Page 12 of Faded Gray Lines

“I guess you haven’t given me much of a choice, have you?”

A slow smile lifted one corner of his mouth. “I knew you’d see it our way.”

I watched the guard dogs gather the trash bag and my other belongings when my thoughts cleared. “How the hell am I supposed to do this?” I asked, scrubbing my palms down my face. “I’m not exactly on the best terms with my relatives in Houston. What do you expect me to do, just show up and say, ‘Hey everyone! I haven’t been home for four years, but guess who’s back?’”

Alex rubbed his brow as if deep in thought. “I’m sure your brother has a spare bed.” Stopping in the middle of the room, he cocked his chin at me. “How are your waitressing skills?”

His question threw me. “Huh?”

“I’ll explain on the way.” He pointed toward the door. “Time to go, Miss Harcourt.”

I gaped at him. “If you think I’m leaving without saying goodbye to my family first, you all can go fuck yourselves.”

Alex clucked his tongue. “Such ugly language from such a pretty girl. Fetters and Swenson will accompany you to explain the situation to them, then I’ll offer you an official escort back to Houston.”

“Why?”

“We can’t take any risks, Leighton. After all, you’re quite volatile. Look what happened tonight.”

I stormed out without looking back. I didn’t have to. I knew all three were right behind me. They’d be there from now on, watching my every move. My life as I knew it was over. Luis had forced me into unchartered waters and the government watched as I made the choice to sink or swim.

For my soul, I’d sink. For those I love, I’d swim.

So, I put my beat-up red Honda Civic in reverse to say goodbye to everything I knew and loved.

I’d always heard that every ending was also a beginning. Unfortunately, I never forgot my past, and because of it, I knew two things in life were absolute: knowledge accompanied tragedy, and history always repeated itself.

Four

Leighton

Houston, Texas

It was somewhere between the middle of the night and the early crack of dawn when I finally pulled up in front of my brother’s second-story apartment in Houston. I never bothered glancing in a mirror after lugging my duffel bag inside and dumping it on the floor, but by the expression on Brody’s face, I looked like something left on the side of a highway.

I wanted to crawl into bed and sleep for the rest of my life, but Brody insisted on hearing word for horrifying word exactly what happened. I contemplated lying, but in the end, I told him the truth, only stopping at the part where the government stormed into my apartment and threw down the gauntlet. I’d anticipated his initial barrage of questions concerning the fact I'd arrived alone and met it head-on with a rather convincing excuse of not wanting to uproot the only innocent family we had left. Especially since I had no plans to make my stay permanent.

Unfortunately, restful sleep never came for me. However, both Luis and Matty did—over and over in sweat drenched nightmares until I finally gave up around six in the morning and dragged myself into the kitchen.

After mulling it over the whole drive from San Marcos, I decided not to tell Brody I knew he worked for the Carreras. It felt wrong, but as much as I loved my brother, I couldn’t trust him. My good guy had taken off his cape and donned a mask. If I confided in him, I couldn’t be sure which version I’d be talking to—the hero or the villain.

And that really sucked.

I decided my best course of action would be to play both sides. I planned to pump him for as much information as I could and find enough damning evidence to sell out my future boss, the head of the whole cartel, and that Cortes guy. Whoever the hell he was.

So, I psyched myself up to bug my own brother’s apartment with the surveillance equipment Alex had given me—as disgusting as it felt. My first attempt ended with me pacing outside the kitchen, chewing off what little fingernails I had left as my brother leaned over the sink, gripping the edges and barking orders at someone.

I’d only managed to get one bug planted in the kitchen before he walked in.

“No, don’t come here. Because Leighton’s here and I don’t want you scaring her, that’s why. No, look, just do what you need to do, and we’ll meet up later. I’ll call you.”

I coughed discreetly as he threw the phone across the counter. “Everything okay?”

The hardened look on his face softened when he saw me. “Nothing you need to worry about.”

“Are you sure? I heard my name.”

“Just an associate from work. I’ll deal with it at the office.”