Page 86 of Tide and Seek

Sighing, Stiles murmured, “Well, Royce, we have a problem.Unfortunately, you’re in the wrong place at the wrong time.If you weren’t a cop, maybe I could have bullshitted my way out of this awkward situation, but we both know that isn’t going to work on you.”

“No.Probably not.”

“That leaves me only one option.Not a pleasant one for you.”He shrugged.“It’s nothing personal.You seem like a nice guy.But I have very dangerous business associates breathing down my neck because that moron over there bungled things so badly, he didn’t get his shipment on time.”

Ethan scowled.“How was I supposed to know Margie changed the damn passcode?”

“You were her pal,” Stiles snapped.“I told you to watch her.I told you we couldn’t trust her.”

“Hey, it was fucking Luke who pointed the cops in her direction as his supplier, not me.It’s not my fault she turned on us.”

Stiles met my gaze.“See what I mean?It’s impossible to get good help.They’re all either druggies or idiots.”

“You shouldn’t talk to me that disrespectfully,” rumbled Ethan.

Stiles laughed.“Yeah?What are you going to do about it?You work for me, remember, not the other way around.”

“So, this whole thing has been about drugs?”I said, frowning.

“Pretty much.”Stiles sighed.

“Why break into Max’s house?”

Stiles rolled his eyes.“Take a guess.”

“The drugs are here?”My voice rose.“Where?”

Stiles narrowed his eyes.“You’re too nosy.Why should I tell you anything else?”

“What does it hurt?”I held his surly gaze.“You’re apparently going to kill me.What do you care if I get some answers first?”

He seemed to consider that.“Nah, I think you’re just stalling.This isn’t Murder, She Wrote, with the final confessional scene.We need to get a move on.Your boyfriend will be back soon.Or were you hoping he’d rescue you?”

That comment put the fear of God into me.The longer we stood here talking, the more likely it was Max might get caught up in this nightmare.“You make a good point.I’ve heard enough.Get on with whatever it is you’re here to do.”

Stiles grunted.“You’re a real tough guy, huh?”He moved closer, raising the gun.“How come you don’t seem scared?Aren’t you afraid of dying?”

I stared into the dark circle of the Glock’s barrel as a chill spread through me.“I don’t want to die, but I ain’t afraid of it neither.”

Stiles’s expression was spiteful as he aimed at my chest.“I’d be willing to bet blood gushing out of a hole in your chest would scare you plenty.”

My mouth went dry as I held his spiteful gaze.

“Boss, you can’t shoot him,” Ethan said in a panicked voice.“We need to get in and out.You can’t leave a dead body behind.Remember, you wanted it to look like nothing bad happened here?You shoot him and there will be blood.We don’t have time to clean that up.”

Stiles’s mouth thinned and I could see the recklessness in his eyes.I really thought he was going to pull the trigger just to show me he was boss.But then he lowered it and gave a cold smile.“Good thinking, Ethan.I guess even a broken clock is right twice a day.”

Ethan slumped and I let out a breath I hadn’t even realized I was holding.

“Tie him up,” Stiles barked.“We need to get the drugs in your van and then we’ll deal with him.”

“What are we doing with him?”Ethan asked apprehensively.

“He’s going to have an unfortunate accident.”

Ethan blanched.“What do you mean?”

“What do you think I mean?”Stiles sneered.