Riven - Jerry B. Jenkins [150]
“Double-barrel over/under with double trigger?”
“You’re kidding.”
Tiny turned to another lackey. “Get him that gun and make sure both chambers are full. Put the safety on. This boy likely to kill hisself.”
Everybody laughed, including Brady.
Tiny walked him down to the car, handed him the phone, and tossed the shotgun into the backseat.
“Anything goes wrong, you stole this car and this weapon and this phone, you understand? You don’t know who ever owned any of ’em.”
“Sure, ’course.”
“Don’t let me down, Darby.”
“You kidding? I brought you this job, chief.”
“Yeah, and it could be a good start, depending on how it goes. Make this one work, we’ll talk more business.”
More business. As Brady pulled the late-model sedan out of the west side, he knew he’d never see Tiny again. He would kill Jordan North if he had to, ditch the car, the shotgun, and the phone. Then he and Katie would be off to wherever they had to go to be sure no one traced them to the murder. And where Tiny could never find him.
Brady had no idea where that might be, but Katie would know. She knew everything. Best of all, she could afford anything.
52
Addison
After a lifetime of lying and a fascination with acting, Brady Darby had an imagination that wouldn’t quit. It had landed him behind bars more times than he cared to count, and it was at full throttle now as he carefully—sans driver’s license—drove toward the suburbs and the North mansion.
Despite the scenario playing out in his mind, Brady wasn’t thinking about the consequences. He rarely did. All he imagined now was rescuing the love of his life from her spiteful, overbearing father. He meant only to scare the man, if it even came to that, but Brady was so saturated with passion that he ruled out nothing. All he could see in the future was him and his soul mate waking up next to each other somewhere—anywhere.
One of the coasts would be cool. But even if it was just a hotel in the middle of nowhere or even some abandoned hideaway, that was okay too. The system, Serenity, Tiny? They’d soon give up looking for him. The Norths? Katie could call them from here or there to assure them she was fine and to tell them that she had made her choice and was following her heart.
Brady didn’t know why Katie hadn’t called or taken his calls. Of course, she had caller ID. That was the advantage of his having the phone of one of Tiny’s girlfriends. When Katie saw the strange number with the downtown area code, she would have to pick up out of curiosity alone.
Within a mile of Katie’s subdivision, Brady was so excited he could barely sit still. What could be better than this? He had given his all at Serenity, had even considered the straight life if that’s what it took to win Katie. But though she had been raised to be a good girl, the straight life sure didn’t seem to appeal to her.
Brady had been making progress, had proved he might even be a candidate for normal life as a free man. But that would soon be a distant memory. He didn’t really want to be a sap anyway, a working stiff, a nine-to-fiver. He was smart enough to hide in plain sight, get himself a new ID, start a new life. With Katie at his side, all things were possible.
As he pressed her number into the phone, he allowed himself for the first time to wonder if she was even at home. Was it possible her father had kicked her out? So much the better. Brady would pick her up wherever she was.
Her number was ringing. Don’t go to voice mail! Please!
“Hello?” Katie said.
“It’s me, babe.”
“Brady? What phone are you calling from?”
“Borrowed it.”
“Oh. Uh, hi.”
“Hi, baby. I got that letter from your dad and I’ve just got to see you.”
“Letter?”
She had to know. “All official and everything, threatening me, talking about his lawyer, telling me to never see you again and that you weren’t really interested in me. Can you imagine?”
“Oh, man. Well, you know, he’s just upset. He doesn’t speak for me.”
“I know! I know! I’ve just got to have you tell me to my face that we’ve still got something going. In fact, I’m ready to get