He pulled his phone from his pocket and called Cash. I could hear him yelling through the phone from across the room. I didn’t know what was going to happen, but I didn’t think too much about the consequences of my actions. All I cared about was saving Samuel’s life.
Dale shoved his phone back in his pocket and turned toward me. I wasn’t going to let him intimidate me. I sat up, looking him straight in the eye. The way he walked toward me caused chills to run down my spine. He sat on the coffee table, trapping me in his straddled legs.
“Why?”
“I didn’t want anyone else to die.”
I couldn’t tell what he was thinking. His stone-cold expression stayed in place as he stared at me,draining my courage.
“You better hope he finds him.”
“What will happen if he doesn’t?” I challenged him.
Dale grabbed the sides of my face and yanked me toward him, almost pulling me off the couch. My heart picked up, thumping wildly against my chest when his nose rubbed against mine.
“I’m going to beat your ass, Red.” His hot breath blew against my lips as he growled at me. “Actually, I’m going to do it whether he finds him or not.”
Those were the last words he said to me. As soon as Cash got back—alone—Dale stood up and collected his shit. I watched him toss it all in his bag before walking out the door. He didn’t give me a second glance. Cash raised a brow as we listened to his tires spinning as he revved the engine and sped off.
Cash and I haven’t said much to each other since Dale left a few days ago. He thought it was a good idea for me to go to work. To keep up appearances and all that. Cash drops me off and picks me up. Being gone from Hazel’s has helped, but Roger senses something is wrong with me, and that it has nothing to do with Hazel still being gone. I just force a smile and go back to being a robot, all while I think about Erick…and Dale. Every time I try to force him from my thoughts, I just think about him more. What a shitty girlfriend I am.
I put Cash’s food on the table and go to Hazel’s bedroom to unwind. What I once called her prison hasnow become mine. It’s where I go to escape Cash, who seems to be losing it more and more every day. He’s been trying to contact Phil, but he doesn’t respond. Every time I look into his eyes, he looks more and more hollow. It scares me. None of us know what rests in the darkest depths of our souls when there’s nothing left to keep it at bay. I have a feeling Cash knows, though.
Too tired to shower, I strip out of my work clothes and slip on one of Hazel’s worn out t-shirts. I wish she were here so we could drink wine and curl up in her bed together without a care in the world. Instead, I cry myself to sleep thinking about how fucked everything has gotten.
I don’t know how long I was asleep, but when I wake up there’s a body protectively wrapped around me. At first, I stiffen as I wake up more, then I notice Dale’s scent. His large hand spreads over my ribcage and pulls me back against him.
“I’m sorry.” His regretful voice rumbles next to my ear.
I stare at the wall and listen to his breathing. He takes a couple of deep breaths as if he’s going to speak, but he doesn’t say anything. I’ve spent days wondering if he hated me. Now I know he doesn’t, and a weight feels like it’s been lifted from me. I slide my hand down and lace my fingers with his. He squeezes them for a second before loosening his grip. That’s all the reassurance I need. I pull our joined hands up and rest my chin on them, relaxing into his arms.
PHIL
The last several days have been productive. Although it’s a tight squeeze, I’ve kept everyone busy out at the lab. Joseph has taught all of us how to make Snap, and now the first batch is almost ready to distribute. While it finishes, I’ve got the boys making the next batch. Until we get a bigger facility and the drug on stockpile, it will be around-the-clock work to ensure we have enough for the masses. On top of that, I’ll be meeting with Cash soon. He’ll get his friend back, and I’ll have enough money to get out of this shithole and live like I should.
I stare at the vial in my hand, spinning it between my fingers. The liquid rolls along the glass like the tides of the ocean. Visiting a beach would be nice. Hazel in a bikini lying next to me on the sand, enjoying the fruits of my labor. I have to get her clean of this shit first and be able to trust her when she’s sober. Joseph thought he was being smart, smashing the vials in the sink. He didn’t know I had some hidden. There’s no way she could just go cold-turkey after the doses I had been giving her. Day by day, I gave her less and less, making her more aware. But this is a potent drug. There’s only enough for one more dose. Guess we’ll see how she fares when it starts to wear off.
Glancing over at Hazel, I watch as she numbly eats food Joseph had shoved into her hand. She takes little nibbles off it here and there, when she actually gets it into her mouth. I grab the sandwich from her hand and pull off a small piece and slide it between her lips. She lazily chews as she stares at thewall. Hazel reminds me of a patient in a mental hospital right now. This is not what I wanted for her, but having her this way has served a purpose, and I hope it changes her tune toward me when she sobers up.
“It’s time!” Dustin dances over to me with a smile on his face.
I put the sandwich back in Hazel’s hand and head over to the table lined with hundreds of sky-blue pills. This is it. We’re going to find out what all those fucking Snap addicted scumbags think of the new and improved version. A smile spreads over my face imagining all the money about to come my way.
“Start packaging it up, boys. We’ve got customers frothing at the mouth for a fix.”
They make up baggies and fill envelopes to drop off with the dealers. Cash has attempted to push up the meeting several times, but I’ve ignored every single one of his calls and texts. This is why. I wanted my guys to know what they were doing and my baby circulating before we met up. Patience pays off.
Dustin double checks all the envelopes and loads them into a milk crate. Now that the table is cleared off, we can start drying the next batch and start on a new one. We’ll have more to deliver in just a few days.
“Who do you want me to take with me?” he asks.
“No one. They’re going to start drying the next batch while you’regone.”
Dustin grabs the crate and takes off. That’s what I like about him. He just hops to when he knows it’s time to do something. I glance over at the other two. Bobby is prepping the table, and Samuel is just standing there watching; he isn’t even attempting to help. I sigh and walk over to him. He doesn’t pay me any attention. When I reach him, I slap the back of his head. Samuel jerks to the side, his brows drawn together.
“Quit fucking watching him, and get busy,” I tell him, pointing to the table beside us.
If he keeps this shit up, he won’t be around much longer. I’ll take him out in the field and shoot his dumb ass. Grabbing Hazel’s arm, I help her stand and direct her back to our bed. Once she sits, I pull up a chair and sit in front of her. Taking her food out of her hand, I tear off little pieces to feed her. She eats a little over half the sandwich before she shakes her head. I finish off the rest as I watch her stare off into space.
