Page 49 of Her Crew

Tye’s eyes narrow. “You didn’t, did you?”

I get the urge to throat punch him for the first time in our friendship. “You really want to lose your balls for asking that?”

He shrugs. “I’m just saying . . . old Ace wasn’t the man in front of me today.”

He’s not wrong. But I became a different person the moment I met Tegan. I think Tye did too.

“I’ll figure it out,” I tell him. “I promise.”

And somehow, I have to make good on that promise.

Chapter 27

Tegan

There’s a knock on the door. I slink past the closed curtains and stand on tiptoes to look through the peephole. Stacks’ greasy head peeks back at me. Alec told me I shouldn’t open the door for anyone, but it’s our boss, and I don’t want either of us to get in trouble. With a sweat-soaked hand, I twist the grimy metal doorknob and open the door.

“Hey,” he says as he pushes inside. “Where’s Alec?”

“He had something to do. He’ll be right back.”

Stacks smirks. “Good, cause I have business to take care of with you.”

The shift in the air is noticeable, especially to someone like me. The moment the nice guy turns into the bad guy is not a softly blended moment. It’s a stark switch, as quick as a light turning on or off.

“We’re going for a ride. Grab your things.”

I take a step back. “I’ll wait for Alec, if that’s okay.”

Stacks lifts the hem of his shirt and pulls a gun from his waistband. “It’s not really a suggestion, kid.” He gestures toward a pen and paper sitting on the rickety table by the door. “Grab that pen and write a note.”

My legs refuse to work, and my lungs struggle to wrangle any oxygen. I take a sharp breath as he aims the barrel of the gun toward me.

“Now!”

His booming voice is enough to unfreeze my legs, and I rush for the paper. I lean over the desk and grip the pen with shaking fingers. “What am I supposed to write?”

“Alec, I went to visit Tye. I’ll be back soon,” he says, and the lump in my throat grows larger.

He’s going to kill me. This note will make Alec think I’ve gone somewhere innocuous. He won’t know to look for me until I’m in several fucking bags in a dumpster. Regardless, I send the ink onto the page as the prospect of a bullet to the head looms behind me.

Stacks rips open the door and looks around before grabbing my arm and dragging me through the parking lot. “If you make a sound, I’ll shoot you right here.”

“Alec will find me,” I say.

“Sure he will.” He shoves me into the back of the van and slams the door.

As soon as he releases the handle, I go for it, but it’s useless. He used the fucking child locks on me. I try to clamber over the seat to get to the front door, but he whips it open and puts the barrel against my forehead. I sit back and melt into the seat.

I can do nothing but sit and accept my fate as he shuts the door and rams the key into the ignition. With a silent plea, I turn and watch the motel fade into the distance as we drive away.

The road noise sounds like a tornado beneath us as we bump along in silence. Not even the radio plays. Seconds stretch into minutes, and the miles grow longer.

“Why?” I finally muster the courage to ask.

Stacks tightens his grip on the wheel. “Alec was my best crew member, but then you showed up. Now he gets half the sales. This is why I don’t allow you guys to fraternize. It fucks with my bottom line.”

“Me and Alec don’t⁠—”