Page 79 of Crash into me
She tilts her head, “Why?”
“This is one of those times that I just need you to trust me, okay?”
I slip out down the stairwell and exit from the back door and into my hiding place.
A few minutes later, he returns to the car. “Great, now she doesn’t even want to fucking see me,” he sneers.
Little does he know, I’m in the trunk.
He’s actually lost his mind if he thinks I wasn’t going to come with.
He drives differently when I’m not in the car, I’ve realized. He’s quick, turning in and out of curves at a pace that makes my stomach heave. If I don’t get out of here soon, I’m going to wretch all over his trunk. We stop for a moment, picking up Wes.
I hear them laughing, talking about their plans. I really thought when I told on him, Wes would talk some sense into him. Not follow him into the lion’s den.
I try to focus on stabilizing myself, beginning to feel confined in the space. Luckily, it isn’t long before I hear water lapping. No, beating against something. We’re near a dock and from the stench, the marina.
We’re here.
“Show time.” I can hear Foster’s wild grin by the way he says it.
“Listen, Foster.” Wes is talking. “We need to be rational about this, I agree we needed to chat with whoever in his circle will talk to us, but these are dangerous men.”
“I’m worse,” is all Foster replies before he opens the door and gets out.
Wes sighs. “Watch over us, Lo,” he breathes before closing his door too.
I wait for a few minutes before pushing the seat forward and slipping in from the trunk to the backseat. I pop my head up and peek around, they’re walking. Foster’s shoulders are broad, and his arms are a little flared out.
He’s not going to take Wes’s advice. Foster looks ready for violence, not chatting.
They dip into a dark alleyway, and I open the door, pushing it closed with the force of my palms to quiet the noise. It’s like a ghost town here; I wouldn’t think any type of business would be run here.
But this is a business of shadows.
I carefully step against the concrete, keeping my body flush with the buildings. Water smacks itself against the harbor as a boat comes into the bay. I’ve never liked this side of the ocean. I prefer the crystal-clear waters to the fishy, dark smell of the bayside.
It makes sense why such fowl people would be here.
The stench burns my nostrils as I get closer to the edge. Foster and Wes entered the last door on the left.
I lean my back against the metal wall, taking in a deep breath. I truly have no idea what I’m doing here. There’s no rhyme or reason as to how I would help them if anything went down. But Foster has been there for me, through so much.
“Please don’t be locked,” I whisper with a shaky breath.
Luckily, the door pushes right open.
A long corridor stretches out, with a single door at the end. After they enter, I wait a moment before I follow into a surprisingly crowded hall.
I thought I was going to have to stick to the shadows, hiding in crevices, but this place is packed. Room upon room of activity. I slip through the mingling crowd. There were only a few cars outside, so how did they all get here?
This place must be soundproof; I didn’t hear any of the music or chatting from out there.
One room is filled to the brim with beautiful dancing women, along with sleezy old men who grope at them. Another is filled with white dust that people put into lines.
I trace my eyes forward, watching Foster’s tall frame jut through the crowd. People move out of the way for him and Wes. For me, I’m having to push my way thorough.
I pass a more innocent room full of people playing cards. A fight breaks out between two men about the heavy stack of money on the table, and I hurry past.