“How in the fuck did that happen?” I roared, snapping back to life. “Max!How in the fuck did that happen?”
“I’m just guessing that your stunt last night probably made her forget anything you said. Hell, that probably made her do it. Just a thought.”
“Now’s not the time for a fucking lecture, Max,” I bellowed. “Where the fuck were you? How did you not know she was meeting him?” I grabbed my shoes from the doorway and put them on.
“I don’t live there, asshole,” Max said. “But I think the real question is, where the fuck were you? Why didn’t you call her today?”
If he wasn’t my friend, I would have made sure he met his maker right after Simon. “I did. She didn’t answer.”
“You do realize how bad this could have been, right? Was getting a strange piece of ass worth this?”
“Fuck you, Max.”
“I’m coming up your street now. Be ready.”
“I’m walking out the door.”
TWENTY-ONE
Cane
The only soundwas the crunching of gravel beneath the tires of Max’s Ford truck. The only light came from the headlights as we turned onto the road that led to Powers’s house.
Simon lived in the West Valley on the farthest reaches of the city. Few houses were on this road, just a lot of agricultural land that had not been chewed up by the construction industry.
Rage was consuming me, eating me alive. I shifted in my seat, my pulse racing.
That motherfucker is going to die.
“Easy, Alexander.” Max shot me a look out of the corner of his eye. “There it is.” He pointed at a small stucco house set back off the road.
At first glance, it seemed nice enough. But upon closer inspection, it was a mess. The landscaping was unkempt, and the back gate had been left unlatched and was halfway open. The gutter on the front porch had come undone and was leaned against the ground.
The parallels between Simon’s home and the man himself were uncanny.
Max slowed the truck as we crept past, trying to see if there were any signs of life.
The entire area seemed to be dead. There were no moving parts. No cars, dogs, or lights in the neighboring houses. It was a fitting way to live for a piece of shit like Powers.
“Yeah, but the Avalanche isn’t in the driveway. So I’m guessing he isn’t home.”
“Well, what do you want to do?” Max asked, pulling away.
“We wait.” I looked around for a spot that allowed us to still see his house but not look obvious. “Over there. Pull in behind that barn.”
Max drove ahead a few feet and then cut it in behind an old barn. Pulling around it and shutting off the lights, we had a clear view of the road.
“Well,” Max said, looking around, “at least we’re at the back of this dead end. Something’s going our way tonight.”
“Whatever. I’d beat him in the middle of fucking Phoenix if I knew where he was. I’m going to tear him apart, Max.”
“I know, man. Just don’t waste your energy bouncing around this damn truck. You know how this shit works.”
Max was right. As fucking usual. It wasn’t going to do me any good to get worked up until game time. I needed to breathe and focus.
“I’m going to kill him, Max. If you know anything I don’t, now’s the time to tell me.” The fury built again as I imagined her scared and at his mercy. My jaw clenched, causing my teeth to grind together.
“Just that he had sent her a text that said he owes her one or something like that. That was how I know for sure it was him.”
