Read Online Sunset Key by Blake Crouch - Free Book Online Page B
Authors: Blake Crouch
Tags: Mystery & Crime
Ads: Link
that nothing seemed real. Not the planted palm trees or the chandeliers. Not the eerie quiet of 5:00 am . Not even her own reflection in the elevator doors as she rode up to her room.
She drifted down the corridor like a vaga bond. Old pair of flip-flops. Boxer shorts. A Jimmy Buffett T-shirt from Fitch’s closet that had faded into oblivion. She couldn’t even think about the last ten hours. They were beyond processing.
Morning was almost here.
She had no money, no idea how she would get back to the mainland.
But one thought kept needling her.
Javier.
The strangest thing was that his betrayal didn’t just make her angry. It hurt her too. It wasn’t like he was a friend. She couldn’t believe that Jav was even remotely capable of experiencing the feelings it required to maintain a friendship.
And yet…it hurt.
They had worked together two times before. Both had been successful. So why had he done this to her?
She shoved her keycard four times into the slot before the light on the door blinked green.
Because he’s a psychopath, Letty. He had a need. You filled it. End of story.
She kicked off the flip-flops and staggered toward the bed.
Smelled his exotic cologne a half second before she noticed Javier sitting at the small table by the window.
She brought her hand to her mouth.
The door whisked closed behind her.
In a night of being chased and shot at, none of those horrors could touch the sheer terror of seeing Javier Estrada sitting like a demon in her hotel room.
She stood frozen, wondering if she could get out the door before he stopped her.
“You wouldn’t make it,” he said. “Please.” He motioned to the bed. “I’m sure you’re very tired.”
Letty sat down on the edge of the mattress and put her face in her hands.
She said, “Oh god.”
So many times tonight, she had thought she was going to die and didn’t.
Now this.
After everything.
It was too much.
“What do you want to ask me?” he said.
She made no response.
“Nothing? How about…am I surprised that you are not dead?”
“You son of a bitch.” She muttered it under her breath.
“Ask me,” he said.
She glared over at him. “Are you surprised I’m not dead?”
“I am not,” he said.
“Good for you.” Her eyes were filling up with tears. “Good. For. You. Why didn’t you just let Fitch’s men kill me? Wanted to clean up this last little detail yourself?”
“I like you, Letty.”
“Has anyone ever told you you’re deranged?”
Javier opened a laptop sitting on the table beside a Slimline Glock.
He said, “You may choose to believe I betrayed you. I don’t see it that way.”
“Really.”
He began typing, still watching her out of the corner of his eye.
“There were reasons I couldn’t tell you the true nature of the job. It partly had to do with promises I made to our client, Mr. Fitch. But some of it just came down to my faith in you.” He stared at her. “Two times before this, we worked together. I’ve seen you in action. Simply put, you’re a survivor. I believed you would survive tonight.”
“You had no right to—”
“And yet I did. Next topic. Part of my agreement with Mr. Fitch was that if you survived, if you killed him, his men were not to touch you. I went so far as to promise him that if anyone other than him laid a hand on you, I would kill his men and his sons too. Was a hand laid upon you?”
“Why didn’t you just let me in on this?”
“Because you might’ve said no. Come over here. I want to show you something.”
Letty stood, slowly, awkwardly. Already her legs had gone stiff.
Three feet away from him, she stopped.
“What?” she asked.
Javier was pointing at the laptop. “Do you see this?”
She leaned over his shoulder, squinting at the screen.
It was an accounts page on a website for the First National Bank of Nassau.
“What’s this supposed to be?” Letty asked.
“It’s an account I opened for you. Do you see this?”
Javier was
She drifted down the corridor like a vaga bond. Old pair of flip-flops. Boxer shorts. A Jimmy Buffett T-shirt from Fitch’s closet that had faded into oblivion. She couldn’t even think about the last ten hours. They were beyond processing.
Morning was almost here.
She had no money, no idea how she would get back to the mainland.
But one thought kept needling her.
Javier.
The strangest thing was that his betrayal didn’t just make her angry. It hurt her too. It wasn’t like he was a friend. She couldn’t believe that Jav was even remotely capable of experiencing the feelings it required to maintain a friendship.
And yet…it hurt.
They had worked together two times before. Both had been successful. So why had he done this to her?
She shoved her keycard four times into the slot before the light on the door blinked green.
Because he’s a psychopath, Letty. He had a need. You filled it. End of story.
She kicked off the flip-flops and staggered toward the bed.
Smelled his exotic cologne a half second before she noticed Javier sitting at the small table by the window.
She brought her hand to her mouth.
The door whisked closed behind her.
In a night of being chased and shot at, none of those horrors could touch the sheer terror of seeing Javier Estrada sitting like a demon in her hotel room.
She stood frozen, wondering if she could get out the door before he stopped her.
“You wouldn’t make it,” he said. “Please.” He motioned to the bed. “I’m sure you’re very tired.”
Letty sat down on the edge of the mattress and put her face in her hands.
She said, “Oh god.”
So many times tonight, she had thought she was going to die and didn’t.
Now this.
After everything.
It was too much.
“What do you want to ask me?” he said.
She made no response.
“Nothing? How about…am I surprised that you are not dead?”
“You son of a bitch.” She muttered it under her breath.
“Ask me,” he said.
She glared over at him. “Are you surprised I’m not dead?”
“I am not,” he said.
“Good for you.” Her eyes were filling up with tears. “Good. For. You. Why didn’t you just let Fitch’s men kill me? Wanted to clean up this last little detail yourself?”
“I like you, Letty.”
“Has anyone ever told you you’re deranged?”
Javier opened a laptop sitting on the table beside a Slimline Glock.
He said, “You may choose to believe I betrayed you. I don’t see it that way.”
“Really.”
He began typing, still watching her out of the corner of his eye.
“There were reasons I couldn’t tell you the true nature of the job. It partly had to do with promises I made to our client, Mr. Fitch. But some of it just came down to my faith in you.” He stared at her. “Two times before this, we worked together. I’ve seen you in action. Simply put, you’re a survivor. I believed you would survive tonight.”
“You had no right to—”
“And yet I did. Next topic. Part of my agreement with Mr. Fitch was that if you survived, if you killed him, his men were not to touch you. I went so far as to promise him that if anyone other than him laid a hand on you, I would kill his men and his sons too. Was a hand laid upon you?”
“Why didn’t you just let me in on this?”
“Because you might’ve said no. Come over here. I want to show you something.”
Letty stood, slowly, awkwardly. Already her legs had gone stiff.
Three feet away from him, she stopped.
“What?” she asked.
Javier was pointing at the laptop. “Do you see this?”
She leaned over his shoulder, squinting at the screen.
It was an accounts page on a website for the First National Bank of Nassau.
“What’s this supposed to be?” Letty asked.
“It’s an account I opened for you. Do you see this?”
Javier was
Similar Books
