“I would love to join you in the shower.” I smile, grabbing his hand and pulling him to the bathroom.
31 Pepper
My leg bounces up and down as I watch the little dot on the map of my phone get closer and closer to the location I plugged in earlier. Butterflies dance and flit in my stomach, and I think I might throw up. Ben reaches his hand over, placing it on my knee, stopping the panic attack rising in my body.
“This was a bad idea. I shouldn’t have come,” I mutter.
“I told you not to,” Ben says.
I roll my eyes. “I wasn’t leaving you alone to face the Mafia.”
“We don’t know who these people are, but as soon as they have their money, I’m hoping they will leave us alone.”
Ben cuts his eyes at me, and my panic comes back when I see the storm raging. He doesn’t feel as confident as he wants me to believe.
We went to the bank yesterday, filled out the form for me to withdraw the money, and left with the money. So far, no one has shown up at our door, asking questions, but we hope that the IRS will eventually track the money back to the bad guys.
“So, what’s supposed to happen again?”
“We get to the location, I call the number, and we exchange money for Mark.”
I nod and then nervously laugh.
“I swear this doesn’t feel real.”
We grow quiet as my phone alerts us that we’ve arrived. We are in the middle of nowhere. I’m surprised my phone still has reception. Ben stops his truck, parking it in the middle of the grassy field, but he leaves it running while we both look at the empty expanse of land around us. He pulls out his phone and dials the number, bringing it to his ear. He’s quiet for a moment before I can hear someone pick up on the other end, and a tinny voice comes through the speaker.
“I’m here,” Ben says, motioning me to hunker down in my seat since I shouldn’t be here.
I do as he said while reaching to lower the window about half an inch, making sure I can hear what’s being said when the others arrive. Ben shoots me a warning look, and I shrug. I shouldn’t have come. I know it.
We sit in silence before I hear the sound of wheels on the ground getting closer. The crunch of the earth beneath them sends shivers down my spine. It’s sinister and deadly, and I press my hands to my chest where I lie, trying to still my racing heart.
You’re getting worked up over nothing. They won’t know you’re here.
Ben opens his door and steps out, not looking back at me before shutting it with a thud. My heart echoes the sound.
Thud, thud, thud. I can hear it in my ears.
“You have the money?” a gruff voice asks.
I hear the sound of Ben’s bag hitting the ground and then the zipper opening.
“Where is Mark?” Ben asks, and then silence.
They must not be saying anything. I fight the urge to get up and look out the window. I hear a car door open and close a moment later, followed by a groan as someone else enters the mix.
“Is he okay?” Ben’s voice again.
The groaner must be Mark.
“Not a scratch,” the gruff voice says.
Silence ensues, and I get fidgety.
“Looks like it’s all here.”
I jump as the door to the truck opens, and a guy who must be Mark tries to hide his surprise. The family resemblance to Ben is uncanny. I can see it now that I am meeting him in person and not just looking at a photo. He’s attractive, but his penchant for crime unsettles me and dims his attractiveness. I shuffle over as best I can while waving him in, my eyes wide, hoping he gets the hint not to let anyone know I’m here.
Dammit, I should have gotten in the back of the truck cab.
He doesn’t get in immediately, and I try to convey my panic because he’s standing there with the door open, but he’s not looking at me. He’s staring at the guys talking to Ben.
“Pleasure doing business with you, Ben. Remember what we said, not a word to anyone. Ever. We will be watching.” The tone is sinister.
I feel the urge to puke again. Mark remains completely still beside the door, his eyes focused on them. I sigh in relief as I hear a car door slam, thinking that the others must be leaving, but I stop breathing when the gruff voice sounds again.
“Oh, and, Ben? I told you to come alone.”
The sound of a gun going off is jarring, and it feels like it shatters my eardrums. I scream. Mark suddenly disappears from beside me, gone in a flash, and I roll off the seat, catching myself with my hands on the way down. I narrowly miss landing on Mark, who is lying on the ground. I’m up in a second, the pain in my body not registering as the black vehicle I can now see peels out of the area.
My eyes find Ben, who is rounding the front of the truck. Then, he’s beside Mark, pressing his hand against his brother’s shoulder, where blood is spilling out. Mark yells, and I sink to my knees beside them both, my hands covering my mouth as I take in the scene. I fight the urge to throw up at all the red around me.
“Pepper. Pepper?”
I look up to see Ben’s eyes on me, his mouth forming my name, and I realize I’m sobbing.
“Pepper, stop. He’s okay. It’s just a flesh wound.” Ben points to Mark’s shoulder, bleeding and raw, but all I can focus on is the blood.
“Oh my God, this is all my fault,” I say, taking Mark’s hand in mine.
“I’m okay, Pepper,” he says faintly.
I look back down at his shoulder before leaning to the side and throwing up for real. Everything
