Page 15 of Exhale (Out for Justice #8)

Warehouse district—Phoenix, Arizona.

“ W hat did you do with the other kid?” Billy said, frowning at Weston, who clung to Cody as if his life depended on it.

Cody kept a hand on Weston’s shoulder, and the boy’s arms gripped his leg fiercely.

If Billy suspected that he was scared, his boss would kill him.

Cody’s fear came from losing sight of Elliott. One second the boy was there, and the next he was gone…so it was better to lie and say he’d dropped him off.

“I dumped him at a shelter,” Cody said, trying like hell not to let his voice shake.

“Just one of them?” Billy frowned.

“He was whining.”

“Did I tell you to do that?” Billy snarled.

“Um, no.” Cody swallowed and shifted.

“When did you become so ballsy?” The warning sent a chill down his spine.

“When you made me your right-hand man,” Cody countered.

Billy studied him like he was a bug and then snorted.

“Go get the other one and bring him back here.”

Shit.

“Yeah, I’ll do that.”

Cody took Weston by the hand and turned toward the door, but Billy’s words stopped him cold.

“Leave Weston here.”

“Ok. I’ll be back, buddy, I promise,” he told Weston.

“Don’t go.” Weston gazed at Billy with fear in his eyes. The last time he’d seen his mommy had been with Billy. “I want to go with Cody.”

“Don’t you want to see your mom?” Billy said.

“Where is mommy?” he asked.

“I’ll take you to her,” Billy promised.

Cody released Weston’s hand and walked out with Billy’s lies ringing in his ears.

Now, he just had to find Elliot.

And somehow get both boys away from Billy.

Because he was sure Billy had sinister plans.

At least his own plan was to sell them for money, not use them in drug trades.

Elliot was cold, tired, and hungry, and he just wanted to find where Cody and Weston were. He shouldn’t have let go of Cody’s hand, but he wanted his mommy.

He wished he knew where his daddy lived. He’d seen the picture on the wall in the hall and asked his mommy. She had given them another photo of daddy to share.

Elliot kept that one beneath his pillow. Weston said it was okay because he remembered daddy’s face better than he did. Elliot found himself gazing at it often.

In the picture, his daddy had caught a big fish and was holding it with a smile.

He wanted to learn how to fish. The tears started, but he didn’t make a sound. Mommy didn’t like it when he cried.

It was dark, and he tripped over a bump in the sidewalk. Stumbling, he kept walking down the street, staying on the sidewalk because that was important, mommy said.

When strangers tried to talk to him, he kept going, not stopping.

He wasn’t supposed to talk to strangers.

So, he ran.