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I lie there tossing and turning, listening to the sounds of the house that usually send me to sleep, my head full of plans, fears, and what-ifs. All the things I refuse to allow anyone else to see. JD is the closest person in the world to me, and even he doesn’t know the truth about how nervous I am about all this. I won’t let him see it either. He might appear strong to the outside world. Most of the time he is. But he has these moments. These brief moments where I see the broken boy of the past and it fucking terrifies me that he’ll go back there.
I know he doesn’t take his meds, claiming that he needs to feel something, even if it does hurt. He refuses to accept that the medication he has now has been vastly improved from that of his childhood. He doesn’t want to go back there. And I understand that, but I’m more scared about what happens when it all goes wrong than I am of his emotions being a little dulled.
It’s the reason I need to talk to him the second he’s awake. Another reason why I’m nowhere near drifting off.
I can’t risk him waking up and not hearing instantly.
We need to talk. And it needs to happen sooner rather than later.
I’m still staring up at the ceiling an hour or so later when my cell starts ringing on my nightstand.
With a groan, I reach over and grab it.
The screen lights up before me, making me wince, but it’s the unknown number that has me sitting up and my heart beating a little fast.
Usually, I’d probably ignore it. But there is too much shit up in the air right now.
Swiping my finger across the screen, I bring it to my ear.
“Hello?”
“Reid Harris?” a deep, accented voice says, making my hackles rise.
“Yes. Who is this?”
“Ms. Rivera requests your presence in person to discuss some urgent matters. You have been booked on a flight at six a.m., someone will collect you at arrivals and take you to her.”
“Six a.m. this morning?” I bark.
“Yes, I suggest you make your way to the airport as soon as possible.”
My lips part to respond, but the line goes dead, leaving me with nothing but my increased breaths.
“Fuck. Fuck,” I sneer, combing my fingers through my hair and pulling until it hurts.
I’ve been fucking waiting for this. Trust the fucking cartel to choose the most inconvenient time.
My cell buzzes in my hand, and when I glance down, I find my flight details staring at me.
With a groan, I throw the sheets off and march toward my closet because when the cartel calls, you fucking answer.
As quietly as I can, I slip into JD’s room, and using only the flashlight on my cell, I find a piece of paper on his desk and scrawl out a note for him to let him know where I’m going and to call me the moment he wakes.
Dread settles heavy in my gut that I’ll probably be flying. But I can’t wake him now and tell him everything I need to; I’ll miss the fucking flight. And this might be my one and only chance to find out what Luciana knows about this trafficking ring.
I stare at my rushed handwriting and sigh.
There isn’t any other choice.
With a final glance at my sleeping best friend, I back out of his room and silently close the door behind me.
In only four minutes, I’m back in my car and heading toward the airport, praying that I’m making the right fucking decision here.
4
ALANA
Something tickling against my cheek brings me to, and I groan as reality begins to come back to me. But it’s not long before it’s overridden by my aching back and neck from the way I’m curled up.
