Page 12 of Pit Stop

“Take the gun.”

Decker shakes his head. “That’s your gun.”

I grab the back of his head. Forcing his eyes to meet mine. “Yes, but we got our guns switched on the last job and never got around to switching them back, so you’ve had this gun all night. You heard gunshots and came running in. You found Boris and Roberto dead and me with a smoking gun facing Boris.”

“What? No!” Decker goes into a panic, so I pinch the skin on the back of his neck.

My head nods. “Yes,” I say calmly. I’m surprised I manage to keep my voice calm at all with everything I feel inside me right now. “That’s the story. I killed Boris and when you tried to stop me... I stopped you.”

His eyes search mine. “Why?” he whispers.

“Because you’re my family. We’re each other’s family and we protect that. I love you brother. Remember the story,” I tell him. I pull my arm back and let it fly forward. It lands on his cheekbone. Decker’s head flies back and whacks against the wall with a sickening thud. He falls forward and I lay him back on the floor, positioning him so it looks like we had a fight.

As I stand up, I rush towards the window and climb out. Carefully I scale the side of the run mill and make a dash for my car. I wanted out and now I have no choice. This wasn’t how I thought it would go down. I was sure I’d be dead but I’m still breathing for now… I need to get the hell out of town. I’m not sure where to start, but I know someone who will know what to do. The drive is easy, light traffic and I hardly hit any of the stoplights. When I pull up along the sidewalk, I send a text.

Tillman: SOS

Then I wait to see if there’s any saving grace left for me now.

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