Chapter 28
CHAPTER TWENTY-EIGHT
Taking Nolan’s car had been Pete’s idea, and Hunter thought it was brilliant. “You’re the man, dawg,” he’d said, even though no one had used that expression since grade school. They’d high-fived then and threw back a shot of Grey Goose to give them some liquid courage. If Nolan had been there to see them taking shots, he’d have given them his usual sour look of disdain. Their older cousin had gotten to be so boring. He’d always been a rule follower, but now it had gone beyond that. He was a soul-sucking fun killer, always worrying about something and nothing at all.
Pete and Hunter didn’t need that kind of a downer in their lives anymore. When this was over, Nolan was getting added to the do-not-call list, as in both ways: they weren’t calling him and wouldn’t be accepting calls from him either. Screw it. Just because he was a relative didn’t mean he was their buddy.
Now they were driving down the interstate, Hunter following Pete at a safe distance. They were so close to the big payout that they were taking the utmost care not to attract attention or get stopped by the police. Nolan’s car was in good shape, brake lights working and everything in order, but Hunter and Pete unfortunately hadn’t renewed their license plate. They’d just forgotten. Not a big deal normally, and hopefully it wouldn’t be an issue. Still, they drove the speed limit, which turned out to be so slow that Hunter was almost jumping out of his skin. How could people stand it?
At least they had their phones on speaker and could talk to each other.
“Dude.” Pete broke a brief silence. “Can you believe this is the speed limit? It’s killing me.”
Hunter laughed. “Now we know what it’s like to drive like old people in sloth mode.”
Since Pete was in the lead, he narrated what was up ahead, reading exit signs aloud and commenting on the appearance of passing drivers. “Oh boy, that’s one pissed-off-looking grandpa!” he exclaimed, and when Hunter saw the guy, he had to agree.
After another car went by, Pete said, “She’s gorgeous! I’d totally nail her.” Big talk from a guy who was afraid to buy a woman a drink in a bar. Granted, they usually didn’t need to. Most of the time women approached them, intrigued by the idea they were identical twins.
Hunter was flying high mood-wise, and he knew Pete felt the same. It wasn’t just the vodka either. It was the idea of getting a life-changing pile of money. Finally! A break from the suffocation of bill collectors. Maybe if they hung on to it for a while they’d have a cushion the next time they got fired. A buddy of theirs called it FU money, and that’s exactly what it was. A guy who had that kind of money could tell everyone else to shove it.
One of the best things about having a twin was having a built-in best friend, someone who’d gone through all the same things. Not all twins had identical personalities or thought alike, but he and Pete did. He felt sorry for all the singletons in the world, having to go through life without a second self.
When they’d gotten the text that said, Can’t get $ until tomorrow when banks open. Don’t hurt Dana! She’s everything to us, they’d both agreed it was a load of crap. “Can’t get the money?” Pete had scoffed. “Yeah, right.”
Together, they’d decided to call Ian Broderick’s bluff. They’d worked on coming up with the best answer, and both of them were gleeful with the final result. Money tonight by sundown or else. For every minute late, she loses a finger.
His brother had been the one to come up with the losing-a-finger idea. He saw it once in a movie, and it seemed fitting. “Get this!” Pete had said. “She’s a writer, so it’s gonna be a huge problem if she doesn’t have her fingers for typing.”
Yeah, he was a crafty one.
When they finally got another text saying the money would be in place by nightfall, they’d whooped it up for a minute, then made a plan. They’d take both cars and drive back, following all the traffic laws so they wouldn’t get stopped. After dropping off their car at home, they’d take Nolan’s to the pickup site. A neighbor who lived directly behind the Brodericks had a larger property, eight acres in all, and a service drive in back, perfect for them to pull off the road. If they came in that way, they could walk through the wooded area, out of sight of any security cameras.
Next? They’d pick up the money and be out of there in no time at all. They’d sleep well that night. Hell, they could stuff their pillowcases full of money if they wanted to, and wouldn’t that be something? Then tomorrow they’d drop off Nolan’s car, unlock the door to his motel room, and speed away. Since their cousin and the author got along so well, he could take her home. They would already have their money, so then she’d be his problem.
Hunter’s thoughts were interrupted by his brother’s voice coming through the speakerphone. “Hey, are you hungry? There’s an A&W at the next exit, and we have time if you want to grab something.”
“Sure, I could eat.” Their grandfather used to take them to A&W when they were kids, and they hadn’t gone in years. A classic burger and some cheese curds would definitely hit the spot.