Page 45 of Hush (Fighting Fate)

With my mouth suddenly dry, I nodded.

“Okay, what about the reports of a raised voice? A raised male voice?”

I stared at him without blinking. I knew he’d be able to see the sadness in my eyes. “It must’ve been the TV.”

His jaw clenched again then he nodded. Before he could say anyth

ing else, the ambulance pulled up at the curb.

The officers and I stood back as they rushed in and took control of Mom’s injuries. I watched them carefully fit a neck brace and lift her onto the stretcher.

“You know, if anyone was hurting you or your mother there is a way out,” the officer said quietly beside me.

I didn’t look at him. I just kept watching my mom, then infinitesimally, I nodded. I heard him sigh a little before I followed the stretcher out the door.

Chapter 34

Noah

Groceries done. Want me 2 cruz the strip?

Checking the text I tapped out to TJ, I hit send and started the car. TJ’s code for dealing was doing the groceries. It wasn’t really original, but what the fuck did I care?

My cell pinged a few seconds later. Yep. Check X.

I groaned. I really wasn’t in the mood to go to The Cross, but if I got it over with quickly, I could go check in with Kate. I needed to know if they were onto anything with these counterfeit pills.

TJ had managed to nab one guy he’d found selling the fakes with Mr. X’s mark on it earlier that day, but after a pretty gruesome interrogation, all he’d gotten out of him was that the maker called himself The Shadow. That’s it. No location. No way of contacting him. Nothing.

Parking the car just down the block from the seedy club, I strode to the door and paid the cover charge to get in. Finding a dark corner, I stood back and took in tonight’s trouble. The usual idiots were there, hollering and grabbing the girls as they paraded past, as were a few newcomers.

Movement in the far corner caught my eye, and when my eyes adjusted to the darkness, I found Kaeli’s loser step brother with another guy.

It was plain to see they were doing some shady dealings. Ken was going to have to pull him into line. And soon.

Sticking to the shadows, I walked around the perimeter of the room, my eyes trained on Aaron and the buyer.

Just as I reached the corner, the buyer slipped away. Aaron tucked some folds into his pocket and went to step out, but I took the opportunity to intercept him.

He looked momentarily startled for a second before he jacked up to his full height – which was still a number of inches shorter than mine, and puffed out his chest. He was a solid dude, but it wasn’t trained muscle like mine. He had muscles, but I seriously doubt he knew what to do with them.

“Back off, dude!” he spat.

I narrowed my eyes at him, leaning forward slightly so he knew I wasn’t intimidated. “Aaron,” I said in that scary calm way TJ liked to use. Aaron’s eyes widened. I could see the wheels turning as he tried to place how I knew him. “I don’t think TJ’s going to be happy when I tell him Ken’s dealer is becoming sloppy.”

Fear flashed through his eyes before they turned dark and bitter. “What the fuck do I care?”

I cocked my head as I studied him. There was something skittish about him. He was nervous about something. Nervous was never good. Bad things happened to people when they were nervous.

“I’m sure you’ll care when TJ puts a knife in you.”

He narrowed his eyes and his top lip curled up with distaste. “You’re one of TJ’s guys?”

I gave him a cold stare. “What do you think?”

Uncertainty crossed his face before he closed it off again. Fuck, this guy was all over the place with his emotions. To me, that indicated some major trouble.

“I think I don’t really give a fuck. I was just curious as to what losers he had working with him. You all fuck each other?”

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