cars in the lower deck until I found one with a winter jacket in it. It was heavier than I would have liked, but it would cover the blood. I had to laugh when I found the door unlocked. Nothing seemed to be going my way, so I didn’t expect to find even a semblance of good luck. The blood on Angela wiped away easy enough, and her shirt didn’t show it like mine did. I walked out into the street with her in tow and crossed the street into another parking garage where I found a car I could boost.
“Come on.” I said as I slid into the driver’s seat.
“Why didn’t we take the one you got the jacket from?” She asked as she climbed in the passenger seat.
“I don’t want the cops searching that garage. A jacket isn’t going to summon the cops, but grand theft auto certainly will.” I pulled out the wires underneath the dash and quickly hotwired it.
“Where are we going?” Angela lit another cigarette and cracked the window as I entered traffic.
“Something doesn’t add up…” I muttered. I reached over and took the cigarette from her, taking a long drag.
“Okay…” She dug into her pack and lit another quickly. “What doesn’t add up?”
“The fucking Eight-Ballers. They’re a street gang. They run drugs, women, and occasionally guns. They don’t kill District Attorneys. Shooting at us, killing other criminals, sure… Yeah, they’ll do that. This brings a war to their doorsteps. This jeopardizes everything for them.” I took another long drag and blew smoke out the window.
“You’re defending the guys who killed your fiancé; the fucking thugs that killed Ronald?” Angela shook her head in confusion.
“I’m not defending them. They’re trash! I’d kill every one of them as soon as I would look at them, but they aren’t stupid.” I tapped the cigarette out the window and kept my eyes focused forward.
“Maybe you’re just giving them too much credit…” Angela said.
“I’m going to get you somewhere safe, and then I have to figure this out.” I turned the car towards my father’s house.
“I want to stay with you.” Angela said in protest.
“You need to trust me.” I slowed the car when I turned onto my father’s street. There was a car parked in his driveway. “Can you drive a stick shift?”
“Yeah…” Angela nodded. “Why?”
“Someone is inside my father’s house.” I stopped the car and made sure I had a bullet in the chamber.
“Braden, don’t go in there! Let’s just drive!” Angela grabbed my arm as I reached for the door handle.
“If anyone besides me comes out that door, you hit the gas and you don’t stop until you see California.” I grabbed her by the back of the neck. “Do you understand me?”
“Don’t go inside there, Braden!” Her eyes filled with tears.
“Angela…” I paused and then looked into her eyes, wiping away a tear. “I love you. I never thought I would say that to anyone again, but until I figure out why the Eight-Ballers did this, you aren’t safe.”
“Braden…” She grabbed me by the collar and pressed her lips to mine. “I love you too.”
“Arg…” I muttered as she pulled my shoulder harder than I could stand. “I’ll be back.”
I had no idea who would be inside my father’s house, but what I did know was that the car in the driveway was one of ours. It was from the same fleet as the one I left in the parking garage. The only people who would have access to them were members of the Family. I tucked my gun into the back of my waistband as I walked around to the back and took the key from the false rock in the garden. My father had always kept it there. I slowly slid it into the back door and entered the house. I knew exactly where to step in order to avoid making noise. I had slipped into that house without being detected hundreds of times. I walked towards the living room, scanning each
“Come on.” I said as I slid into the driver’s seat.
“Why didn’t we take the one you got the jacket from?” She asked as she climbed in the passenger seat.
“I don’t want the cops searching that garage. A jacket isn’t going to summon the cops, but grand theft auto certainly will.” I pulled out the wires underneath the dash and quickly hotwired it.
“Where are we going?” Angela lit another cigarette and cracked the window as I entered traffic.
“Something doesn’t add up…” I muttered. I reached over and took the cigarette from her, taking a long drag.
“Okay…” She dug into her pack and lit another quickly. “What doesn’t add up?”
“The fucking Eight-Ballers. They’re a street gang. They run drugs, women, and occasionally guns. They don’t kill District Attorneys. Shooting at us, killing other criminals, sure… Yeah, they’ll do that. This brings a war to their doorsteps. This jeopardizes everything for them.” I took another long drag and blew smoke out the window.
“You’re defending the guys who killed your fiancé; the fucking thugs that killed Ronald?” Angela shook her head in confusion.
“I’m not defending them. They’re trash! I’d kill every one of them as soon as I would look at them, but they aren’t stupid.” I tapped the cigarette out the window and kept my eyes focused forward.
“Maybe you’re just giving them too much credit…” Angela said.
“I’m going to get you somewhere safe, and then I have to figure this out.” I turned the car towards my father’s house.
“I want to stay with you.” Angela said in protest.
“You need to trust me.” I slowed the car when I turned onto my father’s street. There was a car parked in his driveway. “Can you drive a stick shift?”
“Yeah…” Angela nodded. “Why?”
“Someone is inside my father’s house.” I stopped the car and made sure I had a bullet in the chamber.
“Braden, don’t go in there! Let’s just drive!” Angela grabbed my arm as I reached for the door handle.
“If anyone besides me comes out that door, you hit the gas and you don’t stop until you see California.” I grabbed her by the back of the neck. “Do you understand me?”
“Don’t go inside there, Braden!” Her eyes filled with tears.
“Angela…” I paused and then looked into her eyes, wiping away a tear. “I love you. I never thought I would say that to anyone again, but until I figure out why the Eight-Ballers did this, you aren’t safe.”
“Braden…” She grabbed me by the collar and pressed her lips to mine. “I love you too.”
“Arg…” I muttered as she pulled my shoulder harder than I could stand. “I’ll be back.”
I had no idea who would be inside my father’s house, but what I did know was that the car in the driveway was one of ours. It was from the same fleet as the one I left in the parking garage. The only people who would have access to them were members of the Family. I tucked my gun into the back of my waistband as I walked around to the back and took the key from the false rock in the garden. My father had always kept it there. I slowly slid it into the back door and entered the house. I knew exactly where to step in order to avoid making noise. I had slipped into that house without being detected hundreds of times. I walked towards the living room, scanning each
Similar Books
