by Jane Jamison
“Go on. What’s the rest of it?”
He slumped in his seat. “I don’t know what happened. One day I was rolling in cash and then the next day, I wasn’t.”
“Oh sure. You have no idea where the money went. Did you bet on a game? Or shoot it up your nose? Or did you shove it down the front of a stripper’s crotch? Damn, I hate it when shit happens.”
He slumped a little lower. “Okay, okay. So I fucked up. I lost a ton of money on a horse race. So I figured, hey, I’ll bet on a sure thing the next day and win the money back. No problem. But I needed a stake first.”
“What does that mean?” And yet, she had a horrible sinking feeling she knew. “Jesse, did you steal from them? How much did you take?”
“I didn’t take any of his money.” He turned away from her.
Shit, shit, shit.
“You stole drugs, didn’t you? Please tell me you didn’t steal from a drug dealer?”
His silence was his answer.
“What were you thinking, Jesse? A drug dealer? Why not steal money from Fort Knox? At least all they’d do is lock you up.”
“Yo, I’m not stupid enough to rob a fort.”
She should’ve spent more time with him, forcing him to do his homework, making him stay in school. But she’d allowed him to drop out. At the time, she’d been overwhelmed and had taken him up on his offer to get a job. His so-called job search had lasted one week.
“So you took the drugs and sold them, then bet the money on another horse and lost again? Damn it, Jesse. Don’t you have any brains in that thick head of yours? You had to know how stupid that was.”
“I know I fucked up.” He faced her again, his eyes sparking with anger. “It’s that damn Gecko’s fault. He’s the one who gave me the bad scoop on the horse. If he’d given me the right dope, I would’ve made my money back and then some. I would’ve given Ruben Bandura more money than he would’ve gotten for the drugs. None of this would be happening if it weren’t for that fucking Gecko.”
Had he always been so messed up in the head? Or was it a result of the drugs frying his brain? Why couldn’t he see it was his responsibility?
“I don’t know what we can do.” She was heartbroken. The last thing she wanted to do was to turn her brother in. But she couldn’t let Bandura have him.
“I’ll pay them back.”
“How? When?” Would paying them back be enough? Or would Bandura still want revenge?
“I don’t know, but I’ll figure it out.”
Anger flashed raw and hot, burning a ring of fire in her stomach. “No you won’t. You never do. I’m the one who gets you out of your messes. I’m the one who gives you money for your rent and to get your car out of hock. I’m the one who will have to figure it out again.”
She wiped away a tear, refusing to cry. “Damn it, Jesse. I’m the one who always ends up paying for your mistakes.”
“Naw, sis. It won’t be that way this time. I swear it.”
He meant what he said. Perhaps even believed it. But he never came through.
“We have to go to the police.”
He sat up, gaping at her. “Are you fucking kidding me? I’m no snitch. Hell, do you want to get me killed?”
The stupidity of what he’d said swept over her. She laughed, the tears falling at last. “Get you killed by going to the police? Jesse, Bandura and his gang are already trying to kill you. And me, too, now that I’m with you.”
Her tears and laughter both dried up. “Going to the police is the only way to save your ass and mine.” They had to get off the highway. It was the fastest way out of the city, but the most obvious, too. Bandura probably had more gang members out cruising the highway. She took the next exit.
“No way, sis.”
Nonetheless, she headed toward the closest police station. Who would’ve known that, when she’d bailed him out of the drunk tank a month earlier, they’d be back in the area. Instead of getting him out of jail, she’d be putting him inside it.
“No, Amy, don’t. Come on, sis. Give me time to make this right.”
“How, Jesse? How can you possibly make this right? Do you still have his drugs? Or any of the money?”
“I told you I don’t.”
“Then it’s settled. You turn yourself in and tell them what you know. Maybe, just maybe, they’ll go easy on you.”
“Fuck, sis. Give me a chance. If you haul me in, Bandura will get me. He’s got people on the inside.”
