceps. It didn’t matter if I was showered again or not; work at the garage left me a greasy mess by the end of every workday.

Tugging on my red jumpsuit in the Griffin Motors locker room, my cell phone almost fell out of my pocket. Catching it, I turned it over in my hand and smiled, thinking of Essa. I had her number now and could text her any time I wanted. Was it too early in the day for her? What time did she normally wake up? When I tried to picture what she wore to bed, the guilt wrecked me so much that I stopped those thoughts by distracting myself with anything else.Snow in the winter. Baseball. Bruno in a cold shower.

It was bad enough I jerked off again last night after we chatted, thinking of her sweet voice. To keep some distance, I needed to wait before contacting her again. There was no way I should be thinking of texting an eighteen-year-old girl, especially as a convicted felon. Essa needed to start her life off right, not have me interfere with her plans.

The workday drudged through hours of toil. After screwing up a few minor things, Tate bailed me out again. He was always patient with me, unlike Adon, who assumed I should already know things since I liked cars. The thing was, I enjoyeddrivingcars andlookingat cars. I knew an engine, but never spent the time Adon did fixing them up.

When lunch finally came around, I grabbed two sandwiches from the deli across the street and tossed one to Tate. Sitting on a little wheeled stool, he took a large bite of his and swallowed.

“Don’t sweat it. You’re getting it.”

My shoulders slumped. “Am I? I don’t feel like it. It’s just not my thing, apparently.”

“It takes more time.” Taking a sip of his soda, he asked, “What’d your P.O. say the other day when he called?”

“Oh, I passed another piss test. That’s all. Just ‘keep your head down and keep working.’ Stuff like that.”

My phone rang in my pocket. Glancing at it, I groaned internally. It was Bruno. I had avoided a visit to him, and I was sure he would not be pleased with my absence. “S’up.”

“Big Dick Griff! What’s going on, my man? Where you been? I thought you’d come see me by now.”

Winking at Tate, I hurried out of the back door of the shop, so he wouldn’t hear my conversation. “Trying to keep clean and outta trouble.”

“I need my star. How about you come by today and see what you’re missing out on? Three o’clock?”

“I can’t, Bruno. I have work until five.”

“Oh, well, that’s a perfect time. I’ll see you at five, then.”

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