24 | Cade
“Answer the mother fuckin’ question,” I growl, my hand around the throat of a local dealer who I have managed to trace back to Darth.
It has taken some time, to go from telling Celeste Darth was gone, and finding out every name she knew of every person in his life. Then, I had to go to each person, and through them, I slowly started piecing together a story. That story led me here, to a small-town dealer who no doubt put Darth on the wrong path to begin with.
He might know who he went to, to get those new identities, or at the very least, who was making them around that time. These fuckers know the ins and outs of everything. They might be small time dealers, but they’ve got their noses in everyone’s fucking business. They’re the worms beneath the dirt, poking their heads out, taking note, but keeping out of everyone's way.
“I don’t know what you’re talking about,” he wheezes, pulling at my arms to try to make me stop squeezing tighter with each passing second.
“Here’s the thing. I’ve been around longer than you, boy, and I know for a fuckin’ fact that you’re lyin’ to me. You know how I know?”
His eyes dart away.
“That right there. You can’t look me in the eye. You’re tryin’ to cover someone's ass, but let me tell you, it’s your own you should be worried about. Do you have any fuckin’ idea what I’ll do to you?”
“Yes,” he yells. “I know who you are, but I’m telling the truth, I don’t know anything.”
Shrugging, all while keeping him against the wall, I reach into my pocket and pull out a small knife. Bringing it up, I move it in front of his face and his eyes widen. Then, I flip the blade and slowly push it toward his eyeball, until he’s squirming, desperately trying to keep the blade from touching his flesh. It’s mere millimeters away. With one wrong move, it’ll take his eye out.
“I don’t have to kill you to make you squeal, in fact, it’s more fun this way. You don’t need your eyes, do you? I’m sure you know your way around these streets by now.”
Touching just the tip of the blade to his eye surface, he squeals, just like I knew he would.
“Okay,” he cries. “I’ll tell you. I’ll tell you.”
“That’s what I thought,” I say, lowering the knife. “Speak.”
“I did know Darth, but not well. He did come to me for information on how to get new identities and I gave him a name. I don’t know anything after that.”
“I don’t have all fuckin’ day. Are you goin’ to tell me a name?”
“His name is Jarrod James. He isn’t in this area anymore, but he was the one doing them at the time.”
“Where is he now?”
He shakes his head. “I don’t know. I’m telling the truth.”
His eyes don’t waver, and now, I know he is finally telling the truth. Releasing him from the wall, I tuck the knife back into my pocket. “Get the fuck out of here before I change my mind.”
Turning, he rushes away.
I move out of the alley I found him in, and back to where Spike is waiting on the bikes. He didn’t come in with me, just in case the little fucker tried to get away, we’d have eyes everywhere. Reaching the bike, I throw my leg over and glance at Spike, who is grinning at me.
“What?”
“The eyeball, that’s a new one.”
I grunt. “I felt extra creative. You should have been here watchin’ instead of spyin’ on me like some kind of fuckin’ agent.”
Spike laughs, starting his bike. “You know I can’t stay out of the good stuff. Where are we goin’ now?”
“To find a man named Jarrod James. He has the information we need.”
“I’ll make the calls.”
“For now,” I say, starting my bike, too. “Let’s go get a beer because fuck knows after this week, I need it.”
“Say no more.”
Pulling out onto the street, we ride with the low rumble following us.
It has been a trying few weeks, but so far, we haven’t heard from Marshall, and I’m fucking thankful he has kept away. I figured he would, but that doesn’t mean he wouldn’t change his mind and come crashing in to fuck everything up. We got Beccy into a safe home, and they found out her parents had passed, and she was in a terrible foster family who were abusing her.
She was an easy target for him.
Addison visits her, and often checks in to make sure she’s being taken care of.
That’s in between the moments where she is smothering Skye with so much love, I’m certain the little girl is ready to toss her mother out. Being away scared her and because of that, she has been holding on to Skye with a mixture of guilt and fear, and immense love. The thought of not seeing her again, really messed with her mind.
That baby is lucky to have a mother like her.
We are nearly past this chapter in our lives, where we dig through the past in hopes of finding answers. We took Addison’s demons, and we burned them to the ground, and now we’re about to uncover mine and finish things for a final time. Then, and only then, can we move on with our lives, whole and happy, the way it fucking should be.
So, for one last time, I’ll push my fingers into the past and see what I can pull out.
~*~*~*~
“THERE,” JACKSON POINTS in the direction of a man standing at the bar, drinking a beer, nobody by his side. “That’s him.”
It has taken a few days to find Jarrod, but we have finally located him. Out of the business, he is now a fucking run-down man with no money, no job and no future. That’s what that world will do to you if you’re not careful. One wrong move will either get you killed or leave you with nothing. In his case, it left him with nothing.
Walking over to the man with dull brown hair, a lean body and worn-out glasses on his face, we stop behind him. Feeling our presence, he turns and stares at the four of us, his eyes widening. He pushes back a little in his chair, his eyes darting past us looking for a way to escape, but when he figures out, there isn’t one, his eyes lock on Jackson’s.
“What do you want?”
“Not here to cause trouble,” Jackson tells him, his voice low but calm. “If you cooperate, we only need you for a minute.”
Scanning us again, Jarrod nods sharply. “Who are you looking for?”
“What makes you assume we’re looking for someone?” I question, arms crossed over my chest.
“It’s all I’ve ever done with my life, so if you’re here, it’s because you want to know the identification of someone I helped change. There is no other reason you could possibly want me. I don’t have a cent to my name, I own nothing, and I’m a fucking drunk.”
Least the man is honest.
“Years ago, a couple came to you and wanted you to give them new identities. Their names were Clara and Darth.”
Jarrod’s eyes widen as recollection washes across his face. “I remember them. Only young, so fuckin’ stupid. I told them they were makin’ a mistake doing what they were doing, but they gave me enough cash that I didn’t question it.”
So they did get something off Marshall. Clearly enough they were scared for their lives.
“Do you remember the names you gave them?” I ask.
“Clear as day. The girl was very specific. She wanted to be called Mary Theodore.”
I take a step back, it’s like a fist to the heart. That is my mother and father’s names. She used their names to create a new life for herself, even after everything we went through with them. Fucking Clara was always sentimental. Of course she would pick something like that.
“The man?” Jackson asks, as I stand in silence, processing.
“He was Terry Peterson. Nothing fantastic.”
“Do you have any idea where she intended to go?” I ask, my voice gruff with emotion.
“Far as I know, they were goin’ to head Florida way, somewhere away from this. I don’t know. I gave them what they wanted and left.”
“Appreciate your help,” I nod, turning and walking outside.
I need a minute.
Knowing she’s alive, she’s out there, and she chose to live a life without ever letting me know, is both exciting and fucking heartbreaking. She didn’t want me to find her, if she did, she would have told me she was alive. Sure, she’s in hiding, but still...we had a bond that I thought meant more.
This is why I avoided looking for her for so long, it wasn’t just guilt, it was the idea of knowing that maybe she didn’t want me in her life.
Pulling out my phone, I dial Goat who answers with a gruff, “Yep.”
“Got a name. You good to find out what you can?”
“Flick it to me.”
“Appreciate it.”
Hanging up, I get on the bike and get the fuck out of there.
I need a minute to myself.
A minute to fucking figure out my next move.
Addison will be thrilled to know we have a name, and I know she'll want me to chase Clara down, but what if she doesn’t want me in her life? What if she would rather I didn’t exist in her world? I don’t know how much more bullshit I can handle when it comes to the heart.
Fuck.
I hate decisions.
Because I’m certain I’m always going to make the wrong one.