“Why wouldn’t they? I did my part and then some. It’s about time I got my pay dirt and split. It’s a pity though, Willow has enemies. I can’t say they’ll be nice about where she ends up. Butshe brought down most of the trafficking rings in New Orleans,” Clare sighs again. “And that cost them money.”
“With a face like that, she’ll get a pretty penny.”
“That’s why I said not to damage her, idiot.”
The man snickers. “They probably won’t mind if I have first dibs on her.”
“Do that and we’re both dead,” Clare says. “The Directors want her unharmed, and you’ve already given her a blow to the head and a kick to the guts, nice going, asswipe. I want no part of this.”
“Like I said, you have no fucking soul, Clare. I swear to god.”
“Thanks to you we’ll have to wait until she wakes up to get her prepped. The pickup is in a few hours. She better be conscious by then or it’ll come out of your commission.”
“Or what?” I can just imagine him sneering. I hope to god that she doesn’t leave me in here with this asshole. I’m a good fighter, but when I can’t size up my opposition, that puts me at a disadvantage. If it comes down to a fight, I can fight dirty.
“You think you scare me, hotshot? Without me, there is no money, so I’d shut the fuck up if I were you.”
“I know what might wake her up, a bucket and some cold water.”
Clare laughs. “You really are a demon.”
A cell chimes. “Shit, I gotta take this,” the man says, his boots heavy on the floor as he leaves. Clare is still in the cell. I don’t need to adjust my eyes to know she hasn’t left. She circles me, but my head starts to spin again. She drugged me, that’s why I feel so groggy. The added blow didn’t help.
“Sleep well, princess,” she whispers. “You’re gonna need all the rest you can get where you’re going.”
Haze
“Bolt had a girlfriend,” Star says. “Her name is Jane Levich, and she’s a piece of work. Has more priors than I’ve had hot dinners. She’s wanted for fraud, aggravated assault and battery. Seems Jane likes to tie up her victims and torture them. She’s a loose cannon, and she has a particular interest in anyone who helped Bolt into his early grave.”
“Fuck,” I mutter. “Send her mugshot through, I’ll pull it up with the footage of Clare Jones, I have a feelin’ this is the same chick.”
“Roger that, and I’m sorry, Haze, I wish I’d known sooner. It took some digging.”
“It’s not your fault.” I hang up, staring at the AirTag on the side of the highway.
We don’t have her.
We don’t have her whereabouts.
We don’t even have her fucking cell. It’s in my hand, smashed to pieces when Clare/Jane probably threw it out the window.
I glance up at the sound of straight pipes: Max and my brothers arrive.
“Shit,” I hear Hally mutter, but I can’t worry about her feelings at the moment. I’ve got bigger problems to deal with.
“Fuck,” Logan and Brew say together when I stand — Willow’s cell and the tracker in my hand.
“She’s gone,” I say.
“No.” Max is already in panic mode. “She can’t be gone.”
“We’ll find her,” Hally says. “We’re hot on the trail.”
Brew looks over at her at the same time I side eye her. “Who’s this?”
“Hally Baltmore,” Max says, a little sarcasm in his tone. “Long time no see, Cupcake.”
“You two know each other?” Logan asks.
