Page 84

He nods, offering me back the joint, but I shake my head. “You’ve never talked about your family.”

“Well, I am now.”

“Why were you in the foster home if you had a dad?”

“He’s no longer here.”

“So, he’s dead?”

“That’s correct,” he says, dropping the joint and putting it out with his boot. “I’m heading in. I need a drink.”

I nod, sniffing as he opens the door.

___________

Three days later, I’m heading out of my house. It’s early, and the sun has yet to blister the sky with orange and blue light. I stand by the car, breathing in, and then without thinking, I hop into my car and head to Trig’s house.

It only takes me moments. He doesn’t live far from where I stay. Placing my coffee in the cup holder, I grab a smoke and light it. Rolling the window down a bit, I hit my brakes when I see Trig walking out to his truck with what looks to be coats.

Pulling over, I place my cigarette between my lips and watch as he cranks the truck. His reverse lights come on, and he backs up, hitting the curb before taking off down the street.

And I don’t know why—call it a gut feeling, one that has me feeling sick. One that makes me ask myself,What am I doing? What am I thinking?

But regardless, I hit the gas and follow him. I’m careful to make sure Trig doesn’t see me following him. But I’m always careful. Since day one, my boy and I said, “Never get Caught,” and we’ve yet to do that. Despite the tails we get every once in a while.

We know we’re running a big enough operation for the feds to start noticing. The question isn’t if they start digging into our business, but when. Bones has Paul keeping an eye on things for us and keeping us informed if he hears anything we should be concerned about.

Bones has been missing for over a month now, and he hasn’t seen the shit I’ve seen. Moretti and Nugget are being shady as fuck. I’ve run things while Bones has been gone. I’ve collected money from the businesses in exchange for protection. I’ve made sure things were running smoothly at the warehouse and that we got our shipment of heroin on time from Miguel, like we’re supposed to. I’ve flown to Atlanta and checked on Red and our cocaine business there.

In this business, there will always be someone trying to one-up you. Trying to take what you have. You must always be ready. That’s one reason Bones hardly ever gets intoxicated. He’s always told me to “Be alert. You’re always going to have enemies. You must be ready.”I don’t know how he’s gone. I don’t know how he let someone get him.

I won’t say he’s dead. Not until I see his body. Me following Trig is not right. I trust that man, almost as much as I trust Bones, but he’s been shady for a while now, and I don’t have a good feeling about it.

I’m usually good at reading people. I’m quiet because I observe. I’ve noticed the mud on his shoes and tires. I’ve noticed he disappears sometimes for a while and he never used to do that. He was always at the clubhouse with one of the whores or enjoying the cocaine and too much whiskey. But lately that’s not been the case. He’s seemed stressed out and unkempt.

I don’t trust him any longer. We head out of the city, and I know where we’re going. The Pine Barrens. Where we buried Mickey.

I slow, letting a car or two get between us, and then I follow on, making sure not to lose him, but when he begins to cut off from civilization, heading down a dirt road, I have to stop. He could see me. There are no more cars. Nothing to keep me hidden, so I take a breath, light another smoke, and park. I will wait for him to come back.

And then I’ll take a drive into the Barrens and check things out for myself.

Chapter Fifty

Trig

I pop my neck, looking ahead at the dirt road that leads to the cabin. It’s a run-down shitty thing, but it wasn’t always like that. We spent plenty of summers here fishing and hunting. This cabin holds many memories for me. I will kill Bones there and I will toss him in the swamp and let the alligators have him.

Maybe I’ll keep Bexley for a while longer. I’ve tried to get to Paul and their fucking grandmother, but there were too many men protecting them. Bones was right. I couldn’t even get close. So, I’m done with this shit. Sweep’s ass is getting too nosy, and I know when enough is enough.

So, I won’t take everything from him, but I will take his life, and that’ll just have to do.

Chapter Fifty-One

Bones

One month three days missing

Thoughts about us and that kiss vanish when we hear the sound of a vehicle coming down the road. There are only windows on the sides, so I can never see the vehicle. I can never see if anyone might be with him or what he may have in his hands. It’s a guessing game.