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So he’s all good jabbering on when it doesn’t matter, but when it does, he goes all quiet? Absolutely not going to fly, not right now. “I need a little bit more, please. What do you mean, tracking? Who is the dead guy in the burrito back there? Why did my boss kill him? Did my boss kill him? Why is my boss using a fake name? And how theheckdid you know about all this?”
Lanzo glances at me, eyebrows raised. “That’s a lot of questions.”
“No kidding.” I want to scream at him. At least some of the panic is starting to wear off. Now that I can think, I’m starting to realize how absolutelybadthis all is. “Because you’re not telling me anything.”
“Do you really want to know? I mean, you were willing to wrap up a corpse without asking too many questions. Why start now?”
“Youhaveto be kidding me. I was losing my mind in there! I’m still losing my mind.”
“That’s fair. That’s the most reasonable reaction you’ve had all night.”
I clench my jaw, glaring at him. But he does have a point. It’s not remotely normal that I went ahead and started rolling that dead guy up in the blankets like I was actually going to fireman carry his corpse all the way back to my car. I’m five-foot-three and not exactly in the best shape of my life. There’s no rational way I was going to pull off that feat of physical strength. It’s not normal that I let Lanzo burst in and help me, and totally not normal that I have this weird, buzzing desire for him glowing down my spine.
I’m honestly worried for my mental health right now.
“I just want to know what’s going on,” I say, hating myself for the desperation that leaks into my tone. I want to be strong, I want to keep it together, but this is too much. Lanzo’s a stranger and we’re driving into a remote area of Texas to dispose of a body.
And I’m pretty sure I’m not getting paid at this point.
He takes a slow breath, nodding to himself. Silence stretches, grows, and each second I sit here stewing is another second I want to rip my own hair out, until he finally glances at me.
“The more you don’t know, the better.”
“What the fu—” I’m interrupted by Lanzo yanking the wheel hard, taking the truck off road in a sudden spray of dirt and gravel. Scrubby bushes get shredded under his truck’s tires as he bumps along. I have to grab onto the door to keep myself from flying around, despite the seatbelt.
“I know this isn’t ideal,” he shouts over the noise of him roaring through what looks like the desert. “But trust me when I say, the less you know, the safer you’ll be. This guy Burian, he’s serious shit, and you are so way over your head that you’re already drowning down at the bottom of an ocean trench, except you don’t even know it yet. Trust me when I say, I have your best interests in mind.”
I glare at him. “When someone saystrust meit usually meansI’m a lying asshole.”
“Normally, you’d be right, but for once in your life—” He slams on the brakes.
I let out a very undignified squeal as I’m rocketed forward, straining against my chest restraint, only to be slammed back into my seat. A huge plume of dust bursts up all around, flying into the air, obscuring the headlights, blocking out the moon.
“—You really should trust me,” he finishes.
I sit there, breathing hard, staring at him for a full five seconds before screaming, “What the hell is wrong with you? You almost got me killed!”
But he’s already getting out of the truck.
I gather myself, seething with rage as he goes around to pull out the corpse burrito. He’s messing with me, trying to put me off-balance so I won’t keep pestering him with questions, and it’s almost going to work.
Except this is my life, and my paycheck, and Grandpop’s depending on me. If I’m screwed out of the money I thought I was going to earn from Dimitry—Burian, whatever—at least I can get some answers.
I climb out of the truck. Lanzo’s dragging the body toward a short ravine. I can barely see it in the moonlight. I follow him, picking my way over rocky, uneven terrain. We’re in the middle of nowhere, no lights nearby, no cars, no houses, deep under darkness. Only the weak light from the stars breaks up the black.
“Hey, wait up,” I say, hurrying to catch him. “You can at least tell me who this guy is.” I nod at the corpse burrito.
“You don’t want to know.”
“You keep saying that and yet I keep asking.” I grab his wrist. “Come on, slow—”
He releases the corpse, moving fast, twisting my grip. I end up pressed against him, gasping in shock as he twists my arm behind my back, pulling me tight to his chest. I stare up into his face, heart racing into my throat, a twinge of pain in my elbow.
How did he do that so quickly? He was like a blur, bending me to his will.
“I’m not joking when I tell you to drop it.” His voice is soft but menacing. His smile is gone, replaced by an inner intensity.
“Who is he?” I say through my teeth, not giving up. “That’s all I want to know.”
