she’d taken out before going to sleep.
She cursed inwardly. Would they be able to convict him without a recording?
Right now, just worry about getting out of this alive.
A shiny blue Impala was idling out front. As Isaias shoved her in the backseat, another thought occurred to her that made her weak: what if Isaias had stopped Lizette before she could transfer the money? And what did he do to my sister? He wouldn’t punish her for something I did, would he?
Then she realized that the FBI would have heard him threatening her in the bedroom before they left, and she closed her eyes, taking a deep breath. Would they abort the mission and come arrest him before the drug deal was done, and ruin the chances of a good sentence?
Or what if they can’t come at all? What if something happens, and I get stuck with him?
She shoved the thoughts away. She had to keep her head clear. She had to think of something, play her part.
They pulled away from the curb. The driver was a guy with shoulders twice as wide as his seat, a sleek, black ponytail hanging down his back. His brown eyes flicked to the rearview to examine her with mild curiosity.
“Don’t bother trying to escape, Riel,” Isaias said. “The child locks are on, and we’ll fucking cap you if you make a move. I can get a piece of ass elsewhere if you cause me any trouble.”
“Isaias,” Riel said, her hands tightening on her knees, “I’m not going to try to escape. And I wasn’t going to run off with the money.”
“Fucking save your shit, bitch. I don’t know exactly what your game is, whether you’re working alone or with someone, but I know you’ve been scamming me.”
“I’m not lying. I never planned on taking the money from Lizette. I didn’t tell you that I’d talked to Lizette because I knew you’d think that I was pulling some hustle, but I was worried, you know, if something happens…if we get shot…the police are going to know it’s gang related, right? And don’t they take all your assets if they suspect you of gang activity? That’s what they told me in prison. And they take the other person’s assets and property too, if you’re married, so that would include anything in Lizette’s name. I just wanted her to be safe, Isaias. You know that. She’s my sister.” A lump rose in her throat, tears pouring down her cheeks. “You didn’t…you didn’t hurt her, right? She didn’t do anything—”
“She got what she deserved,” Isaias said. “And save your stories, Rielita. I’ve got better things to think about besides your bullshit right now.”
Riel hugged herself tightly, trying to control her sobs. “What did you do to her?”
“Don’t worry about it. It’s none of your fucking business.”
She gritted her teeth. “It wasn’t her fault, it was me. And I wasn’t doing anything wrong, anyway. Please believe me, Isaias. I’d never hurt you or Lizette. I just…just in case…”
He looked back at her, his expression making her stomach drop. “Just in case we got busted? Why are you so worried about that, Rielita? You gonna snitch us off too?”
Her heart skipped a beat. “No, I’d never—”
Isaias reached back and shoved her hard into the car door. She cried out, bringing her hands up in front of her face. The car swerved slightly. “Take it easy, man,” the driver said.
“Just shut up, both of you,” Isaias said. “I don’t want to listen to you right now, Riel. You fucked this shit all up and I had to work all night to get the location of the pickup and the hit moved, in case you’d tipped Mishmash off. You’re lucky I don’t beat you six feet underground right now, you fucking puta.”
Riel curled around her knees, this new piece of information sinking in like a knife. Would the police know about the new plans? She didn’t know if they had ways of spying on him other than her phone.
They wound through the city, taking a small highway toward the coast. The bare branches of the trees were just starting to show a green fuzz of new leaves, and the sun shone, the blue sky contrasting with the bright silver of the broken, puffy clouds. It was such a beautiful day, and Riel’s heart ached, wondering if she’d survive to see another. She wondered if her sister were still alive to see this one.
The congestion of the city thinned out, the overpasses and