by Mary Abshire
Emily shut the curtain. “I’ll eat anything.” She looked at Andrew. “What about you?”
“I’m not picky,” Andrew said.
“I guess that settles it.” Troy passed Andrew and snatched his keys from the dresser. “Don’t go anywhere.”
Andrew quietly chuckled. No car. No money. They couldn’t get far if they tried.
The door snapped after it shut behind Troy.
Emily returned to the bed across from Andrew. “He’s a good guy. I’m sure he comes off as a bit rough and deadly—”
“Slightly.” Andrew scoffed.
“His intentions are good. And like anyone else, he’s trying to find his spot in this fucked up world.”
Andrew wondered if that was her explanation or his.
“He’s loyal to you. I see that.”
“Yeah, well, we did grow up together,” she said.
“He’s very forward, but I like that about him.”
“It’s one of his best qualities,” she said with a smile.
“He is different, but in a good way. I respect a man with strong convictions.”
Her eyes widened. “Oh, he has plenty of those.”
“You’re lucky to have him as a friend, Em,” he said before he stood. “Not many people have someone they grew up with and can rely on through the best and worst times of life. I never had anyone like that. Consider yourself fortunate.”
“And my fortune is yours?” she asked with a twisted grin.
“Nah, I wouldn’t say that, but I’m damn grateful for any help and training.” He gathered his shaving supplies.
“I’m glad you two get along. I wasn’t sure what Troy would think. Even though I’ve known him twenty years, I still have trouble figuring him out sometimes.”
Andrew was grateful too that he and Troy didn’t have any issues with each other. Emily meant a lot to Andrew. He wanted to stay with her a while longer, not because she was helping him, but so he could get to know her better and find a way to help her. If he and Troy hadn’t been able to tolerate each other, Andrew would’ve had to walk away from her. Fortunately, he didn’t have to.
He’d meant what he’d said to Emily about being lucky to have such a devoted friend. She truly seemed like a good person. Not only was she smart, she was sexy, daring, and full of surprises. She was so much more too. If it were possible, he wanted to stay with her for as long as he walked on Earth.
He looked around the room for the clothes Emily had purchased for him.
“I put your clothes in one of my bags. They’re in the first one by the door,” she said, pointing.
He unzipped the bag and removed a few items for him to change into. After Andrew cleaned up, shaved, and ate, he would be ready for any challenges his new life would throw at him. Considering they had to stalk drug addicts and reclaim Emily’s belongings, Andrew was certain there would be plenty struggles to face.
Chapter Fourteen
Emily gazed out the window while the breeze sent strands of her hair flying. Troy sat quietly, focused on driving through the neighborhood. Andrew hadn’t said a word from the backseat after they’d left the hotel. He’d showered and changed into fresh jeans and a black t-shirt. The name and address on his arm was quite visible. Upon Troy’s return at the hotel, they’d eaten Subway sandwiches and chips before leaving. Andrew had scarfed his food down. The man had a ferocious appetite. Emily wondered if he was still hungry.
“7220 should be coming up on the left,” Troy said. “Brick house with green shutters.”
Emily shifted her attention to the homes on Troy’s side of the road. The neighborhood sat in an area not too far from the central part of the town. Ranch and multi-level homes were crammed next to each other. All appeared old and most needed repairs. Troy slowed as he came upon the ranch belonging to Carl and Nancy.
The red van and a white car with a busted taillight were parked on the gravel lot next to the house. A small staircase led up to a wooden front porch. The faded green paint was chipping. Plastic summer chairs sat near the front door. The curtains blocked any view inside. Weeds prevailed over grass in the small front lawn.
“The van is there, so they might be home,” Emily said as Troy passed the house.
Andrew appeared in the gap between the seats. “Didn’t she say she worked at a diner in town?”
The leather cracked as Emily twisted in her seat. “Yeah, she did.”
