Read Online 36 Hours by Allison Brennan - Free Book Online Page A
Authors: Allison Brennan
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on in. Might have been that she did see them killed, but it wasn’t Garcia. Frankly, they all need to be hauled in and sent to prison, but we only have so much manpower.” Tommy hesitated a minute, then asked, “Jake, do you know where she is?”
“No. I gotta go.”
Lucky said, “That didn’t go well.”
“It’s worse. I tipped our hand and now they could be coming here.”
“They can’t trace the call.”
“I can’t count on that. And even if they can’t, they’ll pull my file and find out she’s my daughter. They’ll start looking for my known associates, including you. I made Tommy suspicious. He may be a friend, but he’s a cop first.”
“Where are you going to go?”
“I have a place. I can’t tell you—I trust you, but I don’t want to put you on the hot seat.”
Lucky retrieved another burner phone. “Take this. Let me know what I can do. Do you have money?”
“Enough.” Jake glanced down the hall. “Now I need to tell Angel I screwed up and we need to run.”
###
Lucky had gotten a variety of hair dyes, none of which would work on her hair if she didn’t bleach it first. Unless she just cut it off.
Angel stared at her reflection. She found a small pair of scissors in the bathroom drawer and cut her hair until it was about chin-length. She’d never had it this short before and wasn’t sure she liked it. She pictured herself in a coffin with this sloppy haircut and grimaced. But there was no going back now. She chose the lightest color dye and focused on her roots then combed it through to the ends. Her scalp tingled and she let the dye soak in while she considered what was going to happen. She didn’t think about today—she felt like everything was already out of control. But when all was said and done, what was going to happen to her tomorrow?
Jake may have called her his daughter, but he wasn’t going to raise her. She didn’t need raising. She was fifteen-and-a-half, and as soon as she could get her GED and become emancipated, she would. She didn’t want to see her mother again, not after finding out that she’d been drinking all her child support money. Five hundred bucks a month—hell, if she had saved that, college might have been a real option. She wouldn’t have ever been hungry or gone to school in shoes with holes in the soles. But it was gone, and Angel wasn’t the type to regret.
She never thought she’d see her dad again after that day in the park ten years ago—she’d certainly never wanted to. She’d convinced herself she didn’t care about him. Now that she knew different, she didn’t know how to say goodbye—except, she’d have to. She’d suck it up and do what was expected of her. What choice did she have?
She showered and washed out the dye. Her hair didn’t look half-bad. It was streaky—brown, copper, even a little blonde. She combed her hair with her fingers, trimmed the ends to get them as even as possible, then towel dried the whole mess.
She stared at the dress and cringed. It was a long-sleeve black thing, almost shapeless. She sighed and pulled it over her head. When she looked, she was surprised that the dress didn’t suck. At least it wasn’t frilly or flowery.
A knock on the bathroom door made her jump.
“What?” she said.
“Just want to make sure you didn’t jump out the window.”
“It’s too small. I tried.”
“You’re not funny.”
She opened the door. He stared at her and she tried not to feel self-conscious.
He said, “We have to go.”
“I’m ready. What are we doing?”
“We’re going to find Maddie. If that doesn’t work, I have Lucky’s equipment and we’ll record your statement and send it to the DA himself, bypassing ADA Larson.”
“I don’t get it—what changed?”
“The word around LAPD is that you’re a Ranchitos and starting a war between G-5 and Cedros Street.”
Angel’s mouth dropped open and she stared at him. A Ranchitos? She started laughing; if she
“No. I gotta go.”
Lucky said, “That didn’t go well.”
“It’s worse. I tipped our hand and now they could be coming here.”
“They can’t trace the call.”
“I can’t count on that. And even if they can’t, they’ll pull my file and find out she’s my daughter. They’ll start looking for my known associates, including you. I made Tommy suspicious. He may be a friend, but he’s a cop first.”
“Where are you going to go?”
“I have a place. I can’t tell you—I trust you, but I don’t want to put you on the hot seat.”
Lucky retrieved another burner phone. “Take this. Let me know what I can do. Do you have money?”
“Enough.” Jake glanced down the hall. “Now I need to tell Angel I screwed up and we need to run.”
###
Lucky had gotten a variety of hair dyes, none of which would work on her hair if she didn’t bleach it first. Unless she just cut it off.
Angel stared at her reflection. She found a small pair of scissors in the bathroom drawer and cut her hair until it was about chin-length. She’d never had it this short before and wasn’t sure she liked it. She pictured herself in a coffin with this sloppy haircut and grimaced. But there was no going back now. She chose the lightest color dye and focused on her roots then combed it through to the ends. Her scalp tingled and she let the dye soak in while she considered what was going to happen. She didn’t think about today—she felt like everything was already out of control. But when all was said and done, what was going to happen to her tomorrow?
Jake may have called her his daughter, but he wasn’t going to raise her. She didn’t need raising. She was fifteen-and-a-half, and as soon as she could get her GED and become emancipated, she would. She didn’t want to see her mother again, not after finding out that she’d been drinking all her child support money. Five hundred bucks a month—hell, if she had saved that, college might have been a real option. She wouldn’t have ever been hungry or gone to school in shoes with holes in the soles. But it was gone, and Angel wasn’t the type to regret.
She never thought she’d see her dad again after that day in the park ten years ago—she’d certainly never wanted to. She’d convinced herself she didn’t care about him. Now that she knew different, she didn’t know how to say goodbye—except, she’d have to. She’d suck it up and do what was expected of her. What choice did she have?
She showered and washed out the dye. Her hair didn’t look half-bad. It was streaky—brown, copper, even a little blonde. She combed her hair with her fingers, trimmed the ends to get them as even as possible, then towel dried the whole mess.
She stared at the dress and cringed. It was a long-sleeve black thing, almost shapeless. She sighed and pulled it over her head. When she looked, she was surprised that the dress didn’t suck. At least it wasn’t frilly or flowery.
A knock on the bathroom door made her jump.
“What?” she said.
“Just want to make sure you didn’t jump out the window.”
“It’s too small. I tried.”
“You’re not funny.”
She opened the door. He stared at her and she tried not to feel self-conscious.
He said, “We have to go.”
“I’m ready. What are we doing?”
“We’re going to find Maddie. If that doesn’t work, I have Lucky’s equipment and we’ll record your statement and send it to the DA himself, bypassing ADA Larson.”
“I don’t get it—what changed?”
“The word around LAPD is that you’re a Ranchitos and starting a war between G-5 and Cedros Street.”
Angel’s mouth dropped open and she stared at him. A Ranchitos? She started laughing; if she
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