Love or Money (12 page)

Chapter Ten

Mishmash listened to their tale soberly, stroking his mustache, then pulled out his phone and started texting. “I don’t know what the hell happened,” he said, his face pale. “Fat Matt told me he’d be working yesterday, seven to two, and never sent me a message saying otherwise.”

“And it was weird,” Riel said. “They had no real reason to pull us out of the car anyway, right?”

“Yeah, it did seem weird,” Evan said. “It’s like they were waiting for us.”

Mishmash frowned, tapping his phone against his knee. “I’m really sorry that happened. Working for me isn’t usually like this, Riel.”

“I’ll vouch for that,” Evan said. “Mishmash usually has everything laid out smooth like a slip-and-slide.”

Mishmash looked at the screen of his phone again. He sighed. “Anyway, I’ll make double sure it doesn’t happen again. I won’t send you on another run until I’ve got it all figured out.” He glanced around the hotel room. “How long you have this place for?”

“Just one more night,” Evan said. “We’re going to look for an apartment.” He smiled at Riel, taking her hand.

“How about a house?” Mishmash said, and they both looked at him. “I just had one of my rentals come open. Little two-bedroom, has a yard and everything. It’s in an okay neighborhood. I think you’d like it.”

Evan raised his eyebrows. “How much?”

Mishmash grinned. “For you two lovebirds, thirteen hundred a month.”

Evan and Riel exchanged a glance. “That’s not bad,” Evan said.

Mishmash slapped his palms against his knees. “Let’s go look at it, see what you think.”

Evan and Riel exchanged another glance, and Evan shrugged. “Sure, why not?”

They headed out into the warm night, transferring the product from the Mustang to Mishmash’s little Honda before climbing into their cars. Riel and Evan followed the Honda out of the parking lot and onto the highway.

“Why do you think he’s giving us such a deal on a house?” Riel mused.

“My theory is he wants us to do some dealing too, and he just wants us by the balls a little tighter.”

Riel rubbed the back of her neck. “Or maybe it’s just a complete dump.”

“Could be. We’re about to see, I guess.”

They pulled off at an exit, entering a quiet residential neighborhood. Then Evan frowned at the rearview mirror. “Are we being followed?”

Riel glanced behind them, and saw the headlights of what looked like an SUV and at least one smaller car behind it. “I don’t—” she began to say, adrenaline numbing her tongue.

The SUV turned its brights on and revved up fast behind them, just as two other cars sped around it. One of them skidded to a halt in front of Mishmash’s car, which fishtailed into an angled stop. Evan slammed the brakes, just barely missing the Honda as he also screeched to a stop. The third car pulled up beside them, the windows down, and Riel got a glimpse of faces, a flash of something silver.

Gunshots rang out. Riel screamed and ducked. Rapid-fire pistol shots.
Crack, crack, crack.

Evan cursed and pushed her down, her head smacking the dashboard. They both slid off their seats crouched in the tight space under the dash, a tangle of awkward limbs on the floorboards. She could see Evan fishing under his seat for their guns.

“Did they get Mishmash?” she said, her voice a squeaky whisper. “Those shots were up there.”

She could see his eyes glinting in the reflected headlight glow. “I don’t fucking know. Where are the goddamn guns? There—”

More pistol shots. Riel screamed again as both the passengers’ and driver’s side windows of Evan’s Mustang shattered, huge chunks of tempered glass falling onto her back and shoulders as she crouched against the glove box.

“You okay?” Evan yelped, his eyes wide.

“Yeah, you?” She could hear shouting outside, caught the words, “
A la chingada madre…
”

“I’m fine. Here.” He pressed a pistol into her sweaty palm, both of them cramped awkwardly with no room to maneuver.

The gun felt good in her trembling hand, but she couldn’t see anything outside. Her exposed back prickled.

Then she gasped sharply as footsteps crunched outside. A man, silhouetted strangely in the bright headlights, appeared at the driver’s window. Riel saw a gun come up, gleaming.

“This is from Isaias,” he said.

Crack.
The shot exploded against her eardrums. Adrenaline screamed through her and she scrambled to get her gun up, her hand caught against the gear shift, her arm cramped against the console. She aimed at the silhouette and fired. One, two, three times. Her ears rang as her hearing went dead. The silhouette disappeared from the window, but she couldn’t tell where it had gone. Her eyes were blinded with tears.

