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None of us moved as he walked back to his car, not caring that he was kicking up mud on his expensive suit that probably cost more than six mortgage payments. The goon got into the driver’s seat, the lights switched off, and then he disappeared.
“What the fuck was that?” Hut asked, staring at the space Eduardo had just been standing in. “And who the hell was that guy?”
“That,” I started, “was Eduardo Garza, head of the Garza cartel.”
“The cartel?” Hut asked, spinning around. “The motherfuckin' cartel wants to buy from me?” His lips slowly morphed from a straight line into a smirk. “Well, hot damn, looks like we’ll be getting a huge payday then!”
He skipped to the car—literally skipped—and pushed into it, slamming the door behind him. I stared at where Eduardo’s car had been parked. He was most probably still watching Hut to see how he reacted. Guys like him didn’t get to where they were by not knowing everything about who they were dealing with, which meant he now knew my face.
Shit.
I pulled my cell out, shooting off a message to Jord to tell him what had happened, and then glanced over at Ford. From the paleness of his face, I was guessing he was thinking the same thing as I was.
You didn’t mess with the cartel and get away scot-free.
Chapter Four
LOLA
I waited for Hut’s door to close and for his snores to ring out in the house. Once I was sure he was asleep, I ventured downstairs as quietly as I could. The last thing I needed was for one of the guys to be here and catch me in the act.
I had to channel my inner ninja to make this work.
I slowly walked down the stairs and around the house. I even checked out back in case someone was roaming around. For the first time in days, it was empty, and it was the perfect time to get this show on the road. The weeks had turned into days, and now it had morphed into hours. Hours until I was out of here and all alone.
I ran up the stairs, my breath coming in pants and my head spinning slightly.
It was about to happen.
Everything I’d planned for the last few years was finally coming true, and I’d done it all on my own.
My room was bare, everything packed into three trash bags and a backpack, but it was all I needed. I didn’t want any piece of this house coming with me, not when I was starting fresh. I called the cab company and sat on my stripped bed, biting the side of my thumb and listening for the tires to squeal to a stop outside. My stomach dipped, my hands shaking, and every little noise I heard I was sure was Hut coming to find me.
Maybe he’d come out at the last second and see me hefting the bags down the stairs. He’d catch me, and then he’d lock me in the house, and I’d never be able to escape him. I had one shot at getting this right, because if I failed, my life would never be the same again.
The thrum of an engine came closer, and I jumped off the bed to stare out of the window, spotting the cab idling at the curb. I took one last glance around the room, silently thanking it for becoming my safe haven, and then grabbed two bags and walked out. I’d have to take another trip to get the last of my things, which I told the cabbie and he just nodded, retrieving the bags off me.
With my backpack slung over my shoulder and my last trash bag clutched in my hand, I stared at the living room and kitchen.
This place held so many memories, both good and bad. It was just a shame the bad outweighed the good. My life could have gone so differently, but every action, no matter how big or small, had led me to this moment.
With a final inhale, I pulled the front door open and stepped outside. I thought I’d feel a sense of freedom surround me when I walked away, but all I felt were nerves. I still had another couple of hours until I was fully away from him and planted firmly in my new life. Maybe that was why I didn’t feel the rush of relief. It would come though, I was sure.
The cabbie took my final trash bag, placed it in the trunk, and I slipped into the back, refusing to look at the house. I was leaving it behind, and I didn’t have a single regret about it.
The guy drove me twenty minutes outside of town, where he dropped me off at a gas station, and I proceeded to wait for a bus. The bus was due fifteen minutes later, and I hopped on when it pulled up, struggling with all of my bags but a huge smile on my face.
Step two of my journey was underway. The closer I got to my new life, the more weight was lifted off my shoulders. It didn’t matter that I was leaving the only family I had. It didn’t matter that the motion of the bus made my stomach roil and my gag reflex come to fruition. All that mattered was that the thirty-minute bus ride got me one step closer to my final destination.
The bus halted, and I stumbled off, dropping one of my bags on the way, but when I looked up, Sal’s grinning face was staring at me.
“You made it,” he said, his voice sounding like a proud father’s.
“I did.” I sighed. “I actually made it.” The three bags surrounded me, holding everything that meant anything to me, and I couldn’t have been happier.
“Well, let’s get this last leg of the journey completed, huh?” Sal stepped forward, picking up all three bags with ease, and moved over to his truck. He placed them in the bed and pulled the passenger door open for me, holding his hand out to help me up.
