Page 38 of Reed

I gather the waxy pube papers and toss them in the trashbag. “Okay. Let’s hurry up and clean this shit up and get him in the trunk.”

The guys help me clean up and then we make a plan to get him down to the car.

I sift through his closet, and find one of those large hard suit cases. “Hmm.” I say to myself.

Twenty minutes later, we managed to stuff him in it without him waking up. He’s not dead. I felt his pulse.

Isaac has already gone down to the car to get it ready.

I throw Johnny’s keys to Kalix and tell him to lock up and meet me at the car. I roll the suitcase down the stairs and it flops at the bottom. I hear muffled whimpers coming from the bag, but I ignore them.

Forty minutes later we pull up to an overgrown secluded boat landing that looks like it hasn’t been used in years.

There is a pathway along the edge that has a dock at the end.

Isaac stays back with the car as Kalix and I make our way down the long path.

He came up here earlier and dropped off a couple of cinderblocks and some rope for us to use.

Once we make it to the end of the dock, I unzip the suitcase and look down at Johnny. His hair is all over the place and his face is black and blue with little burn marks all over. Tears run down his face.

“Alright, buddy. I think you know this is coming to an end.” I smirk down at him and he starts to squirm again.

I grab the rope and tie it to the bottom of the suit case and connect it to two cinder blocks.

Crouching down beside him I say, “Any last words?” He goes to say something but it’s muffled from the tape.

I laugh and look back at Kalix who is lighting a joint. He takes a puff and holds it out to me, “Want some?”

I shake my head, “Maybe in a minute. Kind’ve in the middle of something.” He smirks at me.

I take my knife out of my pocket and hold it to Johnny’s throat. “Have fun burning in hell.” I say as I slice the blade across his throat and watch the blood pour out briefly before zipping the suitcase back up.

I kick it off the side and watch as it disappears in the dark water.

I peel my gloves off and shove them in my back pocket. “Hand me that.” I say to Kalix and he gives me the joint. We pass it back and forth until we get in the car.

“All good?” Isaac says from the passenger seat as I slip into the driver’s seat.

“All fucking good. Time to go find my Honeybee.”

CHAPTER 25

LEXIE

Icheck my phone for the millionth time today since Reed dropped me off this morning. It is now nine o’clock at night and still not a peep from him.

I hate to admit it, but I was actually looking forward to seeing him again. I’ve contemplated sending him a text, even going as far as opening our text thread, typing out a message then erasing it more than once today.

My Mawmaws’ voice keeps whispering in my head, “I didn’t raise you to chase no man. Let them come to you.”

I huff out a sigh and throw my phone down on my bed. My stash box catches my eye on the dresser and I decide to jump up and grab it.

I pull the glass tube out and unscrew the cap letting the joint fall into my hand. I probably have another one or two uses out of it.

I grab my phone off the bed and my lighter before opening the window. I juggle the joint, phone and lighter with both hands as I light it up and take a long hit. I hold it in for a few seconds and blow the smoke out the window.

I open my messages and flip down to Lainey’s name.