I slid my sunglasses on my face as I threw the Denali in drive, things becoming a total clusterfuck.
“It’s a fuckin’ pond out here, Cane. It’s a disaster.”
I tore out of the parking lot of Alexander Industries, heading for Queen Creek.
“For fuck’s sake! What in the hell happened?”
I heard Max shout to someone before he came back on the line. “Looks like someone pierced a couple of the exposed waterlines last night. Everything is soaked. Water is literally running down the fucking street right now. The City is here and they’re pissed.”
I groaned. “Did you get it stopped?”
“Yeah. The cuts have been saddled and the water has stopped, but it’s still a mess, man.”
“First things first. What’s the City saying?”
“They are mad as hell. We have water and mud flowing down fucking Ocotillo Road.” Max shouted again to someone else. “You are going to want to let me handle the City.”
“What’s that supposed to mean?” I flew onto the freeway towards the East Valley, my foot even heavier than usual. “I’ll be there in twenty minutes.”
“That’s fine, but they’re pissed and you’re going to be pissed. Just let me handle this. Your public relations skills need work anyway.”
I leaned against the window. “So how in the fuck did this happen? These were just random cuts in two different waterlines? That’s what you’re telling me?”
“That’s what I’m telling you. There were gashes sliced in both lines that the utility sub uncovered at the end of the day yesterday.”
I chewed on the side of my cheek. “So this wasn’t a random burst then.”
“Nah, someone sliced them sure as shit.”
“Powers?”
“That’s what I’d bet my money on. I told you right off that this is where I thought he’d hit you. This is the reason why your dad is in the grave and his is in the pen. It makes sense.”
“You’re right. And it’s our most visible project. This is going to be a mess, PR-wise, so this fucks us a few different angles … the most bang for his buck.”
“Exactly.”
“We need to see if anyone saw anything,” I said, chewing on my fingernail.
“I already have the word out to check surveillance cameras from the neighboring buildings and threw up a reward if someone knows something, but I’m not holding my breath. It’s so fucking dark out here once the sun goes down and people aren’t alert enough these days to see anything.”
“All right. Well, go smooth things over with the City and I’ll be there in a few minutes.” I glanced at the clock.
“Don’t pull up here raising hell, man. Remember—flies. Honey.”
I couldn’t help but smile. “Whatever.”
JADA
The following Saturday afternoon was blistering hot and Kari and I sat in her car outside of Cane’s house, the air conditioner blasting cool air. I picked at the hemline of my black bathing suit cover-up, while Kari checked her makeup.
I had lost a bit of weight since the Simon ordeal and my cover-up was a little looser as a result. My nerves were beginning to settle; I wasn’t looking over my shoulder as much as I had originally. The bruises had faded and every day felt like another day away from the craziness.
“Have you ever been here before?” I asked, looking up at the brown and ivory house sitting before us. It was a two story home with a fence coming off of both sides, encompassing the backyard. The landscape was clean and tidy, a sprinkler going off as I watched. It was just the kind of place I had pictured Cane would live in.
It was a gated community. All of the houses looked relatively new and all relatively the same. Cane’s house backed up to the golf course that meandered its way through the subdivision and I vaguely wondered if Cane played golf. He had never mentioned it and I couldn’t see his lack of patience faring very well on the course.
“Uh, no,” Kari said, looking at me like I was crazy. “Why would I have ever been here?”
“I don’t know. I thought maybe you’d been here with Max,” I sighed. “I have only been here once before and … I don’t know. What if it’s weird being here?”
“Why would it be weird being here?”
I shrugged.
“Well, he clearly wants you here, Jada. He asks you all the time to come and you always end up getting him to come to my house. So relax.”
I took a deep breath and exited the car, not sure why in the hell I was nervous about this.
“Stop fidgeting with that ring! You’re being dumb,” Kari said as she forged ahead and rang the doorbell. As we stood there waiting on them to answer the door, we could hear music playing inside.