AllFreeNovel
Share Us
“Keys! Where did you disappear to? You, like, never go out.”
Oh yeah. Gotta lie about that too. Jesus, the hole I’ve dug keeps getting deeper.
“Just needed a walk. That’s all.”
From the slight furrow in her brow, I’d wager she doesn’t believe me. Not that I blame her; I don’t even trust myself right now.
“Um, okay. Well, we’ve been holding off breakfast until you got back. Kendrick filched some eggs and bacon from the corner store down the street. It’s practically a feast!” She takes my hand and drags me inside. I follow reluctantly, not eager to delay my theft with something as trivial as a family meal.
Even though every ounce of my conscience is screaming at me to fess up and let them formulate a plan to get us all out of this.
The aroma of salty bacon and scrambled eggs with cheese meets me halfway down the hall, and for a moment, I almost forget my mission. It smells amazing, and I wish I could partake. Instead, I stop just outside of the lobby and let go of Bunny’s hand.
“Shit! I have to … go wash my hands first.”
She shrugs and waves at me. “Fine. Just hurry back! Like I said, we’re all waiting for you.”
Great. A guilt trip. Just what my nervous stomach needed.
Once I’m out of sight and out of earshot of the lobby, I slip into the room where we’ve been keeping the laptop. Once I’ve got it in my grubby little hands, I break into a run for the back exit. The sooner I get this to the Cobra and get the Vipers off my tail, the sooner I can get back to Bunny. Back home.
I burst out the back door at full speed, but the black Cadillac SUV waiting in the parking lot brings me to a screeching halt. I thought they said I had until noon!
Before I get a chance to ask what gives, a pair of Vipers emerge from the bushes at the side of the hotel building. They snatch the laptop from me, but instead of shooting me or slicing my throat, they zip tie my hands behind me and manhandle me into the SUV.
Inside, Samson Ramsey sits next to his girlfriend, Candy. They’re dressed to the nines, like they’re on the way to a fancy dilletante ball, which seems out of place this early on a weekday morning. Ramsey flashes me a smarmy grin as his goons toss me unceremoniously onto the floor of the car.
“Greetings, Thomas. Or would you prefer I call you ‘Keys’?”
I’d prefer he doesn’t address me at all, but I bite my lip to keep from smarting off, especially since the arm he’s got draped over Candy ends in a hand holding a gun trained right at me.
A gun with a silencer, just like the one that killed Bunny’s mom.
Chapter 32
Kendrick
“Where the fuck is Keys? We’re all starving.”
Bunny picks up a slice of bacon and shrugs. “He said he had to wash his hands. Shouldn’t take him too long.”
I scowl at her. “You said he got back twenty minutes ago. It doesn’t take twenty minutes to wash your fucking hands. Where is he?”
Just when I thought I was getting used to the idea of Keys being an okay guy, he pulls some stupid shit like this. I almost regret the moment we shared in the bedroom last night, with us both holding Bunny’s breasts while we all fucked. Maybe I should’ve gone with my instinct and smacked his hands away, keeping her tits for myself.
Inconsiderate bastard. I get up from the table in a huff and stalk down the hall to find him. I check every single room, but he’s nowhere to be found.
As I get to the end of the hall, I see tire marks in the back parking lot through the glass door. Looks like someone squealed away, and I don’t remember seeing those before; they must be recent. I open the back door slowly, inching outside. Whoever was there, they seem to be gone now.
I crouch next to the tire marks. Big tires, probably a truck or SUV from the width between them. A few feet away from the tire marks, a random zip tie lies on the ground—right next to a discarded lollipop.
Shit. They took Keys. Bunny’s not going to be happy.
Frankly, neither am I. I was just starting to like Keys as a person. Rage and concern war inside me as I search for a clue as to where the SUV went. Aside from the burnt rubber leading towards the parking lot exit, there’s nothing else. Cobra could’ve taken him anywhere.
I run back inside and down the hall to the lobby. Bunny looks up from her plate as I approach with the zip tie and used lolli in hand. I can see that her bunny brain makes the connection, same as I did, and tears well up in her eyes. It takes Neil a fraction of a second longer to realize what’s going on, but when he does, a strangled sound comes from his throat.
Doc’s the only one who doesn’t seem affected. “Well, what are we going to do?” he asks.