She heard Evan gasp. He made a strange gurgling noise. Fear shot through her. “Evan!” she screamed, her voice dull and quiet in her damaged ears. More shouting outside. Sirens. “Evan?”

He stirred, then collapsed awkwardly against the dash, his face turned away from her. “Riel, shit,” he said, his voice a hoarse whisper that barely cut through the fuzz in her ears. She reached out to him with her free hand, the other one still clutching the gun.

Her hand met flesh that was sticky and slick with blood. She screamed and shook him, and he wobbled limply, sliding down further. “Evan!” she wailed.

“I think he got me,” he muttered weakly. Dully, she saw the red and blue flash of police lights joining the glare of headlights. She thought she heard tires squealing away. She huddled, shivering, in the space between the seat and the dash, not feeling the pain in her cramped knees. She sobbed Evan’s name, over and over. But he didn’t respond again.

Chapter Eleven

Riel huddled under the wool blanket the EMTs had given her. “Miss Mejia, I know this is hard, and I’m sorry to have to put you through this, but we just have a few more questions.”

She stared dully at the cop in front of her, his face illuminated by the flashing lights of a dozen patrol cars. His name was Officer Norton, and it seemed like he’d been asking her the same questions over and over for hours.

“Please,” she said, “I just want to go to the hospital. I want to be with Theodore.”

“He’s with the medics, miss, there’s nothing you can do for him right now. He’s in the best hands. Now, you’re certain you didn’t know these people who shot him? Never seen them anywhere before?”

“I only saw the one guy, and not that well,” she said. “He said something about an Isaias. I don’t know an Isaias. I think they had the wrong people.” She squeezed her eyes shut, her words choking her. Other cops swarmed around, their radios squawking. Some were talking to the residents of the houses around them, others were examining the crime scene.

Mishmash, Evan, and three other men had been taken away in ambulances, including the guy Riel herself had shot, the one who had hurt Evan. She had to figure they wouldn’t have taken any of them away if they were dead, but she couldn’t get anyone to tell her what was going on.
Evan has to still be alive.
She pulled the blanket tighter around her. Riel had to keep them from arresting her so she could get to the hospital.

“And the man driving the car in front of you?” Officer Norton persisted, his voice cutting through her thoughts. “Did you know him?”

“No,” Riel said weakly. “We’d just pulled off this way, looking for a place to turn around. We were going to a restaurant and got lost.”

She pressed her chin to her chest, swallowing her tears. There were so many holes in her story, there was no way she was staying out of jail, but she just wanted to see Evan first. “Please,” she said. “I need to get to the hospital.”

He laid a hand on her shoulder, and Riel looked at it as if the officer’s hand were a rare bird that had just landed there. “Okay, miss,” the cop said. “I think I can give you a ride there. Just let me talk to a couple people. Will you wait here?”

She nodded jerkily, wiping her eyes, her brow furrowing. She watched him walk over and have a muttered conversation with one of his colleagues, who was examining the Mustang with a flashlight. Was this a trick?

After a minute, Officer Norton came back. “Okay, Miss Mejia. Let’s go to the hospital and check on your boyfriend, okay?”

“Thank you.” Relief and dread flooded her at once. “Thank you so much.”

She followed him over to his patrol car, which was parked at a haphazard angle across the road, its lights still flashing. He opened the front passenger door for her, and she climbed in. He was letting her ride in the front. Her heart pounded in her sore ears.

The door shut, sealing her in with the serious clunk that only happens in cop cars. Then Officer Norton climbed into the driver’s seat. Riel could see the pistol in his utility belt, and got a pang of irrational fear.
He’s going to shoot me
. Her chest tightened around her racing heart. Lights flashed behind her eyes, mingling with the strobe of the cruiser lights.

She tried to steady her breathing. He wasn’t going to shoot her, not after he let her sit in the front of his car.

Officer Norton glanced sideways at her. “You okay?” His voice seemed loud in the quiet cabin.

She took another breath, her fear abating. “Y-yeah.”

He gazed at her a moment longer. “That’s some serious action you just saw there.”

