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Ezra
I miss you.
Me
I love you.
Ezra
You have no idea, princess.
I pocket my phone and rest my head back on the seat. Butterflies swarm my stomach and my chest squeezes. This man. He is my everything.
Chapter Twenty-Six
Ocean
Time is running out on my deal with Kyle. Ezra comes home tomorrow, and I have no idea how to take care of my uncle. The only thing that might work is if I actually pay him. I took the money out of my account on the off chance my own plan doesn’t work. Usually Uncle Cliff is a big talker, so my goal shouldn’t be too hard. He has already told me where and when to meet him. His texts the past few days are becoming increasingly agitated and unhinged.
I need this to be over. I've been a wreck the past few days. I wake up in the middle of the night, my stomach has been off, and I’m exhausted because of all of it. I hate lying to Ezra and I’ve done everything I can so I don’t have to. I’ve stayed busy until late at night and scheduled other activities when I would normally talk to him. Every time Kyle just shakes his head at me and reminds me that my time is dwindling. I fear that if he knew the true extent of things, he would have told on me by now.
I stay late in the studio and wait for Kyle to leave to get my late-night smoothie, the only thing I’ve been able to stomachlately. Once he’s gone, I grab my things and head toward the parking garage. I reach for the keys to Spyder’s Jeep in my bag that I borrowed earlier today. Thankfully he happened to be in the area.
Right as I hit the fob to unlock it, my arm is grabbed and I’m whirled around. “Uncle Cliff.” Shit. I slide my hands into my hoodie pocket and flip on the little recorder.
“Is my money in there?”
I shake my head no. “I was going to pick it up on my way.”
He laughs and shakes his finger in my face. “You must think I’m fucking stupid.”
“No,” I respond and shift on my feet. “I have it, but I had to get away from Kyle first.”
He nods like he’s contemplating his words. His beady eyes run over me and then go to the Jeep behind me. “Whose ride is this?”
“A friend,” I manage to choke out without looking scared. My plan is already falling apart unless I can get him talking. “Please, Uncle Cliff. I’m trying to get this done right. I know I owe you.”
“Damn straight you owe me! You and that scumbag Hamilton both owe me. You took everything from me when you left. And he capitalized on all of it when he had BNE investigate me,” he yells, getting in my face
I can feel the color drain from my face. “I’m sorry.”
“You’ll be sorry if you don't pay me back every penny you cost me.”
“Uncle Cliff, you had your bookies track me down. They tried to attack me on multiple occasions,” I remind him of his own transgressions.
“Lucky for you they wouldn’t be getting anything that Hamilton didn’t already get.” He shrugs and I force myself to stay calm. “I’m over this little trip down memory lane. I want my money.”
He goes to grab me again when another figure comes down the stairs. Spyder steps from the shadows, a menacing scowl on his lips. “I don’t think she wants to go anywhere with you.”
My uncle’s wild eyes swing to him then back to me. He shoves me against the Jeep and glares at him. Spyder steps toward me, but I beg him with my eyes to stay away.
“This is family business, son. Why don’t you just walk on by.”
Spyder chuckles. “I’d like to but your little family spat is happening on my vehicle. That’s my Jeep you just shoved your niece into. And look,” he holds up his cell phone, “I just caught the whole thing on video.”
My uncle’s nostrils flare and I recognize the evil in his eyes. He reaches into the band of his jeans right as the sound of people running sounds around us.
“Keep your hands where I can see them!” A woman’s voice yells into the space, the sound echoing off the cement building.