She hated treating him so coldly, but she’d had it. Helping him out of jams was one thing, but risking her life? She couldn’t let him drag her down with him.
“I’ve given you all the chances I’m going to give. It’s time you realize your screw-ups have consequences. I’m not bailing you out any longer and I’m sure as hell not going to get killed because you can’t keep your head on straight.” And yet, there she was, doing that very thing.
She took another right, turning onto the street leading to the police station. It wouldn’t be much longer.
“Shit. It’s them.” Jesse slid lower in his seat and pulled his hoodie over his head. He pointed toward a black car parked on a side street.
“Are you sure? But how? There’s no way they could’ve known where we going.” She stared at the young men in the car. All their attention was trained on her. One of them put a phone to his ear and nodded their way.
Oh, hell.
“Yeah, I’m sure. That’s the gang that runs this territory. Sometimes they do Bandura a solid. He must’ve called in favors and put everyone on the lookout for me. Shit, I am so fucked.”
“I am so fucked.” Not we. Just him. Yeah, right.
“Just hang on. We’ll be at the station in a few minutes.”
As soon as she’d said the words, another black car pulled out in front of them. Guns were pointed their way. She let out a curse then yanked on the steering wheel, taking her car into a spin. Her heart leapt into her throat and she slammed on the brakes, bringing the car to a shuddering stop in the middle of the road. The first black car had moved onto the street, blocking their way. They were trapped.
“We’ll never make it to the police station.” Jesse looked pale, like he was going to hurl.
He was right. She did the only thing she could think to do. Putting it in reverse, she sent the car flying backward, then braked and spun it around to face the houses lining the street.
Taking a deep breath, she hit the gas and sent the car flying over the curb and into a yard. Ready for the hard bounce, she gripped the wheel hard and hung on, barely maintaining control of the car. Dirt kicked up behind her as the wheels dug a deep rut into the grass and kept going.
Luckily, no one was outside to enjoy the sunny late summer day. The car plowed through the yard and onto the service road running the length of the houses. Taking the first turn, she skidded the car around the curb, then slammed her foot on the accelerator.
“Where are we going?”
“Back on the highway. Just keep watch. Let me know if you see them behind us.” Recklessly merging with ongoing traffic, she accelerated, matching the speed of the other cars.
“I don’t see anyone.”
“Good.”
“What’s the plan, sis? Where are we going?”
“I haven’t got a clue.” Instead, she kept driving, heading farther out of town.
Chapter Two
An hour later, with her gas gauge pushing into the red empty zone, Amy was at her wit’s end. She’d tried doubling back toward the police station, but every time they pulled off the highway, they ran into another black car. She’d gotten to the point of thinking that some of the black cars where just that. Black cars. Cars not filled with drug-dealing gang members. Maybe she was freaking out and imagining them, but she couldn’t be sure.
Then at the next exit, Jesse would see another black car and, sure enough, there were the guys with the menacing faces pointing guns at them. Whether it was by divine intervention or just dumb luck, someho
w she managed to get away by driving like a maniac. But their luck was bound to run out soon.
“Jesse, we have to go someplace where they’d never think to go.”
“Like where?”
Jesse had given up. He had his hoodie up and his head down, only looking up whenever she tried yet another attempt to get off the highway and hide in a neighborhood. Forget making it to the police station. All she wanted was a quiet block where she could park, catch her breath, and call 9-1-1.
Each time she’d tried, Jesse had kept her from calling for help, begging her to give him another chance. She hadn’t been able to look at his distraught face and make the call. Especially when he told her how the gang listened in on the police department’s dispatch calls and might find them before the cops did.
Was it true? If he was right, she’d bring the gang straight to them.
He repeated his question. “Where are we going?”
“I don’t know.” She searched the areas to the sides of the freeway, hoping an idea would come to her. “Maybe we could get to another police station or a highway patrol station on the outskirts of town.”
