Page 18 of For Life
“While we were on the phone, Felix got word that someone in their family had put a hit out on you.”
“A hit?” Ant blinked up at them, “Like money to kill me?”
Shepherd nodded gravely, “I’m sorry, hon. They are saying you killed the man, that you messed up a truce meeting and were a member of the Italian mob. They want you dead or alive for ten thousand.”
“Only ten?” Ant sputtered out a laugh, sounding hysterical, “I’m worth at least twenty-five. And a couple of cows. I should ask Matlock for that much in the morning. To turn myself over to him.”
“No one is turning themselves in. Or buying you for any number of cows.” I pulled Ant back into my arms and they broke down. I couldn’t take their tears any more. “We’ll leave before morning, go grab a bag. Iwillget you somewhere safe.”
Ant froze for a moment, processing and then sitting back up. They licked their lips and stared at me for a long while before standing abruptly. Whatever decision they made, whether it was to trust me or that I was the best option, seemed to be decided. They scrambled off towards the hallway while wiping at their eyes.
To the other I added, “If anyone asks, Ant went to visit family because of the trauma but they can leave messages on their phone.”
“I would advise against bringing Ant’s phone,” Roman cautioned, “And they don’t talk to their family.”
“I know.” It wasn’t something I knew for sure, but had guessed it might be the case. I knew where Shepherd’s employees started out. “If they track the phone here, you can say Ant forgot it in the rush to visit a sick grandparent. We didn’t actually give an instruction to stay in town, if Matlock claims that.”
“What about you?” July spoke up, though I didn’t think I’d heard him speak all evening. I’d helped him when he had a stalker and an attempted murder, but now it was time to help Ant. “Won’t you need to be at work tomorrow?”
“My shift isn’t until eleven, but I think Matlock plans to call me in the early morning to interview Ant. I’ll be calling in my own family emergency.”
*****
“The key is under the ugliest gnome, there’s likely no food in the pantry, and try to lock up when you leave,” my sister rambled to me distractedly.
“Your cabin is in the middle of nowhere,” I teased her, “Why do you lock it?”
“For the bears,” Lina chuckled. “And I promise I will only tell mom that you are traveling for work out of any service area.”
“Thanks, sis. I owe you one.”
“You do, but I have a sick bulldog to take care of, so I can’t rub it in,” Lina called into the speaker over the sound of barking in the background. “Be safe!
Sighing at her parting words that were a little too close to home, I went back upstairs with my extra helmet. I wanted Ant to wear it so there would be no video record of them obviously leaving with me. A person with me, sure, but that could be one of the other roommates. I hated hiding things like I was the dirty cop my partner turned out to be, but it felt necessary for Ant’s well-being.
Ant was standing awkwardly in the middle of the room, holding a couple of bags they grabbed while I called my sister. They had changed from the skirt and apron to green skinny jeans and a hoodie, which was a lot better on a bike.
“Ready?”
They nodded absently, chewing on their lips again. I noticed that Ant had a pronounced canine, which I found cute and endearing. The inappropriate thought of those teeth on my body had me clearing my throat and handing over the helmet.
“Here, I kept this on my bike for you.”
Ant took it but got accosted by their roommates for hugs and words of comfort. Really, they were Ant’s friends and their only family. Shepherd had told me to keep them safe with the air of a father. They were part of Shepherd’s flock, I got it.
As they handed their bags to July to hold, Ant put the helmet on and lifted the visor. “Where are we going?”
Chapter twelve
ANT
ACABININTAHOE,I found out later, was where Maxx was taking me. He wouldn’t tell me in front of my roommates so that they wouldn't know to tell anyone else. I knew they would never rat me out, but an overabundance of caution felt reasonable. We had left the city before one in the morning, stopping for gas in Sacramento, which was when Maxx finally told me our destination.
“So why Tahoe?” I rejoined Maxx after a bathroom break in a not so clean restroom with only one flickering light and a whole lot of graffiti. “Have a hankering for the mountain air?”
“Sure, tiger,” Maxx smirked at me, and it was good to see him drop a little of the tenseness in his expression. He’d been typing on his phone when I walked up, but put his phone away. Maxx had a weird look, pinched with something close to guilt, and I had to know.
“Who are you texting at like three am?”