Sins & Needles(97)

Ben started crying in response. I wanted nothing more than to reach through the phone and strangle the life out of Javier. “You asshole,” I seethed.

“Back to the name calling, are we? No matter,” he said. “I have them now. I will return both of them to Camden, if Camden gives me you. Why, I’ll even pay him the reward money. That’s not a bad deal you know. Fifty thousand dollars and his ex-wife and child back? That’s like winning the lottery in some countries.”

“How can I trust you?” I asked.

“I guess you can’t,” he said. “But you know I never break my promises.”

“And you promise that everything will go as planned? Nothing funny?”

He laughed. It struck a nerve somewhere, a feeling I didn’t ever want to feel again. “You know I’m not very good at being funny. I promise. I don’t care about this whore here and her fat little kid. I certainly don’t care about the walking tattoo. I just care about you. I want you, angel, and I won’t rest, won’t leave you alone, until I have you. You do understand, don’t you? You do realize how fucking long I’ve been looking for you!” He screamed those last words causing my heart to race and the phone to come away from ear. He rarely got this mad, and when he did…everyone was in danger. I had to make sure Sophia and Ben were okay.

“I do, I understand. I’ll do it,” I told him. At that moment Camden grabbed my arm and whipped me around, yelling, “What the fuck are you doing, Ellie!?”

But it was too late. The plan was already in motion. The deal had been made.

Javier spoke quickly as I kept the phone to me, fighting off Camden. “Remember, if he messes this up, he loses both of them. And then he’ll lose you. Meet me at his tattoo shop in three hours.”

I eyed the time on the phone. It was noon. We could be there in two and a half. “How do you know I’ll make it there on time?”

“I know you’ll figure out a way. And I know you’re close. I can feel you. I always have.”

The phone went dead. The fuzziness rang in my ear. I gingerly hung it up and stuck it in my pocket. I raised my head, shoulders back, and looked Camden in the eye. He was about to kill someone.

“What the hell did you do, Ellie?” he cried out.

“I’m getting your son and ex-wife back,” I said. “You want to pretend like it wasn’t going to happen?”

“We have to get the cops. I have to call my dad,” he said, pacing again.

“No. We can’t involve them. You know we can’t. He didn’t have to whisper ‘and come alone’ on the phone for me to know how serious he is. We have to go now, and you’ll get them back. I promise you.”

He grabbed me by the arm, more harshly than he probably meant to. He was on the verge of freaking out. “I can’t let you go with him.”

“I won’t go with him,” I said. “He just wants to see me, to talk to me, that’s all.”

“They’re going to take you away,” he said.

I looked him straight in the eye. “I won’t let them.” I grabbed his hand and held it, hard. “But we have to focus on Ben right now, okay? Let’s make sure he and his mom are safe first. Then we’ll deal with me.”

I let go and started packing. “Come on, we can’t argue about it. If we’re not there in three hours…” I wasn’t about to finish that sentence. I didn’t need to.

In three hours we’d be back in Palm Valley, dust returning to dust.





CHAPTER TWENTY-THREE





We didn’t speak much to each other during the drive, as the rolling green hillsides dissolved into the craggy desert. The moment we hit the I-10, it felt like we were coming home. I felt like I finally had a home. It’s too bad home had never felt so frightening.

I felt so bad for Camden, my heart more occupied with his than with my own. It was easier that way. I didn’t want to think about what I was going to do or what was going to happen to me afterward. I just wanted Camden to be okay, for his family to be back together with him. I hoped Sophia wouldn’t hold it against him, I hoped, even though it hurt my heart to think this way, that she’d forgive him. After all, they had a son together. If anything, their relationship desperately needed to be repaired, more than ours had.

I couldn’t believe how easily her brothers had handed her over to Javier, their own sister and nephew. I supposed there was a chance that Javier lied—that he never paid them off with the money we stole, that he kidnapped Sophia and Ben in the night. But here’s the funny thing about Javier. As much as I despised him, as immoral of a human being that he was, he rarely lied. And he was right, he always kept his promises. I didn’t have to admire him for it, but it was the truth.