“Please, sis, I can’t turn myself in. I’d be dead by morning. You won’t be visiting me in the morning. You’ll be setting up my funeral.”
She nibbled at her bottom lip, a habit she’d tried to break and had succeeded except when she was really worried. Jesse could be lying, but what if what he said was true? If she forced him to turn himself into the cops, would she regret it?
She couldn’t risk his life. No matter what he’d done.
“Damn it. If we don’t go to the cops, then what do we do?”
“I don’t know. You’re the brains of this outfit.”
She didn’t argue on that score. “Think. We can’t go home and we can’t go to the police. That doesn’t leave many options. In fact, I can think of only one.”
“Yeah?”
“Like you said before. We need to leave town.” But with very little money in the bank and even less in her wallet, they wouldn’t get far. Still, she’d just have to wing it until she could figure things out.
“Like in forever? I meant until things calmed down.”
“When will that be, Jesse?” She shook her head. “Let’s think about it another time. Right now we need to figure out where we can go and be safe. Where can we—”
She stared at the billboard. On any other day, she might not have given it a second look. But maybe it was the answer to their problem. At least, their immediate problem.
The billboard was huge and sported the photo of a cowboy on top of a horse, rope flying in the air above him, as he chased after a calf. Above the photo, the billboard shouted at the world to come and Experience the Old West. Family fun at its best!
Below the photo was the information she needed. “There. That’s where we can go. At least for the time being.”
“Where?” Jesse perked up.
“To the Selena Annual Rodeo. It’s the last day.”
“A rodeo? I don’t get it.”
“Think, bro. Where’s the last place you’d want to hang out?”
“My funeral.” He quickly saw his mistake. “Your funeral?”
She shot him a rueful grin. “Okay. Where’s another place you’d never want to hang out? And the last place they’d ever think of looking for you?”
He grinned back. “A rodeo. With cowboys and all that horse shit.”
“Exactly.”
She pointed the car down the ramp and came to a stoplight. A line of cars trailed from the light to the entrance of the fairgrounds.
“A rodeo. No one’s ever going to believe this.”
“No, they won’t. Because you’re not going to tell them.” She slapped the phone out of his hand. “Are you serious? You can’t tell anyone where you are. Not even Ally.”
“Ally and I broke up. I’m with Cindy now.”
Jesse was a good-looking guy and didn’t have any problems finding a girl. Most of the time, he got bored with them and broke up. Apparently, Ally was the latest victim. “No telling Cindy, either. Besides, you could be putting her in danger if they find out you’ve been texting her.”
“Shit. I hadn’t thought of that.”
Before he could shove the phone into his pocket, she hit the window button, then grabbed his phone and tossed it out.
“What the fuck are you doing?”
“I’m saving our butts. If we’re not going to turn you in to the authorities, then we don’t need phones. They could track us.” Hadn’t she seen a cop show where the crooks had tracked down their former partner by using the GPS on his phone? She pulled her phone out and, with a rush of sadness, she tossed it out the window and into a gully overrun with bushes and weeds.
“You are out of your fucking mind. That stuff’s only on T.V. And besides, even if it is possible, they don’t know how to do it. Damn, sis. You just messed up my phone.”
“You’re lucky your phone’s the only thing getting messed up.”
Jesse shut up and sulked, acting as though he was thirteen instead of eighteen. But she was used to his immature attitude.
The closer they came to the fairgrounds, the more excited she got. A rodeo would be a great place to hide out until she could figure out what else to do. Plus, she’d always had a thing for cowboys.
Cowboys were hard-muscled hunks who could handle themselves and, judging by what she’d heard around town, their women, too. So far, she’d never dated a real cowboy. One of her dates had tried to dress like he knew his way around a horse, even wearing a huge silver belt buckle, but she’d realized early on that he was anything but the real deal. He’d heard from a friend that she liked cowboys and had thought wearing faded jeans, a cowboy hat, and boots would get her in his bed.
