Chapter 33
Jake
Daniel called immediately after Jake texted that he and Cole were done.
Jake answered the phone and connected it to the car’s speaker so Cole could hear. They had already burned the bodies and were on their way to Daniel’s place to crash.
“You’re on speaker, I’m with Lydia.” Daniel’s voice sounded steadier than before.
“Becca?”
“She’s up, in the shower. She can’t hear you.”
Cole was listening, but he wouldn’t join the conversation unless spoken to directly. With Lydia there, Jake wasn’t sure how much he could say. He figured Daniel trusted her enough. Besides, she killed the first guy herself. She was in on this as much as they were.
“It’s done. They were paid in cash. Terry’s trying to find CCTV footage and is working on their phones.”
“Did you get more information?”
Cole practically growled and tightened his grip on the wheel.
“Yeah,” Jake answered, focusing on his breathing.
“You gonna share?”
“You sure Becca can’t hear us?”
“Jake.”
“They were told to ruin her, break her completely but keep her alive.”
“You’re holding back.”
Jake cursed and punched the dashboard. “Rape her, torture her for days until she was a shell. Those were his fucking words.”
They could hear something breaking on the other end of the line, and what sounded like the phone dropping before Lydia’s voice hit them both like ice. Calm and cold. “Cole?”
“Yeah.” His voice sounded gruff. He was talking through clenched teeth, like every word hurt.
“You took care of him.” It wasn’t a question.
“Yeah.”
“Good.”
She hung up.
They stayed quiet for a few minutes. Cole lost his shit when that guy said those words.
He killed him slowly and painfully, and Jake watched, stopping himself from giving in to his own anger only because he knew Cole would do a better job.
He usually didn’t care for these things.
He saw violence as something that should be done quickly and efficiently when necessary—just part of the job.
But all he could think of was Becca lying on that bed with Lydia holding her.
He wanted to see that man suffer. He still didn’t know what exactly happened.
“What do you think of Danny’s girl?”
Cole smiled, loosening his grip on the wheel. “Tough little one.”
“Back in the room, the way she looked at you.” Jake was worried she might like Cole. That was an intense look. Did Danny notice?
“Yeah.”
“I’m worried about Danny.”
“Spit it out.”
“You think she’s into you? He’s over his head for her.”
Cole laughed. “Is that how you think women look at you when they’re into you, brother? How long since you got laid?”
“Fuck you. She’s not a normal woman and I don’t know what that look was.”
“Recognition.”
“What?”
“That look. Recognition.”
“You want to be more cryptic?”
“Why’d you think she asked me about the fucker? Because she knew I would be the one to interrogate him. Like recognizing like, brother.”
“You think she’s like you? That little thing?”
Cole shrugged. “Wouldn’t be surprised if she had a body count. My kind of body count.”
“We already know she has at least one.”
Cole’s smile widened. “Don’t worry about Danny. I wouldn’t do anything with her either way, but she kept her eyes on him way more than us, and the look she gave him was one I definitely recognize.”
“Please, if you think that was lust, you’re the one who hasn’t gotten laid in a while.”
Cole shook his head. “She looked at him like a predator and Danny looked back. Don’t worry about them.”
Jake shook his head, muttering ‘fucking weirdos’ and leaning back on the seat.
He was going to pour a large glass of whiskey or maybe just drink the bottle when they got to Danny’s place, and crash in one of his guest rooms. Hopefully, enough alcohol would keep Becca out of his head because the way he felt when he found out she was targeted worried him.