She didn’t respond. She didn’t know what to say.

The cop’s lips twitched up slightly. “You did a good job on the guy that hurt your boyfriend. Pretty good shooting, especially considering what position you were in.”

Riel winced, bile rising up in her throat. Why weren’t they arresting her? She shot someone, with a hot gun. She shot someone…“I didn’t want to kill…I was just trying to keep him from killing us—”

“I know you didn’t. I’m sorry I brought it up. Buckle up, let’s get out of here, okay?”

She nodded. He started the engine and spoke into his radio, telling the other officers where he was headed, but she barely heard. She was still wrapped in the blanket, but she awkwardly maneuvered the seatbelt around her torso.

They pulled away from the scene, the engine humming smoothly. The flashing patrol lights faded behind them, leaving them immersed in the over-bright glow of the many dashboard instruments. Riel felt lost and dizzy. She pressed her feet against the floorboards; she wished he would drive faster. What if Evan died before she got there? She clenched her teeth, pushing the thought away.

It was several blocks before Officer Norton spoke. “It’s a tough life, being caught up this gang bullshit, if you’ll excuse my language, miss.”

Riel felt a pang of dread, and glanced at him sharply. “I’m not,” she said. “I was just—”

“Mishmash happens to be a friend of mine,” he said.

Riel just stared at the officer as he gazed stone-faced out the windshield. Her heart wriggled in her throat. “Who’s Mishmash?”

He was silent for a moment longer, then he gave her a shrewd glance. “He told me a few days ago that he’d found someone who might be able to bring Isaias down. Now, I don’t always see eye-to-eye with Mishmash, but he’s pretty good at keeping things from getting out of hand around here. He’s a good businessman, even if I don’t like what he’s selling. I can’t blame a guy for wanting to make a living, I guess, is what I’m saying. We all do what we can to get by.” He raised her eyebrows at her, his gaze darting between her and the road. She licked her lips and stayed silent.

He rubbed his nose with his fist and continued. “Isaias’ people are the ones causing all the problems around here. I don’t like being called to scenes like this one. If there’s any way to stop stuff like that from happening, to keep people like you and your boyfriend from getting hurt, or worse, it would be irresponsible not to do it.”

They pulled up in front of the hospital. Riel’s heart raced, and her mouth was dry. She didn’t know if this was a trap or not. She just wanted to see Evan. She wished none of this had happened. She hid her face in her hands.

Officer Norton shut off the engine, and she could feel him looking at her. “Listen, Miss Mejia. You seem like a good girl who doesn’t deserve to be caught up in this bullcrap. But you shot a man tonight. I’m guessing we could find drugs in one or both vehicles if we looked hard enough. You know as well as I do that I should be taking you to the station, instead of here to the hospital to see your boyfriend. But I’d like us to work together.”

She wiped her eyes with trembling hands and looked up at him. He smiled faintly.

“Let’s go see how your boyfriend and Mishmash are doing, all right?”

She nodded, and they got out of the car.

The hospital lights seemed too bright, and the bustle of the ER waiting room was disorienting. Everyone looked up when they came in, a cop and a girl in a blanket with blood smudged on her face and hands.

They went to the information desk, and Officer Norton spoke to the woman there, asking after Theodore Anderson. Riel’s stomach cramped up with dread as the woman looked him up on her computer, and Riel watched her face closely, terrified that she was going to wince or frown or give her a look, the look that said,
I don’t want to have to be the one to tell her this, but he’s dead.

The woman’s eyes skimmed the screen, the glow reflected in her eyes. She blinked. “Checked in an hour and a half ago. Gunshot wound to the neck and shoulder. He’s still in the trauma unit.”

Riel hugged herself. “What does that mean? Is he okay?”

The receptionist looked at her, and Riel saw very little pity in her face. “He’s still being worked on. It will be a while before you can see him.”

Riel nodded numbly, clutching her arms around her middle. The blanked slipped around her shoulders.

“What about Hilario Valencia?” Officer Norton said.

It took Riel a couple moments to realize that he must be talking about Mishmash. The receptionist started typing again, then cocked a penciled eyebrow. “Another gunshot wound.” Her eyes darted to the cop’s. “Been a rough night.”

“Sure has, ma’am.”

