“I don’t know what you’re doing, so I can’t have an opinion.”

Raize moved another step closer, his voice growing softer. “Then ask what you need to know.”

A lump formed in my throat.

It was that easy now? When it never had been? We were told to jump, so we jumped. We were never allowed to have a thought or an opinion. I answered Raize’s questions on command. Now he wanted me to think for him? To be an active participant where people would die?

I knew what I needed to say. “Why are you changing the rules? You never asked before.”

His eyes narrowed. “New situation. New rules. Now stop stalling and tell me.”

I raised my chin and rolled my shoulders back. “I hate when you kill people.”

His nostrils flared, but he didn’t move back. His voice was still soft. “More.”

Okay. More, then. “I don’t understand why we have Cavers here. You don’t want him, so why is he here?”

He stared at me, like he always did, but this time, his eyes were thoughtful. Considering.

I didn’t know what he was considering…

“I worked for the Morales Cartel before I left them for the Estrada Cartel,” he began.

I frowned. “I didn’t know you could do that.”

“You can’t—not usually. I was a special case.”

I remembered Jake telling me how Raize had his come-up. I was so not asking what had made him a special case.

“When Bronski made his move to get you back, Carloni saw his chance. He’s been wanting to use my connection to the cartels for the last three years. I’ve been putting him off. You were there. You know a condition of me keeping you is him using me down here. He’s got no in down here without me, and he knows it. The cartels also know it. They sent Macca for me as a nice fuck off.”

I swallowed over that damn lump. “That guy in the bathroom was a nice fuck off?”

He grinned, taking out a knife. He ran his thumb over the edge. “I’m guessing Macca pissed someone off. They knew I’d kill him. Macca’s stupid—always makes noise when he goes in for a mission. I’m surprised he’s still alive all these years later.”

Damn. He knew that guy.

“Did you like him?”

His grin widened. “I don’t like anyone.”

Right. Cold, dead—that was Raize. I forgot for a second who I was working for.

“You never said why Cavers is here.”

He turned, heading back to the table. He laid the knife down and started to pile the papers together. “He’s here to snitch on us to Bronski.”

Hearing that name, I winced again. It was like an internal slap, followed by a roundhouse kick to the face.

“Why Bronski? Why not Carloni?”

Raize shot me a hard look, pausing before he put the papers in a bag and zipped it closed. “Because Carloni is pitting Bronski against me. Winner gets you.”

Cold dread spilled over me. “How do you know this?”

“Because I bugged Cavers’ room, his phone, and his vehicle. He’s Carloni’s man, but he’s reporting to Bronski, which tells me Carloni doesn’t want me here. I’m being used to make the relationship. Then he’ll send Bronski down here to replace me, and I’m guessing you’re the consolation prize. For Bronski.”

“Why would Carloni do that?”

“Because even though I was sent to Carloni, he’s not my boss. He must’ve found out somehow.”

Did I want to ask? I closed my eyes for a moment. “Who is your boss?”

He shook his head. “That’s not information you need.”

I winced, feeling slapped by that refusal after he’d told me so much. But, okay then. Raize had a boss. That boss sent him to Carloni. Carloni is using his connections, and then he’s planning to kill him and replace him with his own guy—who I refuse to think about—and Raize knew all of this.

Who was this boss? Maybe this might make more sense if I knew? Maybe? I didn’t know. This was kind of the office politics of this world. You got used and then executed.

But I was here. Once I’d started on this path, there was never any going back. I had one choice now, keep going. “You can’t kill Cavers then?”

“No, but I can send him on errands that will do nothing for us.”

“Why send Jake to follow him?”

“Because if I didn’t, Bronski and Cavers would both think I didn’t give a shit what he’s doing, and that would make them suspicious.”

Right. Because all of that made sense. “You told Jake not to be seen when he followed Cavers.”

Raize shook his head. “Jake sucks at tailing. There’s no way Cavers won’t see him, but Jake will at least try to stay hidden.”

“And what are you and I doing?”

He picked up the bag and nodded to my pizza. “The real work. Finish eating and meet me outside in five minutes.”

The real work. I wanted to make a joke about that, but I couldn’t. Dread was my constant friend. It was in me, always. And hearing those words, the real work, my dread turned into an altogether different sensation.

Anticipation. I didn’t like feeling that. I didn’t like it at all, but the other surprise of the day? Raize was a lot smarter than I’d thought.

I’d underestimated him, and that alarmed me. Who else had I underestimated?

“Girl.”

I had to go. I started for the door.

“Don’t forget your food.”

12

Carrie

Raize had two items to handle. One, we paid cash for another truck. Second, we went shopping for me.

Jake had bought everything Raize asked him to—food and supplies like toothpaste and toothbrushes, hand soap, towels, sleeping bags, blankets, a fan, the basics for staying at an empty house for a while.

But as far as purchasing clothes for me, he hadn’t done so great. He’d bought me a pair of socks.

So that’s how I found myself at the local Target with Raize carrying one of those hand-held baskets. I was in the dressing room, eyeing what he’d handed off to me.

I took the jeans, size four. I eyed the sweatshirts and tops he’d also handed me. “Why am I trying these on?” I asked him through the door. “These are just basic clothes that I can eyeball whether they’ll fit or not.”

“Can you fit them?”

“Yeah.” I tossed one of the pairs of jeans away, scooped up the rest, and went back out.

Raize stood as an older woman and a young girl came around the corner. “Oh!” The older woman looked like a young grandmother, her hair brushed back to reveal diamond earrings. The earrings got my attention first because they were classy. The granddaughter had the same blonde hair, same face and eyes. She wore a diamond necklace, and they both had their arms full of clothes. I was guessing the pink halter top wasn’t for the grandma.

Interest filled their eyes as they stared at Raize.

There was that reaction to him again. I didn’t understand it.

Raize’s gaze cooled, and I was hoping he wouldn’t call the grandma a skank cokewhore.

He stepped back, his hand went to the small of my back, and he murmured, “Excuse us.”