“Hang on a second, slow down.” He paused, listened, and then cursed. “Where are you?”
Jameson began to pace, rubbing the back of his neck.
“I can get there, but not for a few minutes. Do you need an ambu—” Jameson shook his head. “Okay, okay. No ambulance. But don’t you move, you hear me? You stay where you are. I’m coming right now.”
She must’ve agreed, because a second later, Jameson ended the call.
“Fuck.”
“That was your sister?”
“Yeah.” Jameson shoved his phone into his pocket just as there was a knock on the door.
It opened a crack and Jon stuck his head inside. “Everything all right in here?”
“No. Amy just called.” Jameson began pacing again. “You know, because tonight couldn’t get any more fucked up.”
Jon looked around for something to do with the bottle of bourbon and glasses he held, and I took them from him. Then he put his hands on Jameson’s shoulders, stilling him. “Hey, look at me. Tell me what she said.”
Jameson squeezed his eyes shut, pressing his fingers to them like he had a splitting headache—and after tonight, that wouldn’t be surprising.
“That someone knocked her around, says she needs my help. She’s under the bridge, but won’t let me send a fucking ambulance.”
“Okay.” Jon nodded. “What do you need?”
“I… Fuck,” Jameson said. “I need to go to her, obviously. I have no idea how badly she’s hurt, and she’s not going to tell me the truth.”
“Of course. Hey, I rode here tonight on my bike. You can take that.”
Wait, there was no way I was staying here while Jameson went off to deal with God knew what on his own, and on a bike? When it was starting to snow outside?
“No offense, Jon,” I said, stepping forward. “But I’m not staying here. Jameson, my car is outside, and I can drive you.”
“GQ…” Jameson sighed, and Jon let go of his shoulders. “That’s not a good idea. It’s best if you just stay here.”
“And let you go alone? I’m not going to do that. I have a car. If Amy needs to go to a hospital, how are you going to get her there? Let me help you.”
Jon shrugged. “Kid has a point.”
Jameson’s jaw bunched as he looked between us. “Okay. Let’s go.”
He scooped up the box of Simon’s belongings, and we went down the hall and pushed through the exit, Jameson shouting over his shoulder to Jon, “Keep your phone close. I’ll call you.”
Chapter 36
Jameson
MY STOMACH CHURNED as Ryan drove us through the back streets of my childhood, my mind filling with horrific scenarios of what we would find when we finally arrived at the bridge.
I hadn’t seen or heard from Amy since the day of that residential fire, and as always when she did resurface, it was because she needed help. I looked at the man behind the wheel and wondered what the hell was going through his head right now. We’d started this night dressed in tuxedos and dining on a hundred-thousand-dollar meal, and now here he was driving the streets of the South Side looking for my sister.
God, could our lives be more different? I didn’t think so. Even though we’d lived within a twenty-mile radius of each other, tonight it felt as though we were worlds apart.
“Up here to the right.”
Ryan gave a clipped nod and turned, and as the L track came into view, I sat forward in my seat.
“Wait a second,” Ryan said. “Isn’t this—”
“Where I used to live? Yeah. She’s meeting us under the tracks.”
Ryan glanced at me, but I kept my eyes trained on the windshield. I couldn’t afford to know what he was feeling right now, and I wasn’t really sure that I wanted to.
“If you could slow us down as we get closer, and shine the headlights over there?” I pointed to the empty strip of land under the tracks that served as anything from a spot to park your tent to a place to score whatever drug you were jonesing for. It was dark and secluded, and the cops only rolled by if they were called.
“Of course.”
“Thanks.” The tension in the air was palpable as Ryan brought the car to a crawl. When he angled the front of the vehicle under the bridge, a couple people scattered.
I unbuckled my seatbelt, but when Ryan did the same, I reached out and put a hand on the clasp.
“What do you think you’re doing?”
Ryan looked out the windshield, then back to me. “I’m coming with you.”
“No.” I shook my head, the thought of him setting foot out there causing alarm to rise inside me. “There is no way you’re leaving this car. When I get out, you’re going to lock the doors. Then I’m going to call you and keep you on speakerphone while I look for her.”
“But—”
“No,” I said, much harsher this time. “There’s no arguing here, GQ. Look at you, you’re in a fucking tuxedo.”
“So are you.”
“I don’t care about me. You stay put, you hear me?”
Ryan swallowed but nodded.
“Good.” I shoved open the car door and pulled out my phone. Once I had Ryan on the line, I shut the door behind me. “Lock the doors.”
Ryan blinked at me out the window, then said into the phone, “Okay. Be careful.”
I nodded, and after I heard the click of the locks, I turned and headed off to find Amy. I passed by several makeshift shelters that had just been abandoned when Ryan and I rolled up on them. But as I got a little further in, I spotted an old guy in torn sweatpants and an overcoat that had seen better days eyeing me from the shadows.
I headed in his direction, and when he eyed my jacket and realized I was someone who likely had cash, he ambled over to me.
“You looking for someone?”
I shrugged out of the hundred-and-fifty-dollar rental jacket I was wearing. “Yeah, small woman. Lots of dark hair. You seen her around here?”
The guy nodded and pointed further down to where a piece of metal roofing was propped up against a chain-link fence.
“Ran over there and hid a little while ago. Pretty beat up. Wouldn’t let no one help her.”
Jesus, Amy. What’s going on?
I handed over my jacket, and what cash I had on me, then thanked the guy and looked back to the road, where the car was still parked.
“You still there GQ? You okay?” I said, torn over whether to go any further without Ryan coming with me.
“I’m here and fine. Go get your sister, Jameson.”
Right. With my phone in hand, I jogged down to where the large sheet of metal was propped up. “Amy? Amy, you in there?”
I stepped over piles of cans and bottles that had been collected for exchange, and when a soft moan met my ears, I crouched down at the opening between the fence and metal. Huddled against the chain links was a small silhouette I would know anywhere.
“Amy…” My throat tightened as I turned on the flashlight on my phone and held it to the ground so I didn’t blind her. The image that came into view just about destroyed me.