Page 31 of Collateral Love
“I have to,” I said. “Nobody else was.”
We didn’t talk muchon the drive.
The city slid past the windows in muted streaks of orange and black, streetlights blinking like tired eyes. Zayden drovewith one hand on the wheel, the other resting loose on his thigh. Calm. Focused. Like this was just another errand.
My pulse was steady.
That surprised me.
I’d imagined fear would show up first, loud, shaking, undeniable. But fear never came. What I felt instead was clarity. The kind that only came when a decision had already been made and there was nothing left to debate.
“You ready?” Zayden asked without looking at me.
“Yes,” I said.
He nodded once.
That was all.
The twins’ house sat at the end of a narrow street, lights off, porch sagging under its own weight. One of the men lived there alone. That was intentional. Patterns mattered. Isolation made things simpler.
Zayden killed the engine a block away.
We got out at the same time.
The air smelled damp, like rain that never came. Somewhere nearby, a dog barked once and then went quiet. My boots felt heavier on the pavement, not from hesitation, but from awareness. Every step counted now.
Zayden handed me gloves.
They were black and latex.
I pulled them on slowly, snapping them into place.
He watched me do it.
Not like a man watching a woman.
Like a man watching a partner.
“You stay with me,” he said quietly. “Don’t rush. Don’t hesitate.”
“I won’t,” I replied.
He searched my face one last time.
I held his gaze.
The door gave way with a soft crack.
Inside smelled like stale beer and sweat and neglect. The man was in the living room, slouched on the couch, TV flickering light across his face. He didn’t even register us at first.
Zayden moved first.
Fast.
Controlled.
He crossed the room in three long steps and grabbed Brandon by the collar, yanking him upright. The fear hit late eyes wide, mouth opening, breath hitching.
