He laughed. “You can’t use that with a credit card transaction, sweetheart.”
Rebel widened her eyes. “I can’t?”
“Goddamn, you’re naïve.”
“I’ve shopped before with my debit card and I’ve never had a problem.”
“I will take the fraud alert off, so you two can pay for whatever, but I’m on my way. I’ll escort you and Jana through the mall and make the purchases. I’ll bring another card just for you.”
“Thanks, but—”
Diesel disconnected. Any other day Rebel would’ve been hopping with anticipation at the idea of a shopping spree. Now, she had to find Jana and bring her back to the store so they wouldn’t be busted.
Otherwise, she was fucked.
Glancing all around to make sure the bikers sent with them wasn’t lurking nearby, Jana gripped her pineapple turmeric drink and dashed to the pathway that Tabitha told her to follow. Tabitha promised not to keep her too long. Jana didn’t want to anger Diesel or Rebel, but the money was too tempting to ignore. As much as she tried and wanted to.
Diesel gave her the money because Rebel would be with her. The moment it touched her hand though, she felt as if she’d jump out of her skin. And when she convinced him to let her wear her diamond tennis bracelet, her mouth dried and it took everything in her to keep still.
Tabitha was always willing to score drugs for her, so Jana texted her a photo of the bracelet right before she got in Diesel’s Mercedes.
To cover her tracks, she went to the gourmet grocery store that fronted the mall parking lot and made a small purchase. Tabitha wanted all the money Diesel had given Jana, so she couldn’t buy too much anyway. The bracelet was just a bonus.
When Turn Creek Bridge loomed in front of her, Jana remembered the night she and Diesel had danced underneath the stars. He’d been so romantic.
She paused before she started her ascent to get to the other side. Diesel was going to be so angry with her. She should turn around and—
Her eyelid ticked and she wrapped her arms around her stomach to quell her sudden nausea. She could barely remember the sound of his voice or even what she was supposed to be doing, she wanted coke so badly. It was in her reach. Tabitha promised to bring Jana a zip. She’d have enough coke to last her. Maybe she’d even share some with Diesel as he had with her at his birthday party.
Or she could have a coke party and tell Diesel to invite Torrin and Narci, so they could fuck her into oblivion again.
Anticipation seized Jana and nothing else mattered except scoring the drugs and then spending the night with Diesel and making him proud by pleasing his friends. She ran as fast as she could.
“Tabitha,” she called a few minutes later, wondering where her friend was. Wondering, too, if Kaia would do a line with her. He’d stopped texting her or answering the texts she sent. “Tabitha!” Nothing. “I don’t have a lot of time.”
Her worst nightmare stepped out of the old picnic shelter. Alex, the guy Narci resembled.
“Hello, Jana,” Alex said, flanked by his two minions, Chuck and Ron. Together, they always made Jana suffer for her drugs. “Tabitha called. Said youneeded to see us.”
Frozen to her spot, Jana wasn’t sure what to say or do. The last time she’d seen them, she hadn’t cooperated as much as usual and they promised to make her suffer the next time she was in their company.
“I have money to pay, Alex,” she said, tears already forming in her eyes. Usually, she was broke and at their mercy. “Enough for a zip.”
Chuck walked to her and clamped an arm around her neck, while Ron searched her pockets, easily finding the money and handing it to Alex.
He pocketed the money and beckoned her. Chuck shoved her away.
“Come on, sweetheart,” Alex said, smiling. He ran a finger down her cheek. “Let’s do a line.”
Jana wasn’t in the food court and Rebel didn’t have time to think about other shops Jana might visit. Remembering Jana mentioned cooking a meal for Diesel, Rebel left the mall and went to the specialty food shop that stood across the parking lot. Jana didn’t answer any of Rebel’s many calls or the three additional texts.
Knowing she would be held responsible if something had happened and scaredsomething had happenedafter all the trauma of the last few weeks, she ran to the store, searching the aisles and finally running to the counter.
“I’m looking for a blonde girl with gray eyes,” she said breathlessly. “She’s taller than me and—”
“She was here about twenty minutes ago,” the guy said. “Bought a kombucha for herself to take to Turn Creek.”
Not wasting time, Rebel turned and ran, closer to Turn Creek than she was when she cut her classes and headed there. As she crested the bridge and saw no sign of Jana, panic began to set in.
