Smash_ A Stepbrother MMA Romance(150)
“Why?”
“I was thinking about that. Why would they bother laundering the money down in the U.S. if most of the mob was up in Canada?”
“Better tax rate?”
He laughed. “Maybe. But there was no mention of anybody other than the American guys on any of the documents, though.”
“So you’re banking on the Canadians not knowing about this money?”
“Pretty much, yeah.”
I paused, thinking it through. “What if you’re wrong?”
He just shook his head. “I’m not wrong.”
“Reid, this is dangerous. You have to have another plan?”
He sighed. “I’m sorry, Becca, I don’t. This is pretty much all or nothing, now.”
I stayed quiet for a minute, my body pressed up against his. I could hear his heart beating a slow, steady rhythm in his chest, and I knew that everything hinged on what happened up north.
“What if they kill you?” I whispered.
“Then you won’t have to worry anymore.”
I looked up at him. “Don’t you dare say that again.”
“I’m sorry, but it’s true. If I’m dead, the mob has no reason to bother you guys.”
“You’re not sacrificing yourself for us.”
“No,” he said, smiling softly. “I’m not.”
“Don’t die up there.”
“I’m not going to.”
I threw myself at him then, kissing him with everything I had. It wasn’t a last kiss, couldn’t be a last kiss. I needed him to come back; otherwise, I’d be losing more than just a stepbrother.
I’d be losing a part of myself.
After a minute, he slowly pulled away.
“I have to get going,” he said quietly.
“No. Just stay here a little longer.”
“Fuck, Becca. You don’t think I want to stay right here and fuck you senseless all day long?”
“Then do it.”
“I can’t miss this drop.”
“You don’t have to do this.”
“I’d rather take this money and run away with you, but we’d be looking over our shoulders forever. Plus, our parents would be fucked.”
“But it doesn’t have to be you.”
“There’s nobody else.” He kissed me again gently. “I’m sorry, Becca. I have to go.”
He rolled over and moved out of the van. I sat there staring out at him for a second, imagining what my life would be like if he were gone.
Reid had always been a part of everything I did. Even when I was at school and we didn’t see each other, the memory of him still lingered. For years I wondered what it would be like to finally give in and let myself be taken by him, consumed by him.
And finally I did it. Finally I let him in and it was more than I had bargained for. I was spiraling into him and I never wanted to look back.
Suddenly, that was threatened. Suddenly, I had to potentially lose him forever.
I climbed out of the van. He shrugged on his pack and grabbed the duffle bag from the back. I watched as he prepared himself, putting on his boots and double-checking everything.
Finally, he looked at me. “This is it,” he said.
“Okay.” I wasn’t going to cry.
“I’ll see you tomorrow.”
“Text me, okay? I can’t wait that long.”
“If I have a signal, I will.”
I nodded. “Okay.” I walked over and pressed myself against him. “You have to come back.”
“I will.”
One more kiss and then he turned and walked away.
I watched as he disappeared into the forest. I watched as the leaves blew across his path, covering his tracks. The sun rose higher in the sky.
He never looked back.
I felt like a part of my heart was marching away with him.
Chapter Twenty-Four: Reid
I had never smuggled anything into Canada before. Usually, I was only smuggling stuff back into America.
As it turned out, smuggling in was the same as smuggling out, only in reverse.
The money wasn’t too heavy. At least it wasn’t as heavy as the last drug shipment I had carried the week before. Still, by the time I found and crossed the river, I was drenched in sweat. The cold, fast-moving water felt good as I got past without incident.
I made my way through the woods toward the campsite. I was a half hour early, which meant that I would have plenty of time to set up and to dry out my socks.
Mostly to dry out my socks. Nobody likes walking around with wet socks.
As I sat down on the bench and peeled off my shoes and socks, my mind wandered over the course of events of the past few days. My biggest wonder was whether or not I would have gone through with any of it had I not started seeing Becca.
The answer was probably no. I would have put in my time, like normal, and suffered under the increasing demand from all sides.