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Reese addressed Starla again. “What else happened?”
“I was on the ground and he told me he was going to take care of some business with you guys,” she said. “Then he was coming back for me. Next thing I knew, he swung something at my head. I was out cold.”
“I found her out back,” Jefferson said. “I thought she was strung out. But then I realized she’d been attacked.”
“You didn’t call the cops,” Brett said. “Smart man.”
“I called you guys,” Jefferson said. “Then I called Josie.”
Reese felt Josie step up next to him. Inches from Starla.
Starla looked at Josie and started to cry. “I’m so sorry. I didn’t know he would do this.”
“If my cousin gets hurt… or that baby… whatever he did to you… is nothing compared to what I’m going to do to you.”
Starla cried harder, lowering her head.
“Okay, that’s enough,” Levi said. “Jefferson. Put her in your car. Take her to the hospital. The story is that a man in a black mask mugged you and hit you in the head. I’ll call Winston to confirm the story.”
“Winston,” Reese said. He looked at Levi. “Son of a bitch.”
“What is it, VP?” Jason asked.
Reese looked around the room and nodded.“I think I know where Steph is.”
* * *
“If I tellyou to wait here, will you listen?”
“No,” Josie said without hesitation.
“Right,” Reese said. He turned and saw Benny wrestling with a ripped-up jacket and a ring of keys hanging from his mouth. “Jesus, man, give me the fucking keys. We don’t have time to waste.”
Reese took the keys as Benny zipped up the jacket. He grabbed for a trucker’s hat with faded text and plopped it on his head of messy, greasy hair.
“Let’s go,” Benny said.
“Just tell us where you heard the noise,” Levi said.
“Nah, too far. I’ll show you the exact spot. Had my gun with me.”
“Should have shot then,” Brett said.
“Stop,” Reese said. “Zac, are you ready?”
“Fucking ready,” he said. He looked at Josie. “I’ll make sure she’s okay.”
“You should stay here,” Levi said.
“I tried,” Reese said. “She’s stubborn.”
“That’s my cousin,” Josie said. “And this is my fault. I let this happen.”
“How is this your fault?” Reese asked.
“I let you back into my world,” Josie said.
Reese felt the wind get knocked out of him. Of all the things he’d been through in his life, that one hurt. Pretty fucking bad.
