Page 82 of Diamonds in the Mud

“The kid?” she asked solemnly.

I shrugged. “You made the call?”

“Yeah, the manager will check on the room. When he calls it in, our team will go in quietly,” Jasmine answered.

“Rayne?” I asked.

“Not her jurisdiction,” Jasmine said. “We’re two counties away.”

“Right.” I groaned. “Still, I’d like her to be clued in.”

Jasmine nodded. “Have you thought about what you’re going to tell Felix?”

I closed my eyes and laid my head back after finishing changing. “Not yet. I want a shower and sleep first.”

“We could get you the cash,” Jasmine offered.

“Then what happens when word gets out that I was jumped? My bike gone? They’d question where I’d gotten the cash.”

“Right.” Jasmine sighed. “I’ll drop you off just outside of town. You can walk the rest of the way.”

“Thanks.” I closed my eyes until I felt the car stop.

“Your stop.” She turned to look at me. “Here’s a backup phone.” I took it and pocketed it. “If you get spooked, you know where to meet me. Safe house,” she said as I climbed out.

Since the cabin was no longer safe, we’d changed locations. There was a house a few blocks away that she had rented under her alias.

She had presented herself in town as a business investor named Jasmine Rice who was looking to invest in a few properties around town.

After five minutes of walking, a familiar truck pulled up next to me and I groaned as Ben stared back at me.

“What in the hell?” He jumped out of the truck and helped me into the passenger seat. “Don’t tell me Mason did this to you?”

“Mason?” I blinked a few times and shook my head. “The kid?”

Ben’s eyes narrowed. “Yeah, the kid who was supposed to pay you for the drop.”

I shook my head again. “Two big guys, bigger than Felix.” I wiped my lip. “They jumped me before I could blink. Slashed the kid’s throat, stole everything, even my fucking bike.”

“Shit,” Ben said, hitting the steering wheel. “Mason is dead?”

I nodded and rested my head back. Okay, so not Ben and Felix, I thought.

“You okay?” Ben asked as the truck started moving.

“Bruised. Pissed about my bike,” I said. “Pissed they got the jump on me,” I added.

“Did you see their faces?” Ben asked.

I shook my head without opening my eyes.

“Two big guys?” Ben asked again. I nodded again and groaned a little with pain.

Ben was quiet.

“Know ’em?” I asked, cracking my eye open.

“Yeah,” Ben said with a sigh. “I have a clue who.” He glanced at me, his eyes running up and down me. “Killed the kid?” he asked, and I nodded.