Part 42 (2/2)

”Wheres Yuri? He was supposed to be loading this one,” Gage asked.

”Hes there.” The big man nodded to the boat and grunted as he flipped the desk over and pulled on the plywood covering the bottom, revealing open, empty s.p.a.ce. ”I get hammer and nail.” He walked away.

”Ill go see what happened.” Gage nodded to me. ”Come with me.”

”The other s.h.i.+t has to be checked. Youre going to make me do this by myself?” Cherry swiped her hand to the full truck.

”Ill help check the stuff. You go. Fifteen minutes,” I reminded him.

He nodded. ”Fifteen minutes.”

But it took less than five for Rusnak to show up.

42: Does It Hurt.

I UNTANGLED MYSELF FROM THE FURNITURE I was stuck between when I heard him speaking outside, telling the man hammering the desk to leave. The sound of his voice sent an electric fear through me. There was no way Id let Rusnak corner me in the back of this truck, I had to get out. Now.

It was a slow process, climbing over the couch, squeezing between a mattress and a desk, but I made it and hopped off the ledge of the vehicle.

Both his and Cherrys head whipped towards me at the sound of my feet hitting the pavement. Rusnak dropped her hands or pushed her away or something, the movement was too quick to follow, but she looked back towards him with burning eyes.

”Regan.” He acknowledged me with a smile.

She composed herself, standing up tall and taking a step back from him as she looked towards me. ”Howd it look in there? Did you at least check the other desk?”

I nodded and took a few steps away from the truck, into open s.p.a.ce. ”The drawers were empty. Everything else seemed secure.”

Cherry scoffed. ”You couldnt possibly have checked all that yet. Jesus f.u.c.king Christ, do I have to do everything?”

Rusnak s.n.a.t.c.hed her back by the sleeve of her jacket, making her face him. ”Watch that tone.” His voice was controlled and level, even as his action was quick and aggressive. He dropped her sleeve but gave her a hard look. ”Now whats the problem?”

”Whoever packed this,” she pointed to the flipped desk, ”f.u.c.ked it up. It was a mess with product shoved in drawers. Its s.h.i.+t like that, thatll get us in trouble.” Her arm swept up, gesturing over me. ”And now she thinks its all good after a thirty second check.”

My muscles tightened, wound up from her insult. ”Theres only one desk in there. I checked-”

”Why dont you go check?” He nodded to Cherry.

She snapped her attention to him but kept quiet as she walked past me, climbing into the back of the truck.

”You continue to surprise me. Now youre out here working?” He c.o.c.ked his head as he watched me, voice low. ”Wheres Gage?”

”There.” I nodded to where I could see Gages outline on the deck talking to another man.

Rusnak followed the direction of my nod, and then turned back to me, taking a step closer.

I forced myself not to step back, to stand my ground.

”What are you doing here?” He took another step closer, looking at me through lowered lashes. ”This was never you. Not before. You even turned Alessandra away. But now youre back and all in. I want to know why?”

I shrugged like this was no big deal, gaining confidence as Gage walked off the boat. ”Why doesnt matter. Im here. Thats all you need to know.”

His fingers moved across his lips as he shook his head side-to-side, unbearably slow. ”I dont think so. Not if you want me to answer your questions, the one you asked last night. I need to know what it is youre after.”

A bang from the truck pulled his attention. His hand dropped from his face along with his small smile.

”I need help in here to get through all this s.h.i.+t,” Cherry called from in the truck.

”Ill get someone.” He turned back to me. ”We should talk somewhere else. Come with me.”

I stepped away then, not letting him get close enough to grab me. ”No. Ill help her.”

He followed my gaze, seeing Gage approaching. ”Later then.”

”What do you need?” Gage cut around him, coming to my side. I grabbed his sleeve to keep him from stepping in front of me. I didnt want a s.h.i.+eld.

Rusnak looked towards him with a casual indifference. ”The s.h.i.+pment is supposed to be going out now. How much longer till theyre ready?”

Gage looked to me for a moment, concern giving those blue eyes depth, and then he focused on Rusnak. ”Well, all your last minute changes slowed us down some. But were running one last check to make sure everythings secure, and then theyre out.”

”And why wasnt it done right from the start?” Rusnak asked, nodding to the desk off to the side.

”Thats what Im trying to figure out. Yuris not sure either. He said it was started before he got here though, so it must have slipped through then. Everything else should be right. Hes checking the other truck now. Ill check this one. You can go back to whatever you had to do.”

”And what about the first truck? The one your brothers driving?”

”I checked that before they loaded. And Dexter, Regan, and Sam were the only ones to touch it. I know its good.”

A weight lifted from me as I realized it was true. That truck was packed right.

”All right then. Help Cherry with this cargo. Check it over and get it out of here,” Rusnak stood still as he gave the direction, waiting for Gage to move.

Gage broke the stare off and turned, sweeping his arm around me at the same time. ”Come on. Lets get this done so we can go.”

I went willingly, not wanting to stay with Rusnak even if a part of me wanted to hear what he would say, what he was willing to tell me. But I knew information came at a price. Gage was right, I had to let it go.

”Let me know when its all done,” Rusnak gave one last command, smug in his authority. He inflated with it as Gage bristled under it.

”Sure.” Gage flicked one hand up but didnt turn back around.

”Finally.” Cherry wiped her hand over her hair. ”Help me take this mattress out so I can get behind it.”

We mostly worked in silence, unloading the truck and reloading it when we were sure everything was hidden away like it was supposed to be. It was quick job since others came to help when their jobs were finished. Soon both trucks were ready to go.”

Cherry hung back with me while Gage leaned into the drivers side of the last truck, talking to the men inside.

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