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I arched a brow but resisted the urge to blurt out her son’s sins.
Beam and I sat silently as Taz explained to the woman what had happened—of course, she edited it some. There was just some information she didn’t need. It wouldn’t have been fair to drop all that on her head.
If Taz still loved and trusted this woman, Darby just came out wrong.
The woman rubbed her eyes and sighed while flopping backward into the sofa. The colour drained from her face and Beam rushed to get her a glass of water.
“I can’t believe he would do this horrible thing to you.” Her voice shook. “How many times he could have been killed, left in the gutter like some dog and you jumped in, at risk to yourself to save his ass.”
I asked to use her bathroom, and once she told me where it was, I took the opportunity to leave bugs in the places I could find.
After pretending to use the bathroom, I flushed, washed my hands and went back to the small sunroom we’d been using.
“He might die in this.” Beam was telling her when we returned.
“He owes Taz his life.” She snapped. “And Taz has the control to take it. I have no idea how he came out so wrong. I don’t know where he got this idea that the way you repay kindness is with betrayal and hate. I just—I can’t with him anymore.”
“We’ll try and keep him alive.” Taz promised. “But he will not be walking away from this without punishment.”
“Maybe now he’ll learn to take some responsibility for the hell he drops on everyone else.” Darby’s mother whimpered. “I am so sorry, Jo.”
Sitting down, I attached a bug under the chair I was on and exhaled.
After a little while longer, the three of us left the house. We walked back toward the main road in silence, Taz seeming as if she was ready to punch something.
Getting a hold of Tex, he had us wait then jog through a busy interaction to a nearby dealership. The moment we told the lady who we were, she handed us the keys to a Range Rover, thanked us for our business and walked us to a brand-new Range Rover SUV.
That man scares me.
But I was thankful for the ride.
Our next stop was to a shady looking strip mall.
“What’s this place?” I asked.
“See that restaurant over there—in the corner beside the bagel shop?” Taz asked.
“Mm.”
“Darby spends a lot of time there.” She explained. “His father was best friends with the owner. Whenever Darby is hiding, he hides here.”
“Would he be here?” Beam asked. “I mean, no one knows him better than you. Would he be stupid enough to keep to his same routine?”
“When we’re scared, we work off instincts.” I shrugged. “It’s not a bad place to start.”
My phone rang then for a video call. Arching a brow, I answered.
“You guys planted bugs somewhere?” Tex asked.
“Um—” Taz looked over at me.
“It’s her son.” I pointed out. “And she’s furious. She’s going to call him if only to tell him he’s a wasted piece of flesh.”
“Storm’s right.” Tex spoke. “Take a listen.”
“—meaning what?” Darby’s mother demanded. “Let me ask you this. What did you do to Jo?”
“Jo?”