Page 66 of Faron
I dragged in a breath, shoved down the panic.
“No,” I said. “We finish this.”
And God help whoever was after Aponi when I got back.
63
Aponi
We decided to go to my apartment and see if he would show up. Whoever he was. Tag was in my kitchen, and I walked back toward my room, needing to shut my eyes for a few minutes. I felt safe with Tag here. My brother had good friends. Plus Blue went with us, she wouldn’t let me out of her sight.
My eyes were closed, but they opened when I heard a noise. A man was standing over my bed, watching me. I grabbed his hair and pulled him toward the bed so I could flip him, and then I would be watching him. His hand came out and hit me across the face. I had him down on the bed when he kicked out; he wore a mask covering his face. I felt him being lifted up from the bed.
“Scoot over, Aponi, and I’ll take over,” Tag said. I looked at him and decided to let him take control even though I didn’t want to. We walked him to the kitchen, where he tried to get loose, but Tag held him tight. Then, he put zipties around his wrist.
My ears were ringing. Blood trickled down the side of my face. My pulse hadn’t slowed—but the world narrowed down tohim.
The man lying zip-tied on my floor, glaring up at me with bloodshot eyes and a twisted smile.
Tag flipped him onto his back, yanked off the black ski mask.
And I stopped breathing.
Blue was saying something. Asking if I knew him. But her voice was muffled, like I was underwater.
My knees gave out. I sat hard on the floor, staring at his face.
It was older, thinner, with scars I didn’t remember. But those eyes…
They were the same.
“Isn’t this a fun reunion?” he rasped, voice raw from the elbow I’d driven into his throat.
Tag’s hand shot down, gripping the back of his neck. “Speak again and I’ll break your jaw.”
The man grinned. Blood stained his teeth. He looked straight at me.
“Miss me, sweetheart?”
Blue’s expression turned to ice. She glanced at me. “Aponi. Who is this?”
I opened my mouth. Nothing came out.
He laughed again. “I know you thought I died in that fire, didn’t you? Thought you finished the job.”
Tag went rigid. “What fire?”
“I burned him,” I whispered. My throat was dry. My heart was sprinting. “I—”
I stood suddenly. Backed into the kitchen counter. “Ikilledhim. Five years ago. I… Isawhis body.”
“No,” the man said, dragging his words out like poison. “You saw what I wanted you to see. Third-degree burns. Just enough blood. A different body under your fire. You’re good, Aponi, but not that good.”
“Whoishe?” Blue demanded.
I met her eyes, shame rising in my throat.
“His name is Caleb Knox. He was my criminal informant. He worked with me on a trafficking case… until I found out he was running girls for the same cartel. We had a fight. A bad one. He tried to kill me. I defended myself.”
