Dying for Rain (The Rain Trilog - BB Easton Page 0,29
it’s worth, Doug really did like you.”
Hoyt finally looks at me, trying and failing to make eye contact as his glassy eyes swim in his bloated, ruddy face. He smells like a potent mixture of brown liquor and body odor, and I genuinely feel bad for the guy.
Just not as bad as I feel for myself.
He returns a few minutes later with a new cup and toothbrush.
“Got you a clean set,” he mumbles, glancing at the camera and then back at his feet. “Wash up. It’s gon’ be lights out soon.”
From the weight of the cup, I know as soon as he hands it to me that it’s full of bottom-shelf whiskey, but that’s not really what I was after.
What I wanted was an ally.
The spare toothbrush was just a bonus.
Rain
“In one mile, turn right onto West Paces Ferry Road.”
Evidently, Jimbo got all the bells and whistles when he bought this truck. It even has GPS built right into the dashboard. And thank God because even though I found my phone in the duffel bag Q gave me, it’s dead as a doornail, and there was no way I’d have been able to find my way to downtown Atlanta with the back roads being as clogged up as they are.
“So … are you gonna tell us what’s goin’ on or what?” Quint asks, eyeing me suspiciously from the passenger seat.
“I already told you. We’re going to get Wes.”
“Not about that. I’m talkin’ ’bout how your man beat the shit outta Carter yesterday; then Jimbo almost shot his ass and chased y’all outta the mall; then Agnes called the cops, and they took her to find you guys; then she came back in this truck to pick up Carter, Sophie, and Jimbo; and now, you’re drivin’ it even though they hate your ass right now.”
“Oh. That.” My mouth goes dry, and my palms begin to sweat as I think about the events that led up to me stealing this truck. I picture Agnes, facedown and bleeding in the garage. I picture sweet Sophie and Jimbo finding her there. Then, I picture Carter, sprinting up the driveway toward me, his mangled face twisted in rage.
I focus on the road in front of my headlights and try my best to breathe as I blink the unwanted images away. “The Renshaws stole my house, so I stole their truck.”
I hope that’s enough of an explanation for them, but of course, it’s not.
“Stole your house? How the hell do you steal a house?” Lamar yells over the sound of the wind whipping through the busted-out windows from his spot on the tiny, fold-down backseat.
“They literally just moved in and took it over. I was too shocked and upset to fight back right away, but after I saw Wes’s sentencing, I just … I don’t know … I snapped. Agnes had Carter tie me up in the garage and said she was gonna keep me out there ‘til the baby was born, but I escaped and stole their truck.”
Quint’s and Lamar’s questions come rapid-fire after that.
“They tied you up?”
“The garage? Hell nah!”
“She was gonna keep you out there ‘til what baby was born? The second coming of Christ?”
“Wait.”
“Hold up.”
“Are you …”
“No.”
“You’re pregnant?”
“Do you know who the daddy is?”
I glare at Lamar, who asked that last question.
“What?” He holds his hands up. “No shade. I probably got a coupl’a baby mamas out there I don’t know about.”
“Boy!” Quint reaches into the backseat and smacks Lamar upside the head. “You can’t get a girl pregnant just by starin’ at her, and that’s about as far as you ever got.”
“Pssh! You don’t know my life. I got hos in different area codes.”
“You been ridin’ your bike to all those area codes? ’Cause you know you ain’t got no license.”
“It’s Wes’s,” I snap, cutting them both off.
“Ohhhh shit.” Quint’s expression goes flat as he turns to face me again.
“Yeah.”
“Sorry, Rain.” Lamar drops his voice and gives me an awkward pat on the shoulder.
“Don’t be sorry,” I say, swerving to avoid a mangled muffler in the road. “Just help me get him out.”
“Yes, ma’am.” I see Lamar give me a little salute in the rearview mirror.
Quint nods in agreement.
Thankfully, the GPS lady chooses that exact moment to change the subject. “Turn right onto West Paces Ferry Road.”
“Somebody should really make a post–April 23 GPS system,” Lamar jokes. Then, he switches to his best robotic lady voice. “Turn right at the burning school bus.”
Quint chuckles. “Or how ’bout, Ignore that Stop sign