Page 22 of Burn Bag

I shoved past Red, but he grabbed me by the arm and I spun on him without thinking and slammed my fist into his face. Shock rippled through me that I had actually lost my shit over a stupid argument that was really a bunch of teasing anyway, and actually fucking hit him. I was just about to apologize when Red charged me, slamming his body into mine. I stumbled back, trying to stay on my feet.

Both of us were pushing back and forth, trying to get the upper hand. I heard someone shout, but I was too fucking busy staying on my feet to listen. Red clipped me in the jaw and I grabbed his arm, flinging him around. But he kept his grip on my sleeve and before I knew it, we were both flying into the casket.

We both tumbled over it, knocking it over in the process. A body rolled out, landing hard on top of me, and I just barely bit back a scream. Red pulled the body off me and rolled it over, wincing when he stared down at it. I got to my feet and stared down at Cash, shocked it was actually him.

For a man who had been killed by a car bomb, he looked in pretty decent shape. Then again, I suppose he could have gotten out and escaped the worst of it. I wasn’t there. I really had no idea.

I bent over and poked him on the cheek just to make sure he was actually dead. There was no mistaking the rubbery feel of his skin. This was most definitely Cash, and he was one hundred percent dead.

“Shouldn’t he be more…charred?”

“What the fuckis wrong with you two?” Lock snapped as he tore the tie from around his neck.

Red and I sat in his office, staring straight ahead like we were back in elementary school and had been sent to the principal’s office.

“It’s a fucking funeral, and you got in a fight! What were you thinking?”

“I—”

He spun and glared at me, cutting me off. “I didn’t ask you to fucking talk.”

“You asked a question.”

“Yes, for an adult. And you know what Idon’tsee in here?”

He stared at me expectantly, so I shook my head.

“I don’t see any other fucking adults in the room. I see two assholes who couldn’t keep their shit together at a funeral. Do you have any idea what this has done to Eva? She ran from the cemetery in tears!”

“Faking it,” Red muttered.

“What’s that?” Lock asked, storming over to get in his face.

“I said she was faking it.”

“Faking the tears? Or faking the fact that she saw her husband roll out of a fucking casket?”

“Both. I mean, come on. We both know she doesn’t believe he’s dead.”

Lock scoffed, taking a step back. “If she didn’t before, she sure as fuck does now! He’s dead!”

I winced, bobbing my head from side to side.

“Oh, you don’t believe me? Was the dead body not enough proof for you?”

“I mean…we thought FNG was dead, too.”

“Yeah, and he can’t die,” Red pointed out.

“Oh, so the dead body you saw in the casket wasn’t really Cash’s body,” he laughed. “I see. This is all some big conspiracy. Are her kids in on it, too? Maybe Izzy planned it out with them!”

I wasn’t so sure about that. “I think Izzy has enough on her plate without trying to plan something as big as this.”

“I wasn’t serious, you jackass!” Lock shouted.

“No, but he has a point. You know who would be great at planning something like this?” Red asked. “Fox.”

“Fox is the one who killed him!” Lock shouted. “He blew him up in a fucking car!”

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