My stomach churns with stress until Wraith reaches out and squeezes my shoulder.
“Go on.”
“I did it, Pax. I proved to him that I was loyal and I collected so much information. He’s trafficking people. Drugs too. He works with this Irish dude and they ship people off to Miami. After that, they go all over the world.”
“Fuck.”
“I knew I’d be dead if I went to the cops, but I had to get away from him, so I… Fuck. I messed up.”
“What did you do?”
“I took off and I tried to get money from him so I could disappear. I thought it was gonna work, but the last few weeks, there’s been two different guys following me. One of them found my apartment but the other one doesn’t seem to know where I live. I saw him around the arena. Maybe he knows I’m your brother.”
“No one knows that. He was at the rink?”
“I’m pretty sure. I didn’t want to cause you any trouble. That’s why I haven’t been back to a game.”
I rub my forehead. I don’t even know what to do.
“Where are you now?”
“At a hotel out of town. I wanted you to know that I’m okay but I gotta hide out.”
“And then what? Do you think they’ll just go away?”
“I don’t fucking know, Pax, but I can’t be at home right now.”
“Okay, let me send you some money, at least.”
“I don’t need any right now.”
“But you will. Hotels add up. Let me fucking help you, Boone.”
He’s silent for a few seconds, and then I hear his quiet sobs. “Fuck, man. I really tried to clean up my life, you know? I’m still sober. Not even a drink. Nothing. I thought this was gonna be a good job for me, and then… I couldn’t just ignore it, you know? I saw the fear in their eyes. Th-the victims. One of them begged me to help. How could I not try? It’s so fucked up, because I can’t help them and now I’m in trouble too.”
Pressing my forehead to my steering wheel, I consider what to say next, but I don’t have a clue. Then Wraith moves, rubbing my thigh, and I’m reminded of his presence. He’s heard all of this.
“Do they have your phone number?” Wraith asks Boone, the calm determination in his voice surprising me.
“Who are you?” Boone asks.
“Your brother’s friend. Do they know it?”
“Yeah.”
“Then you need to stop using it. They could be tracking it.”
“Uh, o-okay.”
“Can you go somewhere and get a burner phone so you can stay in contact with Pax?”
“I can do that, yeah.”
“Do that as soon as possible. Don’t tell anyone, not even Pax, where you’re at until you get the new phone. Just in case they’re listening.”
“Okay.”
“Don’t stay in one place for too long. Especially where you are now. Again, in case they’ve been tracking you.”
