Page 42 of Injustice and Absolution

Resting my elbows on the top rail of the wooden barrier we first stopped at when we got here, I keep my attention on my linked hands and take a deep breath.

“I had sex with Delilah.” I don’t look at him as I make my confession, but when he doesn’t respond, I’m forced to meet his stare.

His hand stopped halfway to his mouth, his lit cigarette begging to be smoked. He’s looking at me with the utmost amusement, like I just told him the funniest thing he ever heard.

Before I tell him to fuck off with his judgement, he starts cackling like an excited hen.

I turn away from him, dramatically huffing an exasperated breath to share my displeasure toward his reaction. I catch sight of Zephyr several yards away. His attention is on us, but his brow is furrowed with confusion. I’m sure after the tension between Diego and me, the last thing he’d expect from either of us is laughter.

“Would you fucking pull it together?” I bark at Draven.

“I’m sorry.” He finally takes a puff of his cigarette. “Look, I knew you were hard up for her, but Inever, in a million years, would have thought you’d act on it.”

Now I’m the one staring in disbelief. If he knew, who else knows?

“Don’t worry, I don’t think anyone else pays as close attention to you as I do. It’s my job to be up your ass all the time.”

That only makes me feel a little bit better. I don’t like the idea that anyone else knows how she makes me feel. It’s a weakness neither her nor I can afford. But I suppose I’m stupid for thinking no one has caught on by now.

“So—stupidly—you fucked her, and then I’m certain you fucked up in some other way where she’s concerned, and that’s the reason you blew off every warning I gave you about making this delivery in person? Because you needed time away from your fuck up?”

I don’t like him referring to her as a fuck up, but I roll my eyes at his accuracy and prepare to eat crow.

“Basically.”

He takes another, longer, drag of his cigarette to mentally prepare for the second half of the conversation.

“Okay, next issue,” he nods. “What the fuck was that with Diego?”

Squeezing the bridge of my nose, I seethe all over again at the bomb Diego just dropped.

“He’s responsible for Penny’s disappearance.”

This time, the shock on Draven’s face comes without a trace of amusement. Folding his arms, he comes closer then digs the heels of his boots into the ground.

“What the fuck? What do you mean?”

“I-I don’t know. I never questioned what happened to her. There was no sign of struggle. She left a note behind for Maggie, detailing how sorry she was but that she had to leave.”

Thinking over the words I barely remember, it’s possible Penny could have been telling us what happened to her without actually spelling it out.

Fuck, I need to reread that letter when I get home.

“Did hetellyou he took her?”

“All he said is she’s long gone. I don’t know if he’s responsible himself or if it was the cartel.”

“Long gone as indead?”

“Yeah...” I answer, shocked at the sadness in my tone, even after all this time. You don’t have to love someone to be sad they’re gone.

“But more importantly, he threatened to do the same with Maggie,” I explain.

“Maggie?” Draven’s confusion over Penny shifts to concern once he knows Maggie could be in danger.

“When Maggie first met Fernando, before I had any idea they were connected to the cartel, Diego would sometimes come over to the house with him to ride four-wheelers. I thought it was weird at the time, given he’s almost ten years older than Fernando, but figured he was just keeping an eye on him. Since then, I think it actually had more to do with surveillance than anything else, considering how entangled both the stone yard and the club have gotten with them.”

Draven nods his head, agreeing with my suspicions.

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