Page 63 of Violent Skies

I inhale slowly, trying not to give away the fear that trickles up through my fingers into my bloodstream. I look at Riggs, lifting my phone with the intention of telling him, but he’s locked in conversation with Cress and I’ve never seen the expression he wears in my entire life. Never, not once. Not even when we’re fixing cars, racing, or doing something illegal. He looks alive.

I swallow the dread and shove my phone away.

“I didn’t ever think that we’d get back here,” Birdie whispers so quietly that I almost miss it, scared out of my thoughts. I turn to look at her and she’s watching everyone else with watery eyes.

“No crying on my birthday,” I remind her with a tiny nudge.

“He’d be proud of us,” she says next, and I agree

“It’s nice, this.” I admit.

“This is everything,” she says. “We have to protect it, Rafe.”

“We will.” I take her hand under the table and squeeze it tightly as I bring the bottle of beer to my lips. We will.

“How short are we?” I lean over Murphy as he does the math.

“A hundred and sixteen grand,” he sighs, and sets down his pen.

“That’s a steep number,” Jesse whistles from where he and Birdie are digging around in the Skyline. He’s covered in grease to his elbows and it streaks through his hair where he’s forgotten and tangled his fingers into it.

“It would be manageable if that was all they wanted, but they want blood and that’s a hell of a price.” I roll back my shoulders and groan as my eyes find solace in the metal rafters above me. This would all be more manageable if I knew what the fuck Koa had been doing or thinking. We’ve been running in circles and it doesn’t matter what we figure out we’re back to square one. My phone buzzes loudly in my pocket.

Jake

Race, three days from now, eleven at the curve. Huge payout.

I toss the phone to Birdie who shows Jesse.

“I heard some shady dealin’s about that race,” Jesse says. “They keep changing the date, location, and they won’t tell anyone an actual time.”

“You think Jake’s got bad intel?” I ask him.

“No,” Jesse shakes his head. “If he’s texting you it means he’s got solid information. But…”

“But what?” Birdie kicks his shoe.

“He’s been getting texts from an unknown number,” Jesse confesses.

“And you just thought to bring that up now?” I step away from Murphy with my arms crossed.

“They seem harmless.” He clears his throat.

I point to Birdie’s face. “Like that kind of harmless?”

She groans. “He didn’t beat the shit out of me, Riggs. Stop.”

“With everything going on we have to be smarter. You and your boy toy can’t keep information from us.” I warn him and Jesse sighs.

“Jake doesn’t think it’s connected,” he argues.

“Can I see?” Murphy asks, and Jesse obliges him with less friction.

“I saved them all. They’re in my pictures.”

“It’s the same format. Can you ask Jake to bring his phone to me?” he asks.

“Yeah…” Jesse sighs. “I don’t understand what these buggers want. If it’s you they’ve been after, why not just show up here and take the pound of flesh they’re owed?”