Page 7 of Violent Skies

Not for the same reasons you spit at me every chance you get. I want to scream at her.

“It paid for that fucking dream house you live in,” I clip instead.

Cress laughs, it’s hollow and dry.

“How do you think Koa paid for that with cash… it wasn’t because we were swapping stereos out.” I stare at her in disbelief. “Use your brain, Cress. You know what this is. You always knew what we were—what he was.”

She runs her trembling hands through her hair.

“So if he owes money, so do you!” She yells and I shake my head.

“Whoever came at you tonight, isn’t because of me…” I stop her in her tracks. “It’s because Koa never knew when to quit! He always wanted more!” That’s what got him killed, not me.

“You can’t help yourself,” she whispered, her voice defeated. The weight of the secrets I keep would suffocate her and yet, I’d rather her take it out on me than lose what good she has of him. “That name,” she says after a beat, pointing to Westfall in the book. It’s one of the last entries in Koa’s handwriting. It’s crossed out, a debt owed and paid. “It was in the other book.”

“The Westfalls?” A shiver runs down my spine. “Cress this is important,” I step forward, dropping tone along with all the anger I feel. “Do you remember how much money was beside that name?”

“Exactly what they told me to have ready.” She hears the seriousness in my tone and swallows hard. “Half a million.”

“Family meeting.” I toss a glass of water in Rafe’s face. It splashes across his bed.

“It’s fucking seven a.m., Riggs!” He chucks his pillow at me, and I catch it only to throw it back twice as hard. “Alright, alright.”

Murphy is already moving around the kitchen when I get down there. I’d left Cress on the couch in the garage last night for a couple hours, unable to argue with her anymore and the dread of five hundred thousand dollars looming over my head.

I knew the Westfalls. Tashi specifically is a piece of work.

Either Cress finds their money, or she disappears forever.

What confuses me is why they went after her. Tashi Westfall’s smarter than that, he’d know that the money, if anywhere, would be with us. Here. Under the Monroe roof. So why scare the shit out of Cress?

“Where’s Birdie?” I ask as he pushes his glasses up his nose.

“In the shop,” he says, and before he can even pop his p, I’m moving. The shock of Cress here would have rattled Birdie even if she was in the best shape. “Slow down!” Murphy calls out to me as I stomp across the wet yard and into the garage.

Birdie is sitting across from her on the couch with tears streaming down her face. “You didn’t tell me she was here.” The words come out sharp as a scowl forms on her face.

“I thought I’d be up before you.” I scratch the back of my neck and then shove my hands into my pockets as Murphy wanders in behind me.

“Whoa,” he exhales under his breath and looks at me. “That’s a plot twist.”

“Tell me about it,” I huff.

“Holy shit,” Rafe’s voice is the next in line and we all turn to look at him. His hair is unbrushed and he’s barely pulled on a pair of pajama pants that he’s fixing around his hips. “Did you know she was here?” he asks, pushing past.

“And he didn’t fucking tell us,” Birdie snaps.

“I was going to.” I defend. “Since when are you the first in the garage?”

“I left my phone charger in the bay,” she hisses and wipes her tears with the back of her hands.

“Where did you get that?” I ask about the first aid kit between them, it’s a different one that I’ve never seen before.

“Murphy keeps it in his desk,” she answers as Cress leaves me to suffocate on their rapid fire questions.

“Did you tell her why you’re here?” I ask Cress as they hang me out to dry.

“She said she wanted to wait for the boys,” Birdie answers and I grind my teeth together.