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KAI
Imani rolled down her window.
“I told you to go right to Landon’s,” I said, getting off my bike and standing by her door.
“I was heading there, but”—she hiked her thumb back—“I kinda got stopped.”
“Does he have your license?”
“Yes.”
“Shit,” I said underneath my breath.
“Why? What’s wrong?”
I didn’t want to worry her, but this wasn’t good. Not at fucking all.
When the cop stepped out of his car, dressed like a fool in a Redwood Police uniform, I reached behind me for my gun in case things headed south from here.
He walked up to us and handed Imani her license. “Everything looks good. Make sure you’re going the speed limit next time.”
“She was speeding?” I asked, pushing him. “By how much?”
“Seven miles over the speed limit.”
“So, thirty-two miles per hour?”
The cop rocked back on his heels. “Yep.”
“It’s thirty-five on this road. She’s going under. What’re you stopping—”
“Kai,” Imani scolded, telling me with her eyes that she wanted to get out of here.
Knowing that he was caught, he gave me a half-smirk and pulled a small wrapped package out of his back pocket and handed it to me. “You got me. I stopped her because I needed to deliver a package to Imani Abara.”
“From who?” I asked.
The guy shook his head and thrust the package toward Imani. “I’m the deliveryman. I don’t ask questions.”
Before Imani could grab it, I took it from him. Whatever it was, I planned to find out before she did. I didn’t want her opening any sort of package from a fake police officer who had pulled her over and didn’t even know the fucking speed limit on this road.
Once the officer walked back to his car, I watched him drive off and then slapped the side of Imani’s door. “Drive to Landon’s. Don’t stop for anything. I’m going to follow you.” I hurried back to my bike, threw the package inside my backpack with Ana’s medication, then followed her down the road to Landon’s.
When we pulled up, I immediately took her hand and escorted her to the front door, where Landon was attaching a new lock. I didn’t even stop for Imani to kiss Landon, just kept pulling her into the house, where I knew she would be safe.
Ana sat on João’s lap on the couch in the main living room. Since this morning, they had swept the floors, ditched all of Landon’s father’s beer bottles, wiped down the walls, and redecorated the place.
“João, Landon,” I said, letting Imani’s hand go and ushering her to the couch with Ana to keep her busy. We had work to do. We at least had to figure out what the fuck this package was. “Other room. Now.”
João set Ana on Imani’s lap, his lips pulled into a frown. Once Landon finished with the lock on the front door, he pulled it shut and followed us into the other room. I threw the package of medication to João and told him to keep it safe, then pulled out the small envelope.
“What’s that?” Landon asked.
“Imani got pulled over by someone pretending to be a cop. He gave her this.”
The guys tensed as I set it down on the kitchen counter. It was taped up extremely well and reeked of something. I wasn’t sure what it could even be, as the package was so small that it could fit in the palm of my hand.
“What do you think it is?” Landon asked.
“Just open the fucking thing,” João said.
I grabbed a knife from the counter and ripped apart some of the tape. As soon as the tape was torn, the vile scent filled the room and made me gag. It smelled like decaying animals or some shit. I grimaced and continued opening the package, freezing when I saw it.
Short and slender.
Pale and bloody.
One single finger.
