“Oh my God.” I struggled to stand, shaking my head when I saw her.
Appropriately enough, the room looked like a dungeon. It was bare, spartan, eerily cleaner than the rest of the clubhouse. Nothing inside except a few dirty rags in the corner, and the poor woman slumped in the chair in front of me.
Christa looked worse in person than she did on video. My heart sank to my knees, and I walked toward her cautiously, wondering if she was even conscious.
“Christa? Can you hear me? It's Missy Thomas. I hired you.” The last sentence stuffed a lump in my throat.
She didn't move until I touched her shoulder. She jerked awake, her dirty red hair flopping. Her eyes darted around and she moaned, scared out of her pale skin. And who could blame her?
“What? Missy? What're you doing here?”
I ran my fingers through her hair, trying to be reassuring. “I've come to get you out. I'm taking your place.”
“You're crazy!” she sputtered. Her swollen lips were bad – it sounded like she was talking with food in her mouth. “They'll kill you. Kill us both.”
“No. You have to trust me. Just stay quiet, wait until tonight. I've got a plan.”
Sure. Now, I did. I'd thrown it together at the gas station near the California border, the same place where I tucked the little goodie I picked up at the general store across the street. I hoped like hell I remembered how to pick locks the way daddy taught me.
I refused to say more. There was no point upsetting her, or getting her hopes up. It was hard to judge her mental state too. I had to stay quiet, wait for the devil to come calling, hoping he'd gloat and then walk away until tomorrow.
It must've been an hour or two before the thick door opened. Fang glowered in the hallway, entering alone and leaving his demonic posse behind him.
Christa flinched and whimpered when he walked past. I was sitting in an empty corner, and I stood up. My heart raced on pure instinct, but I wasn't afraid. My focus was all there, and it guided me, let me look the monster right in his black eyes.
“I'm not sure who's stupider,” he growled, pacing me like a lion. “You or the rat I should've killed in front of you before he took out my men. I'm human. I made my mistakes. I handed shit off I should've handled personally to lazy fucks who took their sweet time. They cut their own throats and let you take off with him, you and that kid.”
He sneered when he talked about Jackie. My heart pulsed in triumph. I liked remembering she was somewhere he could never reach her.
“Cut the crap,” I snapped. “You want the video Brass is using to blackmail you and ruin your reputation with your guys, or what?”
He stopped pacing and gave me a hard look. “Of course. I just can't believe they'd send a cunt like you to negotiate.”
“I'm here on my own. A free agent. I went behind my man's back.” It was strange to tell the truth, and it twisted like a sharp knife in my heart. “I wasn't sure if he'd follow through for her.”
I motioned to Christa. “But I can guarantee he'll do it for me. He'll show up, hand it over. And if he doesn't, then I'll make the confession. I'll give you whatever you want on tape, tell you everything I know about how he forged it.”
Fang snorted, shaking his head. “And then what? You think I should just let this pretty red haired thing walk out of here alive so she can tell the cops? You think it's really that easy?”
“You really think she'll talk? I still haven't. I just wanted to take my sister and get on with my life. So does she. That's not something you'll have to worry about for a long, long time.”
He laughed. It was a low, grinding, evil sound.
“Man, you're one fucked up girl. The only reason you never squawked is because your mouth is so full of rat dick you can't say shit. I'm really surprised about the kid, though.” He looked thoughtful. “Don't tell me she's sucking him off too? Seems a little young for that, but that junkie fuck never sat right with me long before he turned rat. Can't put anything past him. Fuck, what I would've given to let him burn back in Montana with the other traitors...”
Fang showed his teeth. I wasn't scared, I was too busy being pissed instead.
Rage curdled my veins. I couldn't believe what he was saying – what he was accusing Brass of being.
It took everything I could manage not to throw myself at his face and gouge out his eyeballs with my fingernails. Fang stepped back, taking a good, long, leering look at me. I barely stopped the cold shiver dancing up my spine before it took over.
“Nothing to say to that?” He asked. “Smart girl. I give you a lucky little star for doing one thing right. As for the rest of this shit, coming here and thinking I'd give you a damned thing...”
He crossed the room to the middle, stopping behind Christa. In a flash, he pulled his knife from his belt, tugging her hair while he held it to her throat.