popular, Gray wasn’t unfamiliar with them, but he’d never owned a gun himself.
“You drive.” Darius tossed the keys to Gray. “I’m gonna call Willow once I have reception.”
Gray nodded and got in behind the wheel. Too bad the cabin’s Wi-Fi didn’t extend past the property line.
“I need to come up with a strategy for the Feds if Willow’s found all the intel we need.”
Gray side-eyed Darius as he drove onto the dirt road. “You’re not suggesting we wait for the agents, right? We have a chance to actually save Jackie. No way in hell I’m blowing that.”
For chrissakes, he had lost count of all the times Darius had said that the authorities couldn’t get shit done because of the bureaucracy. It was no wonder Gray didn’t have much faith in them. After all, his parents had sent Darius to find him not that long ago. The police hadn’t done it. Or the FBI.
It was scary, Gray couldn’t lie, but he couldn’t back down if it meant getting Jackie back alive.
“It’s not that simple,” Darius answered. “Doesn’t matter what vile piece of shit we save Jackie from. If we commit a crime, we could face jail time.”
“So, we don’t get caught.”
Darius smirked and rubbed a hand over his mouth, as if he were trying to hide it. “It’s possible I haven’t been the best influence on you.”
“You think?” Gray offered an incredulous expression. “Before I met you, I wouldn’t even jaywalk. Now I’m hunting down perverted rapists and firing guns.”
Darius chuckled. “Speaking of, when this blows over, we gotta get you your own permits.”
That was a perfect discussion for way down the road.
As they got closer to the bridge, Darius pulled out his phone and called his sister.
He had to be antsy, seeing as they’d be there in less than twenty minutes. Willow lived in Westslope too, only, in a more populated area across the river. She shared a small house with an aunt, where the second floor, a loft, was all Willow’s. It was one-part living quarters, one-part office. One big open space, with computer screens and gadgets everywhere.
“Hey. I’m on my way, but I wanted to call in advance,” Darius said. “Is Britt there?” That would be their aunt. “Okay, tell her to go see Grandma or something. I want privacy and no witnesses.” He paused, presumably listening to Willow’s response. Darius grinned faintly. “I forgot that was coming up. Can Elise fit ninety-nine candles on a cake?”
Yikes. That was one old grandmother.
“Why?” Darius became serious. “No—fuck no. Gray and I will handle this on our own. It won’t be a big op.”
Gray sped up as the road widened. Soon, they’d even reach a road that was paved.
“Well, don’t call him,” Darius told her. “A third person won’t help in that case—” He stopped, maybe interrupted, and sighed. “Squeezy. Listen to me. You say there will be limited options to hide. How would that change by bringing Ryan?”
Gray furrowed his brow.
“So, we’ll have binoculars,” Darius retorted. “I don’t need a marksman to see.” He grinned to himself. “You’re sweet, but this part of the game I’m pretty decent at, and—for fuck’s sake, quit interrupting me!” He blew out a breath. “You know what, I’ll see you in five minutes.”
It was more like nine minutes in the end, because Gray didn’t drive like a lunatic, but whatever.
He parked in the empty driveway and killed the engine.
It was a quiet street where all the houses were painted red, had white shutters and rosebushes leaning up against the picket fences. Only the house at the end of the street stood out. “Run-down” would be kind. Gray assumed no one lived there. There were no windows, the paint had peeled off, the roof was full of holes, and the yard consisted of mud and patches of dead grass.
Darius seemed to be thinking about the house too. “Someone actually bought it.”
“Huh?”
Darius pointed to it. “There’s a Sold sign stuck to the mailbox.”
“Oh.”
Opening the gate, Darius admitted, “I thought about buying it at one point. Fixing it up. Then I realized I was fucking stupid and wised up.”
Gray laughed. “Nah, you belong in the woods. I wouldn’t be able to call you mountain man otherwise.”
Darius threw an arm around Gray’s neck and kissed the side of his head. “You’re a mountain man now too, don’t forget that. You’re an idiot if you think we’re gonna revert to occasional dates and spending the night on weekends when this hell is done with.”
Gray smiled curiously as Darius