The Peer and the Puppet (When Rivals Play, #1) (109)
With the lead only a hundred feet away, I marveled over how small in stature the rider seemed. I was ready to make my presence known when the rider suddenly shifted in preparation for the turn and the moonlight illuminated their unusual headgear.
Recognition delivered a powerful blow to my gut.
I threw myself back into the shadows with a vicious curse just as Four, followed by Hannibal, took the turn. I didn’t stop to see if either of them had noticed me and drove my fist into the door of the bus with a roar until my entire arm ached.
I was fantasizing about how I would even the score once I got Four alone when the reminder of Shane’s contingency plan if I failed barged through the red haze. Without a thought to how she’d betrayed me, or even a clear plan, I took off into the night to save her ass.
“OH, MY GOD! YOU WERE amazing!” Tyra screeched as she clapped and jumped up and down. She was completely oblivious to the nasty looks she was drawing from the crowd while I was all too aware of the hostile scowls from those who lost a lot of money tonight. “Do you think you could teach me how to ride? Maybe I can go pro, too.”
“Are you forgetting about medical school?”
“Fuck med school. They can teach me how to save lives, but they can’t teach me the ways of the badass.”
Mickey approached us with a grin the size of Texas and a fist full of cash. “Yeah, you still got it,” was all he said as he handed over the cash. His eyes were warning me to make a hasty getaway as he jerked his head toward the exit.
I didn’t need to be told twice. “Time to go,” I said to Tyra.
“We aren’t going to celebrate?”
“I told you…this isn’t that type of scene.”
We made it to her car without any hiccups, but my heart didn’t stop pounding until we passed through the gates.
“So how much did you win?” she quizzed half a mile down the road. The junkyard was but a speck in the rearview mirror.
I quickly counted out the cash, and my eyes bucked when I reached six grand. It was my biggest take yet.
I was about to answer when she whispered, “What the hell?”
Looking up, I spotted an older model green Accord and navy Impala blocking the road. A man was standing a few feet from the cars while one sat on the hood, another in the driver’s seat with his foot planted on the asphalt, and a fourth man on the furthest side standing in the driver’s door.
“Four, what is this?” Tyra’s voice shook as she stopped the car twenty feet away.
“A setup.”
“What do they want?”
“I’m guessing they want the cash.”
“Are we going to give it to them?”
“It looks like we don’t have a choice,” I mumbled. I’d already spotted the gun the point man held by his side. Forcing confidence in my voice to mask my fear and keep Tyra calm, I said, “Stay in the car. I’ll handle this.” I stuffed the money under the seat just in case I was wrong and exited the car.
“Do you mind moving your car?” I gingerly approached the thin man of average height with a receding hairline and too-thick beard. The rest of his crew matched his unsavory appearance. “My friend and I are about to break curfew, and I don’t want my stepdad calling the cops like he did the last time that happened.” I laughed so I’d appear at ease while hoping he’d heed my warning. Underaged girls with parents who cared? Maybe he’d think twice about killing us.
“Hand over the cash, little girl, and we’ll let you go home to daddy.”
I could feign ignorance, but I was almost sure he’d just kill us both and take the cash anyway. “How do I know you won’t kill me anyway? I’ve seen your faces.”
“What exactly are you going to tell the police? You’d be just as knee deep in shit.” He lifted his gun, but instead of pointing at me, he aimed at Tyra. My heart lurched when I heard her cry out. “I’m not going to ask you again.”
I took careful steps back with my hands out until I reached the car. Tyra was frozen stiff as I retrieved the money from under the seat. I assured her that we’d be okay, but it fell on deaf ears as she stared down the barrel of the gun.
Walking back over, I felt my ire rise at the smug look on his face. “My boyfriend is a vengeful son of a bitch. If you kill us, you’ll be looking over your shoulder for the rest of your life.”
He smiled, showing off a chipped front tooth.
The moment I offered the money, the sound of racing engines filled the night as headlights set on high beam chased away the remaining darkness and blinded everyone in the vicinity.
Every second that followed happened too quickly for me to recall. Gunfire rang out, and the sound of bodies hitting the ground followed along with screams and curses. I hadn’t realized I was huddled in a ball on the ground until I felt myself being lifted in strong arms and carried away. Footsteps pounded the pavement, and then I was tossed into the back seat of a car. The door slammed along with the sound of others, and then only the sound of tires screeching could be heard.
“Four, are you okay?” The voice sounded familiar, but I didn’t dare open my eyes. I was afraid of what I might see. “Four! Four!”
My eyes involuntarily popped open, and I found Jamie staring back at me from the front passenger seat. “I-I’m okay.” I glanced at the driver. Ever’s jaw looked carved from stone as he focused on the road with a tight grip on the steering wheel of the Crown Vic. I was sure he had been the one to rescue me from the gunfire. “Tyra?”