CHAPTER FIFTEEN
CLOVER
The bouncers threw Cash and Jet outside and closed the door, leaving them to fight it out or walk away. They clearly didn’t care which. I was still trying to process Jet’s threat.
Footage of Cash and me on the swing? If he told the truth, then we had to do whatever it took to keep him from leaking that video. I would be mortified if my private life were put on display for anyone to see and enjoy. This was not okay.
“You think you can blackmail us into doing your bidding?” Cash shouted, his voice echoing through the parking lot. “Do you have a fucking death wish, Reinhart?”
Cash tackled Jet, knocking him to the hard asphalt. They grappled on the ground while I stood out of the way, watching with rising panic. Jet had a good body. He was no wimp. He managed to roll them over, getting on top of Cash.
He punched Cash several times before snarling, “I know how to get shit done. If that means blackmail, then so be it. Kill me and your girl still goes live for the whole world to see. Stop the bullshit so we can talk about it. Do me a favor and this all disappears. Nobody will ever see the video.”
Cash paused, thinking it over. His next move was a headbutt in Jet’s face that caught him off guard. It stunned him long enough for Cash to shove him off and get up. He took advantage of Jet being down, kicking him in the ribs.
“If you wanted a favor, why not just ask? What’s wrong with money, dickhead? That will get you a lot further than blackmail will.” Grabbing Jet’s hair, Cash jerked his head up.
Despite the blood spilling from his nose, Jet smiled through the pain. “You do things your way. I do them my way.”
Watching them fight made me anxious. I didn’t want Cash to get hurt. Blaze and Daire were on a job. They couldn’t help us.
“Stop it,” I shouted, my voice rising with panic. “Cash, please. No more. He’s not worth it.”
“Yeah, Cash,” Jet joined in. “Listen to your girl. Do the smart thing.”
Cash gave him one last punch before letting him go and stepping back. “Get up, asshole. I’m about two seconds away from breaking your face. What the hell do you want so bad that you’re willing to put your life on the line like this?”
Staggering to his feet, Jet touched the bridge of his nose and winced. “You’re a real fucking prick, you know that, Cash? It didn’t have to go down like this.”
“You threatened my girl. You’re lucky you’re still walking.”
Cash took another step toward Jet. I grabbed his arm, holding him back. Hurting Jet didn’t stop his friends from leaking that footage. My privacy was on the line here.
I shook my head. “Cash, don’t. I don’t want anyone to see that video.”
“Yeah, you better think more about protecting your girl and less about rearranging my face. Don’t forget, Cash, the internet is forever.” Jet smirked like the manic he was.
“What do you want, Jet?” Cash spat each word like it pained him to stop the violence. “I can’t imagine it’s worth risking your life for.”
Jet shrugged, not taking Cash seriously despite his wounded face. “I need your help getting rid of a body. The guy isn’t dead yet, but he will be.”
I gasped as realization hit. He knew about Ryan and Lyra.
“A body?” Cash repeated. “That kind of thing doesn’t come for free.”
“I know. That’s why the blackmail.” Jet made a dismissive motion. “I’m not wasting money on this guy. He touched something that’s mine. He needs to go.”
“Why would you do that to her?” I blurted. “She doesn’t belong to you, Jet.”
He held my gaze a moment before nodding. “Ahh, but she does. She has since the first time our parents introduced us.” To Cash he said, “No worries. I’ll do the dirty work. You and your buddies will help get rid of the body. I can’t risk it being found. I’m far too pretty for prison.”
Jet laughed at his own crude remark. This was too screwed up. He was going to kill Lyra’s new boyfriend. Just like that.
“Why not just tell him to stay away from Lyra?” I tried, doing my best to help my friend out. She would be devastated when she found out what Jet was doing.
“Think I haven’t tried that?” Something malicious gleamed in Jet’s incredibly dark eyes. In the scant parking lot lighting, they appeared almost black. “He wants to challenge me, so he’s going to learn the hard way why that’s not a good idea.”
Cash rolled his eyes, stepping forward to give Jet a hard shove. “This is about the guy Lyra is seeing? What the fuck is wrong with you, man? Give me a damn break.”
The maniacal laughter that came from Jet made me tense. He slapped his thigh before pointing at Cash. “You of all people have no room to judge me. I know you guys killed Zane so you could have Clover all to yourselves. Bit hypocritical, don’t you think?”
My jaw dropped. How did he know about that? Maybe he was taking a wild guess.
Cash didn’t bother to deny the accusation. “He was hurting Clover. He had to be stopped.”
“Yeah, well, this guy is moving in on my turf. We had a little chat yesterday when I ran into him on campus. I told him to stay away from Lyra or I would kill him. He told me to go fuck myself. He was warned. What happens next is on him. Now are you going to help me, or am I going to post your girl on every porn site I can find?”
A bang from behind the building made my head turn. I couldn’t see back there from where we were out front. The guys were too intent on their conversation to notice.
Curiosity got the best of me. Leaving them to argue, I crept around the building, making my way to the back. This side of the building was where the restricted area was located. The rear entry must lead right into it.
Doing my best to keep quiet, I peeked around the corner of the building. My breath came faster when I saw what was going on. Somehow I managed not to shriek.
Two men carried out a heavy blanket the size and shape of a wrapped body. One of them almost fumbled his end, getting bitched at by the other.
“We have to hurry,” one man snapped. “If we don’t get there on time, the organs will be useless. I’m not losing another payday because of incompetence.”
“Yeah, yeah,” said the other guy. “We’ll get there in time. The drop isn’t that far from here. Don’t get your panties in a twist.”
Organs? They were harvesting organs from those they killed on camera? This had just taken another dark turn. Did the Sinners know about that part?
I did my best to get a good look at each man. It wasn’t easy in the dark. The nearest streetlight was several yards away. The men worked in the shadows, hurrying the body into the back of a van they’d pulled up near the back exit.
Deciding that I’d seen enough, I took a step back, cringing when my heel came down on a piece of broken glass. Fuck me.
“Did you hear that?” asked the first man.
“Hear what?”
“I think there’s someone over there. Let’s check it out.”
Shit. I couldn’t go back the way I’d come. It would lead them right to Cash and Jet. I had mere seconds to make a choice. Wishing I hadn’t worn heels so high, I pushed away from the building and ran like hell toward the street. Lights, traffic, and the occasional late night business were my only hope of finding safety.
I had a slight head start when the men rounded the corner and spotted me. One of them shouted at me to stop. Hell no.
Their shoes hit the ground hard as they chased me. I flashed back to being chased down by Brady and his companions. My stomach rolled, but adrenaline kept me moving. Somehow, even the heels didn’t slow me down.
I reached the street, darting across into traffic. A car jerked to a stop moments before hitting me. The driver shouted obscenities out the window. I didn’t care. All that mattered was getting away.
Safely on the opposite sidewalk, I raced down the street, looking for an open place of business. The men had been delayed by the traffic as they sought to cross after me. Unfortunately, they were still in pursuit.
I came across a restaurant and lounge that was still open. Hoping they didn’t see me come inside, I entered the building and almost collapsed. Entering the lounge, I moved away from the entry, ready to scream for help if they came inside.
They didn’t. I watched them through the window as they ran right past. Relief buckled my knees. I sat heavily at an unoccupied table, struggling to catch my breath.
I didn’t think it could get any worse than dark web snuff film content. It just had.