She pulled into the gravel parking lot and, instead of going right as the parking lot attendant told her to do, she made a left turn. The turn took her past red barrier tape set up to separate one parking lot from another.
With the attendant running after her, calling for her to turn around, she pulled her car into an empty space between two huge pickups with horse trailers hitched behind them. The pickups and trailers hid her car.
“Hey, lady, you can’t park in this lot.”
She glanced into her rearview mirror and checked her makeup before shifting to face the young man. “I’m sorry. What did you say?”
The man turned out to be a pimply faced kid wearing a yellow vest and a name tag. “I said, you can’t park in here.”
“But I’m already parked.” She batted her eyelashes. Flirting didn’t come easily to her. Most guys found her ample curves and soft tummy a turnoff. But she had to give it a try. Her focus drifted to the name tag before fluttering her eyelashes again and bringing her gaze to his. “Hi, Donny. I’m Amy. You must be the man in charge.”
Jesse snorted. Keeping her hand low and out of Donny’s sight, she pointed her index finger at Jesse, warning him to be quiet.
“Yeah, I am.”
She pushed open her door, making Donny back up, then slid out of the car. “I’ve always liked that name.” Although she knew Donny had to be at least twenty-one to work at the fairgrounds, he looked like he hadn’t sipped his first alcoholic drink. At least not legally.
“This lot’s for the contestants and the vendors. Not for the general public. You’ll have to get back in your car and move it.”
“Oh.” She pretended surprise and innocence, one of her better looks. Playing like she thought she was pretty was difficult for her to pull off. Playing dumb wasn’t. “I’m so sorry. I didn’t know.”
She reached out and brushed her palm along his arm. He looked down, then back up, his eyes widening with definitely hormone-induced interest. She relaxed a little. Donny probably didn’t have much experience with women, giving her the edge she needed.
“It was an empty spot. Besides, I’ve already gotten out.” She used the eyelashes again and threw back her shoulders, pushing out her breasts.
Sure enough, Donny paid attention. “Couldn’t you make an exception this time? For me?”
She felt stupid. Ridiculous.
“Uh, I don’t think so. I’ll get fired.”
“No you won’t. I promise you won’t, Donny. Who’s going to tell? Not me.” She tossed her hair back then pouted out her lips. As she’d hoped it would, his gaze slid to her mouth.
“Look, I’d like to let you stay, but it’s against the rules.”
“Please, Donny, please?” Saying a guy’s name was supposed to help sway him. At least, that was what she’d read in a fashion and gossip magazine.
“Gee. I don’t know. I mean—”
“Listen, asshole, we’re already parked and we’re not moving. Got it?”
Damn it.
Jesse got out of the car and was around it before she could think to stop him. He clutched Donny by the shirt and put his face an inch from his. His face scrunched up into an angry snarl.
Donny sputtered and jerked away. “Don’t touch me, man. I’m an official employee of the fairgrounds.” He backed up, hands up, ready to block Jesse’s blows. “You’d better watch out or I’ll report you to security.”
“Try it, asshole, and you’ll be eating your meals through a straw.” Jesse advanced on the boy, ready to make good on his threat.
“Damn it, Jesse, knock it off.” Grabbing hold of Jesse’s hoodie wasn’t the brightest move. She’d done it one other time and he’d instinctively whirled around and pushed her down. But what else could she do?
He scowled, shooting her an awful look, but kept hold of Donny. “Let me handle this, sis.”
“What’s going on here?”
The voice alone would’ve had her turning around. The deep, rich sound was filled with testosterone and the commanding tone wouldn’t have allowed anyone to ignore him.
Now there’s a real cowboy.
He was gorgeous. A hunk. A hottie. A Man with a capital M. And he was bearing down on them like a Sherman tank ready to squash the enemy. Right behind him was another man, almost a carbon copy, striding toward them with no doubt of his intention.