Troy stopped at the end of the street. Leaning close to the steering wheel, he scanned the area. “There should be an alley behind the houses.”
He turned and it didn’t take long to see the small gravel road separating the rows of homes. Troy steered onto the path. The car shook from the uneven road. Most of the back yards had privacy fences, but a few had the chain metal kind. Naturally, the drug dealers had a tall wood one.
“Fuck,” Troy said softly.
They passed by the lane where the van and white car were parked. The fence ran the full length of the yard and met with the house. The only way in would be through the front door.
Troy stopped at the end of the alley. A vehicle pulled away from a spot across the street. After the last car passed, Troy steered toward the vacated space. Fortunately, the traffic was light so he managed to parallel park without getting honked at or bumping any other vehicles. Small-town Ohio wasn’t anything like downtown Chicago. He cut the engine and then twisted to face her.
“There’s only one entrance,” Emily said, and Andrew reemerged between the front seats.
Troy lifted his shades above his head. “Did you see the window to the basement?”
“No, I didn’t,” Emily said.
“It was near the white car,” Troy said.
“It could be a way in, but one of us would have to check it out first,” she said.
“Getting that close will raise suspicions if anyone is looking,” Troy said.
“What if we came back when it’s dark?” Andrew asked.
“They could keep lights on outside. The neighbors could too, but if we come early in the morning, most people will be asleep,” Troy said.
“I don’t think it matters if it’s day or night. If someone is looking, we’ll be seen,” Emily said. “I didn’t see many cars when we passed through, which makes me think most people are at work. So I would prefer going in during daylight hours.”
Troy looked away and shook his head. “I don’t like this. The houses are close together.”
“Maybe we should first check to see who is home,” Emily suggested.
“Obviously, I’m the only one who can do that since you and angel are supposed to be tied up,” Troy said.
“So walk up to the door and try to sell chocolate to them,” she said.
His thin brows rose. “Chocolate?”
“Everybody loves chocolate,” Andrew said.
Troy glared at him. “You are not helping.”
“Sell it as the best chocolate ever. It will make sex ten times better.” Emily grinned.
“I am not selling sex chocolate,” Troy said.
“Fine, but you better think of something that will get your thin ass into the house,” she said.
“Okay, then what?” Troy asked.
“We determine what kind of manpower to take with us,” she said.
“You really want to do this today?” Troy asked.
“Yes, I do,” she said. “The more time they have my money, the more opportunities they have to spend it.”
He pressed his lips together as he turned to the front window. She could tell from his flat expression he didn’t like her plan, but they didn’t have a lot of options.
“They won’t call the police,” she added in support of her case.
“How can you be sure?” Andrew asked.
“If the police show up, they’ll be busted for drugs,” she said. “I guarantee you there are drugs in that house.”
“If I can get inside, I’ll be able to tell,” Troy said. “If we’re trying to keep the p
olice out of this, then we can’t fire any guns.”
“I wasn’t planning on it, but we need to show them we mean business,” she said.
“So I come back to get you. Then what?” Troy asked.
“You get your laptop case and pretend it has the chocolate in it,” she said. “I will stay behind you and we’ll go in together. Andrew can wait here. If we’re not back by a certain time…”
“First off, I’m not bringing my fucking laptop,” Troy said in a higher pitch than normal.
“Well my bags are too heavy and they look like clothing bags, not something you’re trying to sell,” she contended.
She loved how Troy was OCD about plans because every detail mattered, but he was getting on her nerves arguing with her. Chocolate was a good way into a home and his bag looked like a perfect storage case for candy.
“Fine, but if it gets damaged—”
“Leave the laptop here if you’re so worried,” she said, annoyed by his threatening tone. Fighting over a bag was plain silly.
“What if they see you and we can’t get inside?” Troy asked.
“Then we go in through the basement,” she said.
“And if the window is locked?” Troy asked.
“We break it,” she said.
“That screams burglary,” Troy said.
“They won’t call the cops,” she repeated.
