“We don’t have you on record; nobody knows your levels. It’s not Nile’s,” Tigris held the cup out to him. “But undiluted, it will get you healthy fast and hold you over.”
Dylan took the cup and tried to control his gag reflex.
Jordan made a face. “Big, bad, New England biker. Can’t handle a shooter.”
“Do you have a shot?” Dylan closed his eyes, pretended it was one of Macy’s concoctions, and threw it back. It was blood. Yes, he drank blood. Straight. No chaser.
“Congratulations, you’re a vampire.” Tigris threw the cup away and offered him a glass of water.
“I guess I am.” In reality, it wasn’t terrible. Warm, coppery, not much different from having his lip cut and swallowing his own blood. Only, it wasn’t his...and he swallowed it. “Thank you.”
“Looking at how beat up your ass is, we owed you that much,” Jordan said. “I hope Pryor and Prince look worse.”
“They better,” Dylan said. It was too soon to admit, but he could feel the blood. It was already strengthening him. “What’s our plan?”
“Our plan is to figure out where they are, get my sister, and kill Gossett’s sons.” Jordan was matter-of-fact about it.
There was a knock on the door. A second later, Jake rushed in. “Dylan! Are you all right?”
“I’m going to look like shit in the morning, but I’m fine.”
“You look like shit right now.” Jake’s relief was palpable. “What happened?”
“The same guys who shot me jumped me. They kidnapped Nile. Do you know anything about this?”
The question caught everyone off guard, Jake the most.
“What? I didn’t have anything to do with it.”
Dylan shook his head. “I know that. I’m asking if you know anything about it? Have you talked to Sonny?” He was giving him a chance to come clean, come down on the winning side of this.
Jake stuttered. He stared at Dylan, betrayed.
Dylan didn’t care, he was about saving lives - Jake’s included. “I can tell you without a doubt, snatching Nile was the absolute worst thing anybody could have done. We need to get her back, now. And, God help us all if they hurt her.”
“I see she means a lot to you.” Jacob’s tone was cold. “I can commiserate.”
“You can commiserate, empathize, or reminisce for all I care,” Jordan said. “If you know anything about this...or my sister, now it the time to speak up.”
Dylan willed his brother to speak the truth.
“I don’t know anything about who kidnapped Nile or why,” Jake said. “But, I know if Sonny is involved, she’s safe. He wouldn’t let anybody hurt her. Probably going to bargain for our freedom or something.”
That sounded like a confession.
“If you can help it, don’t ever take a lie detector.” Tigris left the room.
Jordan and Jake had a staring contest. Jordan won. Dylan refused to look at either of them.
“Since you are working so hard to be the hero,” Jordan said to Dylan. “And, you want to throw away every chance you get,” that was meant for Jake, “Maybe, y’all should try to get on the same page.” He left them.
“What was that?” Jake started as soon as the door shut.
“Why couldn’t you tell the truth for once? You don’t want to end up on the wrong side of their mercy, Jake.”
“I don’t want to be on any side of their mercy, Dylan. Don’t you get it? We have to get out of here. They are going to kill Maya.”
“No, Jake, they are not killing anyone.”
“Are you brain-washed? You’ve been here. You’ve seen it.”
“Sonny’s gang jumped me, shot me. The Bishops haven’t harmed me yet.”
Jake tried a different approach. “The Harrisons made a mistake. Big deal. Should they die for it?”
That told Dylan how well the interviews went for Maya’s family. “Big deal? It’s the Harrison’s mistake. Should the Bishops die for it?”
“The Bishops aren’t dying.”
“Shows what you know. Is Maya a part of this?”
“What do you mean?” Jake answered too fast to be believable.
“What I mean is, did Maya have a hand in this latest betrayal?”
“They didn’t betray anybody!”
“A non-answer is an answer, Jake. I can’t help her...or you, if you’re not truthful.”
Jake paused to be certain of his wording. “Maya was innocent, this time...but, not necessarily ignorant... She knew what JB was up to; they all did...at one point, she may have supplied contact information.”
“Nothing about that makes her innocent.” Dylan shook his head. “It does explain the chaos around having us here. She, more than anyone, needed to stay under the radar.”
“I ruined everything by flashing an engagement ring.” Jake pulled his hands through his hair. “This is a shit-show, Dylan.” He tried to get his brother to understand. “We’re down to desperate measures.”
“Because you’ve made it that way, and none of you are giving the Bishops any choice. Stealing Nile is an unforgivable sin.” Dylan got ready to leave.
“For them or you?”
“Same difference.” He left Jake in the room.
Dylan walked down the hall, not sure where he wanted to go. Jake came behind him. “I know this is crazy, Dylan. But, we have to stay on the same team. We have to.”
“I care about Nile, Jake. You kidnapped her. What team is all this worry, and fear, and knowledge where you were involved? What team is that? Team Jake’s way? Team everybody pays for Maya’s mistakes?”
“I didn’t kidnap her; I didn’t have anything to do with it. I’m not in charge. You know how aggressive Sonny is. All I did was find out where his head was so I could act accordingly.”
Dylan stopped walking. “No, Jake. That’s not all you did. I know it, and they will too.”
Jake’s lack of response made Dylan wonder if he was innocent, or worse, stupid.
“The room is monitored. Nile saw you texting. Is it a coincidence you sent a message and Sonny’s friends grab Nile? Is timing that incredible here?”
Jake’s jaw dropped. He hadn’t considered his own involvement. “I panicked. Okay? Shit was happening too fast. I got scared for Maya and I needed him to do something before they hurt her. I-I-I didn’t tell anybody to grab Nile. I didn’t know who they were going to get.”
“So, you had everything to do with it. You are in charge. At least, when it comes to Sonny.”
They eyeballed one another, each man searching for his brother. Neither man finding him.
Chapter Thirty-One
Sonny’s ringtone interrupted the intense standoff.
Dylan took it as a sign to walk away. He went back to the room.
Jake followed him and put the call on speaker. “What the hell have you done, Sonny?”
Sonny’s laughter was crisp with a touch of evil. “Ate my Wheaties, saved the world. How hot is the fire?”
Dylan skipped the greeting. “Where is Nile?”