That all made sense. But that wasn’t what I was asking about.

I leaned back. “Teach me to shoot.”

“No.”

“Yes.”

When I started on this journey, that had been my one thing I tried to stay away from. I was a year and a half in and learning how stupid that’d been. I should’ve learned before going to work for Bronski. That would’ve been the smart thing to do. Know how to use a gun, but act like I didn’t. Be underestimated. It would’ve been an ace up my sleeve, and in this world, that could keep me alive.

I needed to learn how to shoot a gun.

He sighed. “Girl.”

“Carrie.”

He frowned, lowering the gun he was cleaning. “Excuse me?”

“My new name. Carrie. What’s your name?”

He continued to stare at me, like I’d told him to figure out a puzzle before we could keep talking. But then he pulled out his new license. “Brad Watowski. I’m a Norwegian piece of shit.”

“Brad.”

He nodded to me, returning to the gun. “Carrie.”

I stood from my chair. “Teach me to shoot a gun, Brad.”

His eyes went flat. “Don’t do this, Girl.”

“Teach me.”

“You know I can’t.” He went back to cleaning.

I bit back frustration.

“But I guarantee that if you ask the boss, he’ll teach you to shoot, or he’ll okay me teaching you.”

Relief warmed my chest. “So you’re not saying yes because you need approval?”

He whistled, shaking his head. “You’ve seen our boss in action. I ain’t doing shit without his say-so.” He gave me a dark look. “You been watching Cavers?”

A chill went through me.

The answer was no, because I didn’t like Cavers. I didn’t know why, but I knew I didn’t like him.

Seeing my look, understanding my look, Jake kept on rubbing that barrel. “Boss don’t want him with us, but he’s not asked you about him because he can’t get rid of him yet. I don’t know what we’re doing here, but I can tell that Cavers guy is a big part of it.”

That gave me a bad taste in my mouth.

Whatever or whoever Cavers was, none of us wanted him with us. A person didn’t need my gut instinct to know that. Cavers was either going to bring about our death or he was going to die by our hands. One or the other. A guy like that, there was no other way.

Jake reached for a new rag. “I’ll tell you right now, though. I’ll be happy when I get the go-ahead to put a bullet in that guy’s forehead. We’ll all be better off. You. Me. El Jefe.”

I reached for my phone as I glanced out the window. Two trucks had pulled in, and they drove slowly past our rooms.

“What is it?” Jake asked.

I found myself standing, though I hadn’t realized it.

I motioned to the window. “Those trucks look friendly to you?”

Jake was all business, moving to the window with a gun raised. He eased back the curtain, looked, and cursed.

That was all I needed.

I was on the move, grabbing the bags.

Jake put the rest of the guns in a bag and pulled it onto his back. He was facing the door with a gun in each hand as I came back with Cavers and Raize’s bags. I was wearing mine.

“You need me to take anything?”

He was looking outside. “No, but text the boss. Let him know we might be running.”

I did, and got a near immediate response.

Raize: Kill them if need be. If not, get away. Take a pic of them if you can.

I told Jake what he’d said, and he gave me a hard look.

The truck stopped outside our room.

We could leave through the back window. Everything was in our bags. The only thing we’d be leaving behind was our DNA, but I could tell Jake didn’t want to do that.

“Can you take a pic for him?” Jake asked softly.

I nodded, going to the other room.

A guy was getting out of the truck. He wore tight jeans, a big belt, a white button down shirt, and a cowboy hat. He walked toward the room where Jake was and peeked inside. I took my phone out, positioning it just beyond the curtain, and I took the pictures Raize wanted.

The truck.

The guy walking.

The license plate.

The driver still in the truck.

The images were clear enough, and I shot them off to Raize.

He responded as I returned to the other room.

Raize: Leave. Now.

I shared this with Jake, and he took one last look out the window before motioning to me. “Let’s go out their bathroom window.”

We went back to Cavers and Raize’s room. Jake shut the adjoining door, locking it without making a sound. We went to the bathroom. It was a small window, but big enough for both of us. I went first, falling into a crouch on the ground outside. Jake tossed all the bags to me, and I kept a lookout as he climbed through.

I had a moment to reflect as I did so, and this was so not normal.

Here I was, escaping through a shitty motel bathroom window, and I knew it wasn’t luck that we had this exit. Raize wouldn’t have picked a motel where we could’ve been cornered. We were probably running from local drug enforcers, and if anyone came to check the back, I’d have to shoot.

So I should probably have a weapon. Jake had his back to me, and I reached up, taking one of his guns from him.

He cursed, falling the rest of the way, and then glared as he swiped his gun back. Raising it to me, he warned, “You don’t touch this until you know how to shoot it. I’m not going to be taken out by a girl named Carrie. Got me?”

For some reason, I found that endearing. I grinned. “Got it.”

He rolled his eyes and reached up, grabbing the window so it closed somewhat.

Then we took off down the alley, which connected to another alley, and we crossed a parking lot before hitting the street.

I didn’t know how to feel about what had just happened, but my stomach growled, and I decided that was more important right now.

I motioned to a late night taco truck. Since we were here, why not?

There were a few buzzed or drunk people also there so we’d have cover.

While we were at a picnic table eating our tacos, those guys drove past and took a left at the intersection. I nabbed a pic of that and sent it to Raize.

My phone rang a second later.

I answered it on speaker, knowing who it was. “Yeah?”

“Where are you guys?”

I told him the taco place’s name. “We’re outside, sitting at a table.”

“Those guys left?”

“Yeah.”

“They didn’t see you eating?”

Jake had stopped eating, waiting.

“I don’t think they know who we are.” Not that I knew who we were either. “They were just looking in the rooms when we left.”

“Is Jake there?”

“Aye,” he called.

“Listen, we can’t get away right now. Get a cab, go to a nice hotel. She’s going to stay in the lobby, and I need you to go buy a car. Local. Cash. No paperback.”

Jake’s gaze met mine. “Got it.”

“After you get the vehicle, go to a different motel. Have the girl pick it. Text me where you are.”

Jake’s gaze narrowed and his chewing slowed. He lowered his taco. “You and Cavers need backup?”