The woman’s gaze skimmed the screen, and Riel’s guts twisted. If he was dead, what would happen to her?

“He’s out of critical care,” the woman finally said. “Stable condition in the recovery ward.”

“Can we visit him?” Norton asked.

“He may be asleep, but I don’t see why not.”

She gave them the room number, and Officer Norton and Riel headed for the elevators. On the way up, he adjusted the blanket around her shoulders. “It’s going to be all right,” he said.

She glanced up at him, tears leaking from her eyes.

“Listen, I…I’m no doctor, but I saw your boyfriend before they took him away. He had a hole in him, no joke, and he’d lost a lot of blood, but the EMTs got to him right away, and it didn’t look like he was really hit bad. I mean, it didn’t look like they got him where it counts.”

Riel gazed at him hopefully, wanting to believe, but she thought she saw uncertainty in his eyes. Was this just part of his game, to get her guard down?

“Thank you,” she said.

He nodded faintly. “Like I said, I’m not a medic, but I’ve been to enough of these scenes to know when it’s a lost cause, and your boyfriend definitely wasn’t.” The doors opened. “Come on, let’s see Mishmash.”

They headed out into the hallways, where nurses wheeled carts and bustled around with clipboards. Their uniforms looked like prison clothes, and Riel had a dizzy moment of disorientation.

Mishmash was sleeping, being attended by a woman in a red frock. He looked strange and shrunken, his face grey. What Riel could see of his torso was covered in bandages and a hospital gown, which looked wrong on him. It made him look weak, and silly.

The nurse looked up as they walked in, her eyes going wide, then hooded when she saw Officer Norton’s uniform.

“How is he doing?” Norton asked.

“You here to question him?” the nurse said.

“No, actually. Here on more of a personal call, for his friend Miss Mejia here.” He patted Riel’s shoulder.

The nurse’s shoulders relaxed somewhat, her gaze seeking out Riel’s. “He was apparently shot twice at close range. He may have some muscle damage, but otherwise he’s fine. He’s just sleeping. I’ll have the doctor come in and give you a full report as soon as she can.”

Riel nodded. The nurse left, and Riel and Norton sat down in the bedside chairs. As soon as the nurse left, Mishmash stirred, cracking an eye open. “She gone?”

Officer Norton chuckled. “You big faker.”

“You can’t knock out a man from Michoacán, even with two bullets and a liter of fentanyl.” Mishmash tried to sit up, then winced, his face going even paler.

“Lay down, dude,” Norton said. “You’ve just been cracked hard.”

“Little pussy guns,” Mishmash murmured. “Those boys can’t afford good ones in my town.” He settled against the pillows, his eyes finding Riel’s. “You okay?”

Riel nodded. “But Theodore…”

Mishmash’s expression darkened, his gaze flicking to Norton’s.

“He’s still in surgery,” the cop said.

Mishmash relaxed a little, but his face was still clouded with anger. “Those fucking
jotos
. I’d like to shove their balls down their fucking throats.”

Riel hugged herself, wondering if Evan was out of surgery yet, if he were still alive. Would a nurse come find them if something happened?

Norton shifted in his seat, tugging at his slacks. “Well, that’s why we’re here, actually. To see what we can do about those
jotos.
”

Mishmash caught Riel’s eye again, a look passing between them. “Norton here’s all right,” he said. “You can trust him. You
should
trust him.” He grinned. “Snortin’ Norton. You can trust good old Snortin’ Norton.”

The cop shook his head, smirking. “They’ve got you laid out, man. You’re talking bullshit.”

“This is some good shit, the medical dope. I oughta get shot more often. But no,
m’ija
, I’m
en serio
. This cop’s one of the good guys. He’s on the right side of the law.”

Norton shook his head again. His eyes darted nervously to the open doorway, and he got up, closed it, and sat back down, looking at Riel seriously. “We want you to work with us. We can offer good protection and resources. We need you to help us bring down Isaias.”

Riel clutched her blanket, tears streaming down her cheeks. “I just want Theodore to be okay. I can’t think about anything else right now.”

“He’ll be okay,” Norton said. “We need you to help us make sure nobody ever gets shot by that asshole and his thugs ever again. We’re doing this for Theodore.”