Rain Shadow(38)

“I do all your dirty work without question, but I’m not killing a federal agent. That’s like signing my own death warrant.”

Dreygon’s face twisted with anger. He lifted his pistol and aimed it at Gunner. “Why don’t I just sign it for you.” His hand shook as he seemed to be deciding whether or not to kill him.

“I’ll do it,” Cash said. Dreygon pointed the gun at Gunner for a few more tense seconds and then lowered it.

“Max,” Cash said, “go to the dungeon and get some rope.”

“I always thought you were different, Cash,” Angel sobbed. “I was so wrong.”

Cash flinched at her words. I was never quite sure about the guy, but now I knew. He’d volunteered so readily, it was obvious he’d always had it out for me.

Dreygon stared at Gunner with murder in his eyes and then he turned to me. “All this time that you’ve been lying to us, Boy, I guess you were gathering up what you thought was a nice bundle of damning information about this club.”

“You take yourself too seriously, old man. There wasn’t much to gather from this cartoon operation. Up until the load of guns, I didn’t see anything more than an old man sucking in more weed than the audience at a Grateful Dead concert.”

His face twisted at my words.

“I hadn’t really planned to end up here.” I looked at Angel. Her blue eyes were glossy with tears, and the hurt in her face was too much to bear. And I’d caused it. “But I don’t regret one damn minute. I’m just glad I got to spend my last few weeks of life with you, Evangeline. I never knew I could love someone as much as I love you. Every minute has been fucking heaven.” Her tears flowed faster as I spoke, but I would never see her again. I needed for her to know. “I hope you break free from this place and this man. I only wish I could have been the one to save you.”



She ran forward and threw her arms around me. I ached to hold her but my hands couldn’t move.

“You get out of this place, do you hear me? Angels don’t belong in hell.” Her tears moistened my shirt as she pressed her face against me. “Find a way out. Promise me you’ll find a way out.”

“I can’t do it without you.” Her voice was barely audible. “You were supposed to take me with you. We were meant to be together.”

My throat seized up as she spoke. I’d promised her, and now I’d failed her . . . miserably.

Max shuffled across the yard with two ropes slung over his shoulder. He circled behind me. Gunner yanked my hands back and up at a sharp angle, giving me no freedom to try anything. There wasn’t much to try. I was surrounded, and Dreygon had a gun.

Angel still clung to me like she had when Gunner had chained me up in the dungeon. She’d saved me then from the pain of the whip, but I’d done nothing except cause her heartache. Her entire body trembled, and I couldn’t do anything to comfort her.

Cash double checked the knots and pulled them tight enough that my hands began to tingle. Then he stooped down and hobbled my feet so that one six inch step would send me on my face.

I was going to my execution. Several weeks ago, after the nightmarish reality of Dex’s death had hit me, I would have welcomed a bullet to my head. Now I wasn’t ready for the grave. The girl wrapped around me made leaving this life much harder.

“Let go of him, Angel,” Dreygon scolded.

She looked over her shoulder at him. “Fuck you. I’m never going to talk to you again. Cash is going to have to shoot me too.”

It was obvious Dreygon had to restrain himself. “Jericho, go tie her up in the dungeon. She’s been needing a whipping for a long time.”

“Don’t you fucking lay a hand on her,” I yelled. I struggled against the ropes but it was useless. Anger heated my face. “They will get you for this, Sharpe. They are going to lock you up. You’re going to spend the rest of your life waiting for your execution day. And I’m glad of it.”

“You’re lucky then. You won’t have to wait long for yours.” He looked at Jericho. “Take her to the dungeon now.”

Jericho walked over and took hold of Angel’s arm. He tucked her behind him. “No fucking way.”

Dreygon’s mouth tightened with rage. “Did you just say no to me? Maybe I’ll beat the shit out of you first.”

“That’s fine, but you’ll have to kill me before you lay a hand on Evie.”

Dreygon was losing control of his crew. His eyes bulged from his red face. He looked at Cash. “What the fuck are you waiting for? Get this asshole out of here and press the gun close. I want his brains to splatter over the whole fucking mountainside.”