You didn’t think that when he had his fingers inside you in the funeral home.
I try to push the thought from my head, but it doesn’t go easily.
I slide around in my seat as I hit a deep hole in the shit road. It careens downhill, then shoots up, and I can see the mountain peaks from the stars and my headlights. I turn down “Thriller” blaring in my car and listen to my engine whine at the steep elevation changes.
The fear is there, creeping over my shoulder like a shadow, but I’m not reallyafraid.Nervous maybe, or hesitant, but it’s all mingled with something sickening like excitement. I don’t get to go around whacking people off for the fun of it. My business dealings aren’t legal in any light but murder isn’t typically on my list of crimes.
But before last Friday night, no one had fucked with my brother. And considering I’ve only been in this town a year, I have to make sure people know if they fuck with me or my family, they will be dealt with. Drugs have become like weapons; ODs are more common, additives fatal. A carefully placed ingredient can drop someone like a stone. I won’t let that become the bullet for Lele, or anyone in my circle. I don’t use, but he does, and most of the people who work for me do too, on occasion. It’s my job to protect them. This is how I do that.
I fly around a corner, picking up speed as the road seems to even out now that the elevation is stable.
I can’t see Storm, and when I crack my window, I don’t hear him either. But up ahead there’s a faint glow. I don’t think it’sfrom the Subaru, but it’s a good place to stop and assess at any rate. I don’t want to be led to some den with more men and more guns, so I need to keep my head on straight despite the fact I’d like to pop out the car gun blazing.
I slow the Q, roll my window up, and keep alert. The path becomes rocky, like it’s been filled in, and the light is coming from a bulb over what appears to be a warehouse. It’s made of brick, two stories it looks like, with windows on the top floor. The light is over the door at the end, wide enough to pull a car through, like a garage bay. On the long side of the building is a regular entrance door, black with peeling paint, and closed shut.
There’s room to park several vehicles out here and the grass is short, like people come fairly often, and this particular spot is clear of trees. But surrounding me, there’s forest and hills and no doubt a ravine Storm could throw me off if I get out of the car.
I’ll have to, though.
I don’t see his WRX anywhere.
I twist around in my seat and look through the back windshield.
Nothing.
I sigh, then unbuckle my seatbelt. I glance at my cell and see I have zero bars. No call for help will make it through, so I leave the phone to free up my hands, but I snatch the gun from the console and the holster and wrap my fingers around the grip. I have a knife strapped on the outside of my thigh too, over my tailored black pants. I’m grateful I’m wearing laced Oxfords instead of my usual stilettos; I thought I might have to chase this kid.
I open the door and listen before I step out.
Nothing but the breeze for a long moment, and then the howl of a wolf.
Deep and low and continuous for too many heartbeats.
I close my eyes tight for one inhale, breathe in the fresh mountain air, and step out of the car, softly closing the door at my back. I leave the keys in it to keep one hand free. Worst case scenario, he steals my car, but then I have his. It doesn’t appear there’s anyone else out here so I don’t need to worry about that. Then again, his tint is so dark, it’s not like it’s impossible someone else is in his car.
I keep my back to the Infiniti and sweep my gaze around the building first.
It’s impossible to know if anyone is inside. There are no lights coming from beneath the bay door or the windows on the second floor, but that doesn’t mean anything.Some peoplearen’t scared of the dark.
I turn and check out the road I just came down, but it’s eerie, empty, and reminiscent of a trap Lucifer himself might lay.
Nothing there.
And in the corners of the woods surrounding me, anyone or anything could be lurking.
I walk around to the trunk and pop it open.
It won’t leave me with a free hand, but the flashlight is better to have than not. Though, on second thought, when I wrap my fingers around the steel base, I realize it’ll give me away too, if I come walking through the woods with a giant beam of light.
I close the trunk without taking anything out. I’m on my own.
Deciding to circle around the warehouse first, maybe see if Storm’s car is parked on the other side, I head toward the building. The energy around it feels palpable; something ancient used for evil. It makes my skin crawl and the tight black cotton T-shirt I’m wearing isn’t enough to keep the chill away as I look at the monstrosity. It isn’t visually unappealing, about what you’d expect for a warehouse tucked away in the mountain woods, but it feels…off.
Lele would snort at that. He thinks my superstitions and intuitions are ridiculous, but it doesn’t stop him from listening to all of them. I’ve given him space over the last few years though instead of being the uptight paranoid mother figure.
I shouldn’t have stopped being a pain in his ass.
I look up at the windows and note they aren’t cracked, and shockingly, they’re clean. Someone takes care of this place, but it doesn’t shake the evil feeling I have being so close to it.
