He sighed, and my phone buzzed in the pocket of my cut. When it kept on, I realized it was a call and not a text.
Nobody called me at dawn.
I fumbled to get the damn thing out, praying it was her.
Instead, I was met with the sight of Mark’s name.
I couldn’t keep the disgust out of my tone, “What?”
The silence spanned so long that I thought he was going to hang up on me.
“Get over to Daisy’s house. Find out what can be done.”
“Done about what?”
“Your fucking brother, Anthony.”
I blinked, and shot a wild glance at Oak, whose brows dipped with question, not having heard the conversation on the other end of the line.
“What’s wrong with Easy?”
“He’s in the back of a squad car. They got him with coke.”
“Wh–what do you mean they got him with it?”
“He got pulled over with a fresh score.”
“Jesus.” I hung up the phone, wishing I’d just gone to bed.
Chapter Thirty-Three
The Worst Escape
Crystal
Joplin was oblivious to the silent tears currently spilling down my cheeks. She’d been peacefully curled up in the passenger seat for the past two hours and finally passed out. I’d told her I wanted to talk, but the truth was, the tire was flat and I didn’t have a spare.
I drove on the rim, denying any concern about the sound until I was clenching my jaw and biting back tears. This was not how our great escape was supposed to go down.
I’d managed to take us exactly three miles from the trailer. The shadowed edge of the Steel Cages parking lot wasn’t going to provide much sanctuary once the sun came up, and I wasn’t sure what we’d do then.
I didn’t dare close my eyes. If I nodded off, I’d wake up to the police or Anthony knocking on the window, or worse yet, Larry.
I didn’t fear Anthony, but I wasn’t eager to see him. I felt bad about hitting him, especially when Joplin told me they’d left that number. I was too far into my emotions to think straight at the time. It all just felt too little, too late.
So, I’d thrown the scrap away, unable to process what it meant at that moment.
I still didn’t know what it meant or if it even mattered.
My thoughts drifted, and the tears eventually dried. It felt like no time at all, before light threatened the horizon.
I nervously worked the nail of my ring finger against my thumb, only to still when a car turned onto the lot. I clearly made out Anthony in the passenger seat, but I had no idea who the older lady behind the wheel was.
I held my breath, unsure if I should start the car and get it off his property or remain as quiet and invisible as humanly possible.
It would damage the rim if I kept driving, but I didn’t want trouble.
Tears threatened again, and I realized that I was more exhausted than I thought.
