AllFreeNovel
Share Us
“Okay.” I didn’t argue. I dumped more in and stirred.
She took another spoonful. “More cumin.”
I did a mental sigh and dumped more in.
She took another spoonful. “Needs jalapeños. I’ll go to the store.”
Then she nabbed Elena and they were off.
They came back with seven bags of groceries. Some for the party, most for Eddie and me so we could shack up and have uninterrupted sex for the next month, the better to give Blanca grandbabies.
We ate. We drank. Vance popped by and had a bowl of chili and decided to stay. He must have called Matt and Bobby because they came by too. The beer was running out so Lottie took off to get more and to replenish the quickly dwindling Frito supply.
Duke and Dolores showed up and I ran to the kitchen and spooned out a mass of chili into a Tupperware to put in the fridge so Eddie could have some when he got home.
That was when my cell phone rang.
* * *
I knewit wasn’t smart.
Ike, Vance, Bobby and Matt were all in the other room, not to mention Tex and Duke. I had so much protection it was an army of protection. I could have walked in there. I could have asked. I could have taken the risk.
But I didn’t. The risk was too great.
The risk was Lottie.
See, my phone said,Lottie calling.
I flipped it open and the minute I put it to my ear, Vince said, “Got your sister. You don’t want what’s supposed to happen to you to happen to her, you meet me in the parking lot of the 7-Eleven on Louisiana and Pearl. No tail, no protection, right now. Got me?”
Disconnect.
Fuck.
Fuck, fuck, fuck.
At that point in my life, I was beyond worrying about the F-word.
I stood in the kitchen and wasted two seconds deciding. Then I grabbed Blanca’s keys that were on the countertop and hightailed it out the back door.
Blanca parked in the back drive, next to the garage. I saw her do it when she came back with the groceries. She drove a silver Honda Accord. It was newish and it was nice and I really hoped she didn’t mind me stealing it. I hoped more that I’d be alive to find out.
The 7-Eleven on Louisiana and Pearl was less than a five minute drive away but I still made it in record time.
I pulled in. There were a bunch of cars in the parking lot and I saw one at the end with people sitting in it, Lottie’s blonde hair visible.
I got out, pocketed the keys and walked to it.
Vince got out too, dragging Lottie across the driver’s seat with him. She was pale and trembling visibly, eyes wide, hands obviously cuffed or tied behind her back.
“Jet, you shouldn’t—” she started.
I was within reaching distance. Lottie was shoved forward before she could finish. My arm was grabbed and I was pushed into the car through the driver’s side. This all happened in seconds. I didn’t even make a noise.
I could see Lottie was on her knees and struggling to get up without the use of her arms. Vince had the car idling and we rocketed out of the 7-Eleven parking lot so fast he narrowly missed her.
He drove like a crazy man and I held on for dear life but still had my head together enough to check and see if I could open the door and throw myself out of the car. I didn’t figure it would kill me. It would hurt, but would leave less mental scars than what Vince had planned.