“A neighbor might,” Troy said.
“Then we hurry the hell up, get my stuff, and get out of there,” she said.
Troy pointed his thumb at Andrew. “He needs to be our spotter. And if we are inside more than ten minutes, then there’s a problem.”
She nodded. Finally, they agreed on something. While Andrew was a big, muscular man who could possibly appear intimidating, he was fresh meat. He’d probably never broken into a home before or stolen anything if Emily guessed right. Newbies were slow since they didn’t know what to do. They needed to be molded and today was not the time to start. Since Emily had Troy to help her, Andrew would be better suited as a spotter. He could stay inside of the car or near the house and watch for police or curious neighbors.
“Tell me what you want me to do and I’ll do it,” Andrew said.
“You’ll need to scan the area. Look at the houses and movement on the streets. If there’s a nosy neighbor watching, you’ll need to send us a message. If cops are coming up the street, walk away and call us. You’re our lookout man and your job is to spot trouble.”
Troy tugged his phone from his leather jacket. “What’s his number?”
Emily dug inside her purse, sitting on the floor near her feet. “He can use mine for now. I haven’t taken the other phone out of the packaging yet and it’s in one of the bags in your trunk.”
Troy tapped his screen as he worked to change his ring tones. To be able to distinguish the difference between call and a text message, he typically chose a loud rock tune for former and an orchestral type of sound for messages. She assumed he was making similar selections.
Emily handed her phone to Andrew. “Troy’s number is in there. Tap the screen and go to contacts. The phone icon is for calling and the cloud-shaped one is for messaging.”
“Got it,” he said as he took the cell from her.
Troy set his phone in the slot under the radio. He removed his shades and set them on the dashboard. “We’ll have to leave from here immediately after we get your stuff.”
“Everything is already in the trunk. We can go once I get my money back,” she said.
Troy faced Andrew. “Dig in my bag and pull out my gray jacket for me.”
Andrew didn’t hesitate. He slid back and started rummaging through the clothes in Troy’s bag. Troy slid his leather jacket off his shoulders.
“If I go in wearing this, they’ll never want to buy any magazines from me.” Troy handed his jacket to her.
“Magazines?” she asked. “Really? Who buys magazines? I guarantee you it won’t be those drug-heads.”
Andrew handed a gray jacket to Troy. It had a hood and a brand name across the front, separated by the zipper. Troy grabbed the keys from the ignition, pushed open his door, and then got out of the car.
“Are you going now?” she asked as he slipped on the lightweight jacket.
“You want this done today or not?” Troy asked as he tugged the zipper half way up. He held out his hand. “Phone.”
Emily handed his cell to him.
“Be ready,” he said.
“Sell chocolate,” she said before he shut the door.
She watched him jog across the street. Andrew stared out the side window too.
“Is his laptop back there?” she asked.
Andrew lowered his gaze. “It’s here.” He lifted it and handed it to her.
“Thanks.”
“I don’t know why he’s so dead-set against chocolate,” she said as she opened his bag.
“Maybe he had to sell too much candy when he was growing up.”
Emily laughed as she withdrew the laptop. “That’s funny because he’d always bitch when we had to sell candy for school. He’d hide his form or throw it away.”
She carefully held Troy’s MacBook between the seats. “Will you set this on the back seat? Don’t put it on the floor. He’ll throw a hissy fit if he sees it there.”
Andrew scooted the clothing bag toward the door before he laid the laptop flat on the seat. While he did that, she removed the small gun from the front pouch of the bag.
“Here,” she said, handing him the weapon. “Hold onto it in case you need it.” She set the computer case on the floor near her purse.
He placed the gun on the seat beside him.
“Are you nervous at all about this?” she asked even though he appeared to be calm.
“No. You two are doing most of the work. I’m just watching your backs, more or less.”
“That’s a good way to put it,” she said with a single nod. “How’s your eye?”
