Total pages in book: 122
Estimated words: 115590 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 578(@200wpm)___ 462(@250wpm)___ 385(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 115590 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 578(@200wpm)___ 462(@250wpm)___ 385(@300wpm)
“What the hell are you talking about?”
“Jacobs and the rest of the task force are heading this way. Heard it on Dad’s scanner.”
I shouted for Hendrix, and nearly busted my ass getting into the kitchen. I opened cabinets, raking out baggies of weed. Bellamy grabbed a garbage bag and yanked out drawers, dumping the contents inside. With each gram I tossed, my pulse ticked up. In a city riddled with meth and heroin dealers, kids peddling weed at parties should have been the least of Dayton’s task force’s concern. “They don’t have any reason to raid us,” I said, slamming one cabinet door and going to the next.
"Some Barrington kid got pulled over last night.” Bellamy chucked a pipe into the trash. “Said the weed he had on him came from us.”
“They can’t prove that!”
He made a knot in the garbage bag, scowling. “They can if they come raid your house.”
After a frenzied ten minutes, we had the house cleaned out. Not a trace of weed. Not a single pipe. Not even a roach. Bellamy took the Hefty bag of weed and paraphernalia with him when he left. And then Hendrix and I waited for the raid.
Red and blue lights flashed through the window. Brakes screeched. Doors slammed. “
Here we go,” I said, heading to the door just before a hard knock came from the other side. “Police. Open up.”
I knew there wasn’t anything in the house, but still, the idea had a cold shot of panic rushing through my veins. I opened the door, locking eyes with Jacobs. “What do you want?”
His lips set in a hard line. When he moved past me, his shoulder knocked against mine hard enough to push me back a step. Other officers filed in, their boots clomping over the floor while they spread out. They tore off the couch cushions. Ripped up heating vents. Pots and pans clattered in the kitchen, followed by the sound of glasses shattering. They tore apart the house. An hour later, all they had found was a crumpled beer can behind the stove.
The cops moved out, all except Jacobs. He stopped by the door, his gaze shifting between my brother and me. I shot him a smug grin. Dick, thinking he could arrest me.
“I know you’re both little shits,” he said, hand on the open door. “And that redhead of yours,” a sick grin set on his face “they’ll cut her pretty face up with razor blades in juvie.”
“Get the fuck outta my house.” I raised my hands to shove him, and Hendrix’s hand clamped onto my shoulder.
That beer can he found wouldn't send me to jail, but assaulting a police officer definitely could. And that’s all Jacobs wanted. He moved onto the porch, and I slammed the door.
That was the initial stirrings of a shitstorm. I could feel it.
“Where did Monroe go?” Hendrix asked.
“Hell if I know.”
* * *
Wolf grabbed a book from his locker, then slammed the door shut. “Do we know who the snitch is?”
“Not yet,” I said. The temptation to drive over to Barrington and douse half the yards in gasoline, setting fire to the lots had definitely been there. But that would have been stupid as hell.
Hendrix started down the hallway beside me. “I swear to God, that snitch is getting stitches when I find out who he is.”
Wolf chuckled before him and Hendrix ducked into class. I was almost to the gymnasium when I spotted Monroe. Her steps quickened when I approached her. She tried to dart past me, but I hooked my arm around her shoulders. “I need you to come over Thursday.”
“I can’t. I’m busy.” She tried to slip out of my hold, and I tugged her a little closer to me.
“Cancel it.”
“Can we not do this now?” She turned her face away.
Something was off with her. I took her chin, forcing her to look at me. The scabbed-over split on her bottom lip was impossible to ignore. That son of a bitch had smacked her for staying over at my house. Evidently, the quarterback had a death wish. One I’d be happy to grant. My temper spiked, the pressure building like flammable vapors in a tank. The tardy bell rang, followed by the bang of lockers and a flurry of students rushing to class.
For once, I didn’t want a scene, so I dragged her into an alcove by the water fountain. “Your little piece of shit boyfriend...” I imagined him hitting her, calling her worthless, the same way those rich bastards had done to my mom, and my vision went out of focus. “I’m going to break his legs, and he can kiss his scholarship goodbye.”
“It’s not Max.” Panic laced her voice.
I leaned in close to Monroe’s ear. “I will kill him, Roe.” And with that, I shoved away, slamming my fist against the wall on my way around the corner.