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I knew what that sound had been, but as I jerked forward, a hand covered my mouth. An arm wrapped around me, picked me up, and eased us back to the side of the house, away from Estrada’s man in the backyard.
I started kicking, making no sound, until a voice spoke in my ear. “Stop.”
Raize.
He moved us around the house, keeping as close to the fence as possible. Once we were on the sidewalk, he put me back on my feet.
I shoved away from him, whirling around.
His hand went back on my mouth, and he pressed me to the fence, moving me onto grass. “Stop.” Still quiet, but firm.
I stopped, but I could feel my heart breaking.
More innocents, like my sister.
I hated this world. I hated this life.
He pressed in closer, his chest against mine, and dropped his mouth to my ear. “They were already inside. The kid wasn’t here.”
I stiffened.
He lifted his head, finding my eyes in the dark. “The mom was gone, too. I don’t know what they shot, but no one was inside. I searched the place and got out just as they came in.”
“There are no cops in the marked car.”
Raize cursed, but shook his head. “They might be on Estrada’s payroll.”
“Who’d they shoot in there?”
“I don’t—”
There was a sudden rustling sound and footsteps.
“Hurry!” came on a hushed whisper.
“Can’t believe they kept a fucking snake in there. Insane. That thing was two seconds from grabbing you.”
My chest spasmed. They’d killed a snake. I didn’t know how to feel about that.
“Shut up. You gotta get out of here. We’re going to roll up as if we’re just discovering the house. You got three minutes.”
“What about their dog?”
“Who cares about the dog?”
I grabbed for Raize, my hand curling around his sweatshirt.
He pressed against me, his head down, his mouth skimming my arm as he watched for them.
He moved us farther back, into the shadows.
The men rushed past us, not looking around.
“What about the dog?” I asked Raize when they’d gone.
He looked at me. “Are you kidding?”
I shook my head.
“He bit you.”
“What about the dog?”
“That thing should be in an impound.”
I pressed against his chest.
He sighed. “I drugged the dog.”
Relief hit me hard. My vision blurred, and I rested my head back against the fence.
“I want the dog.”
He stared at me.
Estrada’s men were gone, but we could hear them at the car. We had minutes before this place would be flooded with blue and red.
I glared at Raize. “I want him.”
He bit out a curse, and his teeth nipped my earlobe. “Fucking fine. Go to the truck. I’ll grab the dog. Jesus.”
We wasted no time after that. I went left for the truck. He went right, going back for the dog. I’d just gotten to the truck and opened the door by the time he was there. The dog hung limp in his arms as I jumped up into the seat. He deposited him in my lap and shut the door before sprinting around to his side.
We’d driven one block and were turning east as a cop car came careening around the corner. The sky turned red and blue after that.
“What will happen to that family?”
Raize shook his head. “They’re gone. Police probably have them at a safe house. They might get witness protection, but who knows.” He looked over, and I caught a flash of worry before the stone mask was back in place.
“What?”
“They saw you. They can identify you.”
Dread lined my insides.
“But if they’re being protected, I don’t think it’s because of you. You said you ran from there?”
I nodded.
“Estrada’s guys tracked you down?”
Another nod. “I was bleeding from the dog bite. I didn’t cover my arm in time. I was out of it.”
“I’m thinking they saw Estrada’s men—or they were able to identify the guy you killed as one of Estrada’s.”
“You think they’d take them and protect them because of that?”
“No.” He shook his head. “I think the people got smart, called relatives, and took off. I think the marked car wasn’t supposed to be there tonight. That’s what I think.”
“That’s a lot of thinking.”
He shrugged. “All I know is they saw you, and I don’t like that.”
What about the realtor? I wondered. The other house’s owner?
They’d seen me, too, seen Raize. But I couldn’t bring myself to ask.
All this happening, the personal shit because it was obvious there was personal shit going on, I heard myself asking, “How do you know Estrada? How do you know his sister?”
He went still, looking back on the road.
My chest was bursting, needing to know, but Raize didn’t respond.
He just kept driving.
I didn’t know if I liked that or not, if I should push or not?
Then I didn’t. He went back to the house.
Raize took the dog, not a word spoken between us, and we went inside.
Jake took one look. “We got a dog?!”