“I can see fine, but I’m still sore. I put some ice on it last night before I went to bed.”
“I thought I heard some banging, but I was so out of it.”
“That was me. I was crushing the ice.”
She turned her gaze back to the window. Andrew followed her lead. A few cars passed by, but none had turned down the road Carl and Nancy lived on.
“Once you two get inside, how do you plan to get your belongings back?” Andrew asked as he scanned the area.
“If I have to beat the shit out of them, I will. I’m not a killer, but I know how to fight.”
“Is this your first time doing something like this?”
She took a deep breath while she considered if she should share more about herself, especially things that portrayed her negatively. She’d helped Troy on several jobs before, but he’d mapped out every detail so there was very low risk of getting caught or hurt. He wouldn’t rob hard-working taxpayers, but the ones that continuously cheated the system for drugs or greed were fair game and less likely to go to the authorities. He drew the line when involved anyone related to a mafia because they involved too much drama.
“The way you spoke earlier about a spotter and how you talked through planning this…” Andrew said, snapping her out of her thoughts. “I tend to think this type of activity isn’t new to you.”
“I’ve helped Troy on occasions.” She left it at that.
“I see,” he said before he returned his attention out the window.
The phone rang and Emily jumped. Andrew held the cell up. “It’s Troy,” he said.
She grabbed the phone from his hand and hit the talk icon. “Well?”
“They want to see the chocolate bars,” Troy said.
She laughed quietly in her head. “Great. I have it ready.”
“Meet me at the corner. I’m on my way,” he said before the call ended.
She handed the cell back to Andrew. “We’re meeting him at the corner, so get ready.”
Computer bag in hand, she pushed
the door open. After she stepped out of the car, she scooted the seat forward so Andrew could get out. Troy had insisted she sit in the front, even though Andrew should’ve since he was taller. Once she retrieved her belongings, she’d worm her way into the back so Andrew could have more room to stretch. The poor man struggled to climb out of the back seat. Holding a gun in one hand and her phone in the other didn’t help him get out any faster either. He tucked the weapon in his pocket once he was able to stand.
“Let’s cross,” she said after she shut the door.
Bag in hand and angel at her side, she strode across the street. Troy appeared from around the corner. He stopped and waited for them to catch up.
“If we are gone more than ten minutes, you need to find a way in the house. Troy said there was a basement window. Try to get in through there. Break the window if you have to.”
“Got it,” he said.
“Call if you see any cops—”
“And send a message if someone is looking or acting suspicious,” Andrew said. “I got it.”
“Are you sure you know how to work the phone?”
“I just tap it.”
“Or move your finger across the screen. It’s sensitive to touch.”
They stopped in front of Troy.
“Meander around this area,” he said to Andrew as he took the case from her hand. “If someone asks what you’re doing, say you’re waiting for a friend to pick you up. Make up shit, but believable shit. Keep it simple.”
“Right,” Andrew said.
Troy met her gaze. “Keep a distance behind me. I’ll signal for you if and when it’s clear.”
She gave him a single nod.
“Let’s do this,” Troy said.
Chapter Fifteen
Andrew relaxed as he stood on the corner. He’d snuck around places before, hiding with a woman from a boss, a coworker, family, or ordinary people passing by. The excitement gave him a small rush, but he had zero fear of getting caught. He knew how to be alert and watch for prying eyes. He had this job in the bag, no question about it.
He watched Emily following Troy at a distance. While he believed she was a good person, he was still learning a lot about her. Until recently, he hadn’t considered she’d been involved in criminal activity. Her participation might not have been much, but the fact she had partaken in such actions would’ve probably set her on a path away from heaven. Add the recent events of dumping her friend’s dead body in a ditch, and it was no wonder her aura was a pinkish shade. But he wouldn’t give up on her. Emily’s heart and soul seemed to be in the right place. There had to be a way he could alter her course so she wouldn’t end up in purgatory or worse, hell.
