AllFreeNovel
Share Us
“I love you.” I grip a fistful of his jacket. “What are you going to do?”
“Film Eddie closing the deal. With luck, I’ll get the smugglers on video too. Last I heard, the DEA hasn’t been able to nail either Keller or anyone in the Venado cartel, much less tie them together. They need the evidence.”
Video. Okay. That means Dane can lurk in the shadows. Stay hidden.
Once he gets out of the car, he shoves the gun into his waistband. After powering down the brightness on his phone, he strides toward the house.
My throat tightens to the point of pain. As much as I insisted on being here, I didn’t know how brutal it would be to watch him walk away.
I rub the silver medallion on my wrist, trying to squash my fear as Dane jimmies the lock on the side door of the garage and slips inside.
It’s strangely quiet. After the flurry of activity moving the boxes, no sound emanates from the men. The moon emerges from behind the veil of fog, casting a dim glow over the near-empty lot.
Detecting movement out of the corner of my eye, I look through the side window. Another car comes from the other end of the street, the engine almost silent and the headlights off.
My heart bumps against my ribs. Even in the darkness, I recognize the Mercedes we followed from Zodiac. The car stops underneath a tree halfway down the block, and a petite woman emerges from the driver’s seat.
My mother.
I cover my mouth with my hand to keep from calling out to her. She crosses the street to the stash house, her movements quick and furtive like she doesn’t want anyone to see her.
Instead of going inside, she stops in the side yard and takes out her phone. The screen flashes for an instant.
What the hell is she doing here? Does she know there’s a drop happening right now?
If she doesn’t, she can’t just walk inside like she did the other day. They’ll kill her. Shoot first without bothering to ask any questions—either before or later.
And what if Dane gets her on camera? Given her relationship with Eddie, she could be implicated right along with him and his goons.
I open the car door carefully. The click of the lock echoes. My breath is shallow, my lungs aching.
I get out and hurry across the street, ducking around the corner of the house.
“Selina,” I hiss.
She whirls to face me, her eyes widening.“Hannah?”
“Mom.” I battle back a sudden surge of emotion. “What are you doing here?”
“What am I doing here?” Lowering her voice to a sharp whisper, she grabs my arm and hauls me back toward the street. “What areyoudoing here? Where have you been?”
“I went into hiding.”Sort of. For less than twenty-four hours.“I followed you from Zodiac the other day.”
“Hannah.” She pulls me into a brief, tight embrace. “You have to get out of here.”
“So do you. At least half a dozen smugglers are in there, and they’re not having a tea party.”
“I know that.” Her eyes suddenly flash in a way I’ve never seen before. “But how do you know? And why did you jump bail?”
“I’ve been trying to find a way to clear my name.” I close my hand around her wrist, trying to tug her back toward the car. “I didn’t stand a chance in court, not when they found the drugs on me. There’s a…someone is helping me, but it involves getting evidence that Eddie is a dealer and a smuggler. That’s why I’m here.”
“You can’t be.” She yanks her wrist out of my grip and pushes me toward the sedan. “Go away.Now.”
“Come with me.”
“No.” She gives me another shove, throwing a quick glance at the house. “Listen to me. Get out of here before—”
The door slams open, hitting the side of the building with a crack that sounds like a bullet firing.
