“Yeah, you fucking swear all the time, but you fuck up more than you deliver. This is all I need, your fucking sister finding my shit and fucking my life again. I can’t go back to my bar. The damn cops have it under surveillance. My house, too. I’m stuck sneaking around, and you three are here drinking, doing drugs, and not cooking my damn meth.”
“We are. We did. We’re out. Until you can get the guys to make another run. We cooked it all. It’s done. Fine. Swear.”
“You better be right about this.” Derek finally backed off, shoving Connor aside. “Let’s go.”
Connor stumbled, but caught himself before he nosedived into his cot. “Go. No.” Connor shook his head side to side. “We can’t go. I’ll go. You don’t need to go.”
“One sentence is enough. You really need to lay off the product.”
“I’m fine. Totally fine. Swear.”
“You’re whacked out of your head. Let’s move.”
“If we all go, we’ll get caught. I’ll go, get the stuff, and meet you back here.”
“No. We’re meeting Trigger. Scott and Tony will take the bags from the sugar shack and drive down to Missoula.”
Connor couldn’t help the goofy smile. He’d named the shack just outside the cave the sugar shack. They used that term when talking or texting about the operation and how many bags of “sugar” they produced.
“I don’t know what the fuck you’re smiling about, man, this is serious shit. We don’t deliver and someone’s going to get their head blown off.”
Connor hoped it wasn’t him. He’d done his best to keep up with Derek’s demands, but all he wanted to do now was get out. Not going to happen. He’d screwed up the first few batches after he swore he could deliver. Instead of slicing his head off, Derek put him back to work to pay off his debt. At this point, Connor knew one thing for sure; the only way he was getting out was dead. No way he ended up in a cell detoxing and hurting with a need for the one thing he couldn’t live without anymore. He’d gone down the rabbit hole and lost himself on the dark side.
“Do you hear me, man? We need to go. Now.”
Scott and Tony rushed out to the sugar shack to pick up the duffel bags, then headed to Scott’s car. Connor stared at Derek, wishing he could take the dude out. All he did was push, push, push. Connor just wanted to ride his high, forget about everything else, and feel that exhilaration. Derek’s presence only made him angry. He hated when he lost control. It really killed his buzz, like when he thought about Sadie and what happened to her. So he smoked some more and let it all go.
“We go. We get it. We get out. You leave my sister alone.”
“You do what you’re told for once, and we won’t have a problem.”
“Right. I’m the problem.”
Derek shoved him. “What does that mean?”
“Keep your hands off my sister. She’s not a part of this.” Connor pressed the heel of his hand to his eye, then up over his sweaty forehead. “All those fucking cuts on her.”
Derek’s eyes lit up with excitement. So much so that Connor might have thought he’d just used, but Connor knew better. Derek never touched the product. No, he liked something other than drugs. He liked to inflict pain. He’d caused Sadie plenty. So had Connor.
He hoped he got away tonight with the drugs from his house without Sadie finding out.
CHAPTER 13
Sadie walked into the kitchen and found Rory sitting at her breakfast table.
“How is your dad?”
“Sleeping.” Sadie looked at the dark windows, then the clock. “It’s late. You didn’t have to stay.”
“I wanted to.” Rory held his hand out to her.
Sadie walked to him and took it. He gave her a soft tug. She sat on his lap, her legs between his, and leaned into him. He wrapped both arms around her. She leaned her head against his and sighed out her worry and frustration, feeling lighter just having someone here with her, having him here with her.
“No more working at my place. You need to be here with your dad from now on.”
“I appreciate it, Rory, but I’m not going to change my mind about doing what is right.”
“Sadie.” He grumbled out her name like a warning.
She pressed her fingers over his tight lips.
Rory pulled them away and relented. “What can I do to make you feel better?” His deep, rich voice soothed her, but the sweet sentiment went right to her heart.
“You’re doing it. I feel better already.”
“I can do more than just sit here with you.”
“You’re here, Rory. That’s all I need, just to be close to you.”