Later that night, Ronnie’s rummaging through a duffel bag of stolen car parts while JJ paces, chain-smoking and twitchy.
It's almost midnight, but when JJ texted to meet at Kieran’s trailer, I didn’t have a choice. I haven’t seen them since Mike was dragged away. Since I threatened to kill JJ.
The air’s uneasy but not openly hostile.
I grab two cans from the six-pack I brought as a peace offering, tossing them each a beer.
“You pacing like that’s contagious,” I mutter. “Makes me antsy.”
JJ grunts, cracks his can. Ronnie smirks.
“Is Mike—?” I ask, slicing a finger across my throat like I don’t already know he’s behind bars.
JJ drags on his cigarette, flicks ash near my boot. “Got pulled over.”
“Big Sam got pulled over?” I fake surprise. Ronnie kicks a rusted pipe so hard it clatters against the wall.
“Sam, Keith, and Callum ran,” JJ says. “Left Mike in the car.”
“Jesus.” I whistle low. “Why?”
“Broken taillight,” Ronnie snarls. “Now the pigs got Mike.” I nod, pretending it’s just another bump and not something Keller orchestrated.
“Sam’s furious,” JJ says, voice caught between excitement and fear.
“I bet. Now what?”
JJ shrugs too casually. “Don’t know yet.”
Then Ronnie says, dark and deliberate, “There’s somethin’ else.”
My pulse ticks up. “Yeah?”
He flips open a knife, studies it. “There’s a rat.”
I force a short laugh. “A snitch?”
“That’s what people are sayin’,” JJ says, watching me. “Someone close to Sam.”
I keep my expression loose. “Let me guess. Sam wants it dealt with?”
JJ exhales smoke through his nose. “He’s gonna want it messy. Personal.”
Ronnie grins, nasty. “Maybe we don’t start with the rat himself. Maybe we start with what he cares about. Teach him what personal really means.”
The back of my neck goes ice-cold. JJ steps closer. Just one step, but enough.“You’d tell us if anything felt off, right? If someone was actin’ weird.”
I meet his stare. “’Course I would.”
“Good.” He flicks his cigarette away. “We’re family, after all.”
My skin crawls, but I nod. “Family.”
“And Bailey?” JJ’s voice is knife-cold now. “Threaten me again, and it’s you without teeth.”
I stare long enough to make it uncomfortable — exactly what ex-con Xaden Bailey would do — before shrugging. “Yeah. Got it.”
He smirks.
