Page 101 of Alonzo

“Shut up, Vann.” We all look at the little girl. She’s not in the kitchen anymore. She’s right behind me on the other side of the couch. A chill starts crawling its way up my spine and when it reaches my neck, all the tiny little hairs stand on end and I shudder. “Obviously you’re stupid enough to put your nose into other people’s business. And this is what that gets you.”

“That?” Jesse points to the girl. “Is Wendy. Say hello, Wendy.”

Wendy snorts. She does not say hello.

“And that?” Jesse points to the other, quiet, tatted-up dude. “Is Chek. C-H-E-K, for the record.” Jesse smiles at us. “People always wonder. So I like to clarify. He’s Wendy’s…” Jesse pauses to look at Chek. “I know we call her your daughter. But she’s not your daughter.”

Wendy walks around to join Chek off to Jesse and Johnny’s left. “You can just call me the weapon.”

“What the fuck?” I mumble. “That doesn’t even make any sense.”

“Tare?” Belinda puts a hand on my arm. “Trust me. It makes all the sense.”

“And you are Phoebe-slash-Tara.” Jesse points to me. “You walked into something with a man named Diablo two years ago, testified against him, he got off, and you were put into protective custody. You”—he points to Belinda—“are Rosalie-slash-Belinda. You also walked in on something and were put into protective custody. Now here we are. Diablo is in town—”

Belinda gasps and looks at me.

“It’s true,” I say. “I just came from the marina. He’s here meeting with Alonzo.”

“What?” Belinda exclaims.

“I knew it,” Vann growls.

“You didn’t know anything,” Johnny snaps at Vann. “You’re a nosy fucking kid from Colorado who got lucky with a few good guesses.”

Vann laughs. “Is that what I am?”

Wendy scoffs. “We don’t have time for this. The whole thing is going down tomorrow night and nothing can go wrong. We need those kids.”

“What?” I exclaim. “Oh, my God.” I stand up and start pacing. “You’re all in on it! Oh, my God.”

Belinda gets up and walks over to me. “In on what, Tare? What’s going on?”

“The kids! The fucking kids! The sex slaves!”

“What?” Pretty much everyone in the room says that.

Johnny pushes Belinda out of the way so he can stand in front of me. “Sex slaves? What the hell are you talking about?”

“The kids! They’re taking kids! I saw Diablo at Long Beach Harbor! That’s why the FBI intervened, asked me to testify, and put me in the witness protection program when the whole thing went sideways! They’re selling children, Johnny! For the sex trade.”

“Wait. When did we start selling kids?” That’s Wendy. And all that creepy badassness in her voice is suddenly gone as she looks up at her… whoever that guy is to her.

“We’re not selling kids,” Chek assures her. “This one is out of her mind.”

“Me?” I point to my chest. “I’m not the one out of my mind here, OK? I saw it! I saw it and Diablo was charged with it! Just because he got off doesn’t mean it didn’t happen.”

“She’s not supposed to know about Angelica, Chek. You said no one knew but us! This is great. Just fucking great. I promised Angelica I’d take care of things and there would be no witnesses. But now…”

Oh, man. I almost pee my pants. Because Creepy Wendy is looking at me with a whole lot of now-I-have-to-kill-you in her sinister blue eyes.

I casually take a few steps behind Johnny Boston. If that little weapon attacks, she’s gonna get him first.

“OK, hold the fuck up.” Johnny grabs my arm and drags me out from behind him, pushing me forward into the center of the room. “Can you please explain that accusation?”

“You know what I’m talking about!” My voice is too loud and a little bit screamy. “And Alonzo Dumas is in on it too! They’re selling sex slaves!”

Everyone in the room is quiet. They’re all just staring at me. “What? Why are you all staring at me?”