Total pages in book: 93
Estimated words: 90685 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 453(@200wpm)___ 363(@250wpm)___ 302(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 90685 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 453(@200wpm)___ 363(@250wpm)___ 302(@300wpm)
Hey, this guy potentially set Dylan up. I’m not going to let him hurt him again.
Dylan leans in close to the dumpster, and with a nod from me, he pushes it out of the way. Hale darts out from behind it and runs. He doesn’t get far when he sees me and my gun.
I back him up against the wall, and he puts his hands over his head. His face is unshaven. He looks maybe late twenties to early thirties, and his icy blue eyes are widened in fear.
“I didn’t know what they were gonna do,” he yells and then turns to Dylan. “You gotta believe me.”
“Then why did you run?” Dylan asks.
“I didn’t know it was you. I thought it was the same people who took Keane out. Look, the day I told you about the deal going down, he came to me. Said he was worried his supplier would be pissed because he didn’t make enough bank this month. He said if anything happened to him, the person who did it is named Jonathan Rowling. I was worried Keane told them I knew about them, so I’ve been hiding out.” Hale’s shaking he’s so scared, so I lower my weapon.
“We already worked that much out,” Dylan says.
I hate the dejected tone in his voice.
“You were right,” he says to me. “This was a dead end.”
“I’m sorry,” Hale says. “For sending you there and for the fallout.”
“At least now we know,” I say, but something tickles at the back of my mind, and I cock my head at Hale. “Actually, how did you know what happened to your friend? Or that Dylan has been affected by it?”
He glances between Dylan and me. “I …”
I go to raise my gun again, when Dylan pulls on my arm and steps in front of me.
“Hale? What aren’t you telling us?”
“I was there too. There’s this spot behind the fence line to the neighboring lot. It’s a tight fit, but I wedged myself in between a storage shed and the fence where there was a hole. I was worried about Keane, but when it all went down, and I realized the second shooter was your boss, I froze in panic. I couldn’t help, and then it dawned on me that if they found out I was there, I was as good as dead.”
Dylan and I glance at each other, and I can tell we’re thinking the same thing.
Hale just became our asset.
He’s Dylan’s ticket out of this mess.
Chapter Fifteen
Dylan
“We can protect you,” Trav says.
“No offense, but they’ll be after you too. I think I’ll have better chances on my own.” Hale tries to move, but I step forward and cut him off.
“You can trust Trav.”
“If it makes you feel any better, I can get one of my guys to guard you, and then you won’t be anywhere near Dylan when they find him. Because I have no doubt that they will. They’ll also find you, Hale.” Trav’s voice is soothing and calm, all signs of his playful side gone. This is serious Trav. It’s unnerving. It’s … kinda irresistible. And that he’s doing it to help me? Yeah, that’s damn attractive too.
Ugh. I shouldn’t have hooked up with him again.
“You’ve been lucky so far,” Trav continues. “But we found you. It’s only a matter of time before they do too. Let me protect you.”
Hale eyes us both warily. “What’s the catch?”
“When the time comes, you testify in a court of law about what you witnessed,” I say. “Put Jonathan Rowling away for life for killing your friend.”
“No fucking way. That really would be signing my own death warrant. I’m sorry, but you guys are on your own.”
“How deep does this go?” I ask.
“Considering the special agent in charge of your unit tried to kill you, I’d say pretty deep,” Trav snarks.
“Do you know anything more?” I ask Hale.
The conflict in his eyes is evident. “I’m sorry, Dylan. I respect you as a person and as a cop who’s on the right side of the law. But I can’t get involved more than I already am. It might not look like I have a lot to live for, but I do.”
This is my life, I want to yell, but what makes my existence more important than Hale’s? Nothing.
“I really am sorry.” Hale tries to step away, but Trav blocks him in.
“You’re not going anywhere,” he growls. “I’m not above throwing you in the trunk of my car to protect you. I did it with him.” He points in my direction.
“Let him go,” I say.
Trav turns to me. “What? He’s the answer we’ve been searching for. He can tell the truth, and then—”
“And he’s a homeless drug addict, which in the eyes of the law makes him an unreliable witness.” I glance at Hale. “Sorry.”
Hale puts up his hands. “Hey, it’s sadly the truth.”