shakeup of the organization, but I’m not getting any real details.”
“Okay. So that means they’re vulnerable right now.”
“Vulnerable to what?”
I shook my head, frustrated. I had a plan in mind, but it was too soon to try to convince him of it. There were too many variables floating around, and if I tipped my hand and he decided to rat me out, everything would come toppling down around me. I needed to get him interested, but without divulging my real intentions.
“I have some ideas, but you have to trust me.”
“There’s not a lot of trust around these days, Climber.” He looked at my gun pointedly.
I picked it up from the counter. He stiffened in response. I ignored him and proceeded to open the chamber and dump out the bullets. “Better?” I asked.
“Fuck, don’t do that. I nearly shit myself.”
I laughed. “Relax. I’m on your side.”
“I don’t even know what side I’m on.”
“You’re on whatever side takes care of you.”
“And you think that’s what you can do.”
I clenched my jaw. “Fuck, Thom, look at this place. Look at your fucking life. They own you, man, and if they ever get caught, they’re going to rat on you so fast you’ll be getting ass fucked in jail before you can sneeze.”
“That’s not true,” he said softly. “I’ve been around a while. I brought you in.”
“All the more reason you shouldn’t be living like this.”
He bit his lip thoughtfully. “These are serious guys,” he said at last.
“I know. So am I.”
“If I were interested, not saying I am, but if I were, I’m not dying for this.”
I laughed. “Neither am I.”
“I got a lot of shit to do still.”
“Me too.”
“Okay. I’m not saying I’m in.”
“Think about it.”
“Fine.” He grinned at me, shaking his head. “You’re one crazy motherfucker, aren’t you, Climber?”
“Crazier than you know, man.”
I stood up, slipping the bullets into my pocket and tucking the gun into my waistband. I pushed out his door and walked out toward my truck. I heard him follow me to the front door.
“What’s to stop me from telling them?” he called out.
I turned back. He was standing there, a cocky grin on his face, his arms crossed. I covered the distance between us quickly and, before he could even wipe that stupid look off his face, punched him once in the jaw. He stumbled backward, clutching his face.
“Don’t ever say that again,” I said.
“Fuck you, man. I was just saying.”
“They’d kill me and they’d kill you too for even listening to me. Don’t ever think about fucking ratting on me, Thom.”
He looked at me, rubbing his jaw. Rage flew through my veins and I wanted to take out every frustration on his stupid, idiotic face, make him bleed for me. But I knew that I needed his connections if I had any shot at getting out of my situation alive, and I needed him. I could push Thom, but I couldn’t push him too far. Punching him was probably not the best move, but I couldn’t abide that sort of bullshit from him. I had to make sure he was down.
“I was just saying,” he muttered.
“This is for real. This is life or death shit now. You don’t want in, fine, you don’t want in. But don’t get me killed because you’re a coward.”
“I’m not a coward.”
“Good. Keep your fucking mouth shut.”
I turned and left him standing there. I climbed into my truck and started the engine. He watched me as I pulled off his property, back down the dirt path. As soon as I was a few feet away, the night swallowed him again, and I was headed back home.
I didn’t want to see Becca. Not with the adrenaline flowing through my veins, the angry confusion still holding on to me. But I’d put my mom through enough shit for one weekend and had to show up at home, at least so she knew that I hadn’t been killed by a bear.
My problems weren’t solved, but I was starting to get to work. Becca might come around, or she might not.
But either way I was going to be ready for her when she figured out that she couldn’t live without my hard cock.
Chapter Fifteen: Rebecca
His words kept ringing in my ears. I’ve been smuggling drugs from Canada for the mob.
My stepbrother the drug smuggler.
I didn’t know what to do with that information. All night long I kept imagining him behind bars, locked up because he got caught bringing drugs into the country.
Worse, I kept imagining