AllFreeNovel
Share Us
Great. His arrogance will only blow up even more now.
Maxim climbs in and fires up the engine. There’s a slight mist in the air as he pulls away from the curb. If he’d parked in the nearest garage, we’d be walking another block in the rain.
He turns down a street, heading away from his apartment. Before I can question him, his phone rings and he hits the answer button on the touch screen.
The entire conversation unfolds in Russian, but then a name is spoken, making me freeze.
Jack Victmen.
“Wait.” I tap Maxim’s arm. “Wait, why are you talking about Jack?”
Maxim looks at me. “You know this man?”
“Yes. I told you about him. He was friends with Gunner a long time ago. He lived on our street,” I explain. “What was he saying?” I gesture to the screen.
“He’s the man who visited your brother at the Freedom House,” the man on the phone says. “He’s on the visitor log six times. No one else was on it for him.”
“Six times?” I sink into my seat. Jack swore he hadn’t seen Percy since the night he ran from our apartment. “Are you sure? Jack Victmen?”
“Yes.”
“No. I talked with Jack yesterday, and he doesn’t know anything more about Gunner. He didn’t even know he’d been sent to a rehab facility.” Even as I’m saying the words, I know it’s all bullshit. He’s been lying to me this whole time. And he wanted me to stay away from the Romanovs because they’d piece his lies together for me.
“Do you want me to let Arman know?” the voice asks.
“No. Not yet,” Maxim answers then switches to Russian, barking out what I assume are instructions.
“What are you saying?” I interrupt, but he keeps going with his conversation like I didn’t say anything. Maxim takes a sharp turn and speeds up, making his way through the streets and backtracking.
He finally finishes talking and hangs up.
“What are you doing? Where are you taking me?” I ask, as he weaves between cars.
“Home.”
“No.” I shake my head. “Absolutely not. I’m going with you.”
“You aren’t.” He takes another turn. “It’s too dangerous.”
“Too dangerous? Why? What are you doing?”
“We are going to talk with this Jack.” He throws a sharp glare at me. “Why didn’t you tell me you talked to him yesterday? Is that the reason you disobeyed me and went to the halfway house alone?”
“No! And my conversation with him had nothing to do with you; that’s why I didn’t mention it. He didn’t know anything,” I insist. “I’m not going to stay behind while you talk to him. I won’t do it,” I argue.
He comes to a hard stop at a red light and turns his fierce eyes on me. “He’s been lying to you.”
“I realize that.” I sink down. I knew I shouldn’t have trusted him, but I wanted to believe him so badly that I did.
“This man, he’s a dealer. He deals dirty drugs.”
“What does that mean?”
“He buys product then cuts it with garbage filler. It’s more dangerous for the user. The shit he uses to cut it with is poison.”
“You’re angry with him because he doesn’t sell good drugs?”
The light turns green, and he hits the gas.
