Page 56 of Resurrect Me

I’m losing my patience. And my kids’ lives are at stake. “I said fucking go! She has my kids, Brother. I need you to just listen to me. Reggie isn’t the enemy here. Okay?”

He pivots and disappears below deck. I clench my jaw and accelerate. The boat roars faster and faster as we glide over the dark water towards the inner docks. My mind is churning like the ocean. How did I not see this coming? With all the money Judy came from…her family’s claim to fortune in the oil industry. The way Tacy’s father mysteriously died on a vacation in Egypt. On and on, the pieces keep coming together. I breathe a little easy knowing that she is my children’s grandmother…and I hope that means she won’t do anything to harm them. But the fact that The Org is threatening my kids’ lives is enough for me to return Declan. Even though the urge to string him up by his feet and gut him like a deer swims around inside of me incessantly.

Reggie’s voice rises over the sound of the engine and the water. “When we get there, who’s delivering the cargo?”

I shout back, “me and Clyde.”

Reggie stands beside me. I turn to look at him. His copper skin gleams in the haunting light of the city’s skyscrapers. His facial expression tells me he’s concerned. No. Downright frightened.

“I can do it,” he offers.

“No, that’s a bad idea, man. They know who you are, don’t they? They’d take one look at you and kill you once Declan’s in their possession.”

“With everything I’ve put you and the boys through, it wouldn’t be uncalled for.”

I turn the wheel and head the bow into a marina flanked by empty warehouses, crumbling tackle shops, and old sailboats.

“That’s bullshit,” I say. “You were doing your job.”

“I could’ve let you know what was going on sooner,” he replies and points at a pair of headlights in the distance. “Watch it.”

“I’m aware,” I say. “But you don’t deserve to die. If anything, you deserve a fucking metal, Reg.”

He shakes his head and bites his lip. I don’t think I’ve ever seen him this disturbed. Even when we had him tied to a chair in the coldest corner of the warehouse.

“For what it’s worth, Reggie, I forgive you for not telling me,” I say and grab his shoulder and squeeze it.

Reggie smiles at me. “Thanks, Brother.”

A few minutes pass and we pull up to the docks deep in the historic part of Harbor Towne, known as the Inner Harbor. This place used to be a bustling port where fishermen brought their catch and sold it to distributors and restaurants. Now that the bay is overfished, there’s less fishermen and the Inner Harborhas pretty much been abandoned. Which makes it the perfect place for shady dealings and criminal organizations. The mob’s known to run drugs and traffic women out of the Inner Harbor. Which makes sense why The Org wanted us to meet here. It’s quiet. It’s dark. And, even if something goes down and there are witnesses, the witnesses likely have a warrant out for their own arrest and would never go to the cops and risk exposing themselves.

Reggie returns below deck and Clyde takes his place by my side. We tie off the boat, kill the engine, and survey the scene. There’s a car with its headlights on sitting just beyond the dock. I’m sure it’s The Org’s men.

I reach below the seat and locate my blade. Then secure it in my boot. They said no weapons, but Lord knows these slimy mother fuckers will have guns and who knows what else on them.

Clyde shoots me a look, as if to say it’s go-time, just as he pockets his own revolver. He disappears below deck, then reappears with Declan in front of him. He has his gun pressed to the small of Declan’s back. There’s a black cloth bag over our hostage’s head.

“You can take the bag off,” I say. Though I have no desire to see this Benedict Arnold’s face.

Clyde nods. As soon as the fabric slides off Declan’s head, he looks at me like a shark ready to devour his prey. Which is funny, since he’s the one who’s bound and has a gun buried in the small of his back.

“I fucking knew it,” he says and continues to smirk. “Solomon fucking Rountree is alive.”

I’m seething. There’s a voice inside of me telling me to blow his fucking face off. Fuck the consequences. But the logical voicetells me my mother-in-law still has my kids. And who knows who else is with her. What if she was forced to make this deal?

“Funny, since you seemed to harp on the fact that I was dead. You can’t fucking kill me, Declan. I keep coming back.”

“Like a fucking disease.”

“Like a fucking nightmare.”

“Get up there,” Clyde growls at Declan. “It’s midnight. Let’s make this quick. I don’t want to look at your ugly fucking face anymore.”

We step onto the dock and slowly make our way towards the idling vehicle.

“I’m not handing him over until I have word my children are safe. Until I know they’re safe and sound with my wife.”

Declan chuckles under his breath. The snide piece of shit. I reach for Clyde’s gun and motion for him to let me take over. Then I shove the barrel harder into Declan’s spine. He flinches but continues laughing.

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