Total pages in book: 83
Estimated words: 76881 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 384(@200wpm)___ 308(@250wpm)___ 256(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 76881 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 384(@200wpm)___ 308(@250wpm)___ 256(@300wpm)
Crank strokes his thick beard, his icy blue eyes locked on me like I’m a strange new creature. “No fucking way you've got five hundred thou. Not if you're living like this.”
“It's complicated.”
“I don't like complicated,” Savage says. “Complicated usually leads to blood.”
He's right. The blood from their fight with Eddy and the others is still drying on the pavement. Uncle Walter's clearly after me if he’s hiring people to bring me back. And I don’t even know whose money I have. All I knew when I ran was that whoever it belonged to wasn’t going to appreciate me getting mixed up in whatever dirty business they have going on with my uncle. Every moment I’m standing here bargaining with these men, is time I’m not using to put more distance between me and the danger I’m in.
“Do you want more? How about six hundred? That’s two hundred thousand for each of you.” It’s way too easy to bargain away someone else’s money. It doesn’t even feel real.
“I don’t believe you.” Crank leans his weight on the dresser I used to block the door—for all the good that did. It creaks under his bulk. “Nobody who’s sitting on that much cash would be living here, let alone putting up with the shit you did at the diner. Put up or shut up.”
“I can't. I’m not stupid. Do you think I’d leave it here?” I gesture around.
“Honey, listen to yourself,” Savage says in a frustrated growl. He steps towards me and Crank does the same, pushing off the dresser.
I grab the lamp again and hold it up, ready to throw. “Stay back!” I growl right back at them, or at least I try. I don't think anyone will ever classify my voice as scary, no matter how much I practice.
Crank laughs. He freaking laughs. Savage too, though he at least has the courtesy to try to hide it by turning aside and pretending to scratch the side of his face. They both step a little closer, making me feel like a feral cat they’re trying to herd into a corner to grab. Maybe that isn’t far off from the truth.
Savage holds up a hand, indicating for Crank to wait. “Alright, let’s say you have all this money. Where the fuck is it?”
“I’m supposed to just tell you? No way. I want a deal first.” A deal with a pair of handsome devils that have already fooled me into thinking they were on my side once, but what’s the alternative? “I’ll… I’ll go collect the money and then when I have it, I’ll put your split somewhere safe and tell you where it is. You get your money and agree to never look for me again.”
“That’s the stupidest fucking thing I’ve ever heard,” Savage says. “Grab her.”
Crank is on me before I have time to react. For someone his size, he moves fast. He grabs my arms and pulls me into his chest, locking me down with his arms wrapped around me. The lamp hits the floor with a crash, falling from dead fingers. “Sorry, babe. He’s right.”
“Aaaaargh!” I hate that in spite of everything, I actually believe they think they’re doing the right thing. That I’m someone’s out of control niece and bringing me back is for my own good. “You guys are making a mistake. Look around. Do you see drugs? If I’m such a crazy junkie, where are the needles? The little baggies? The…” My knowledge of drugs is mostly based on TV and rap lyrics, and it turns out I haven’t been paying very close attention. “See? I don’t even know what you should find, but I know it’s not here!”
Savage throws up his hands. “Jesus fucking Christ. Enough. You get two hours to prove you’re not talking shit. No passing go, no collecting two hundred dollars, let alone a million. Your choice, take it or leave it.”
Two hours? I take a step back, then nod. “Okay. Fine. We can meet back here.”
His laugh is low and sexy. “So you can take off and get a head start? Nice try. We’re not letting you out of our sight.”
I’m so bad at this. It didn’t even occur to me to try and double cross them. “Then we need to get to the bus station.”
“The bus station?” Crank’s chest vibrates against my back with his deep voice. “You left a million bucks in a fucking locker? I wouldn’t leave my spare underwear in one of those.”
A little ball of bratty resentment fires up in me. “Oh, so sorry. I guess I should’ve invested it in crypto or an IRA. Look, I wasn’t exactly overflowing with choices, okay?”
“Oh, for fuck's sake. Let’s go. The sooner you get over this delusion, the sooner we can be on the road.” Savage’s hair glints red in the streetlight coming in the window. He moves and I get a glimpse of the butt of his gun, a scary reminder of the kind of dangerous men I'm dealing with.