Page 44 of Alonzo

I turn in my seat and look at her. If what Vann said at dinner is true, then… she’s on the run as well. “Belinda. I’m so, so sorry.”

Vann is inside too, already putting the truck in drive, and then he pulls out onto College Avenue. “Listen, you guys. We’re gonna go to my house and make a plan. We’ll figure it out. I don’t know if you’ve been outed, Belinda. But we can’t take any chances.”

I’m looking her in the eyes when Vann says this. I see her confusion. Then her understanding. “You too?”

I nod. “Me too. I didn’t know about you until tonight at dinner. Vann told me.”

“How the fuck did you know?” Belinda’s voice is slightly shaky.

“I’ve seen a lot in my short life, Belinda. My family… my sister… my brother-in-law… his friends.” He shrugs, clearly having trouble finding a starting point to answer her question. “Just trust me. This town isn’t what you think. And neither are the people who live in it. We’re gonna go to my house, figure out a plan, and then… I don’t know. We’ll tell my brothers, I guess. And they’ll probably tell my sister and she’ll get the team involved.”

“Oh, my God! Your brothers! You didn’t even tell them I was leaving!” Belinda protests. “We have six people in the waiting room. I’m gonna get fired!”

Vann shakes his head and huffs in an incredulous way. “Belinda. Come on. You don’t work at Sick Boyz anymore. It’s over.”

“What? Why?”

“Oh, my God.” I face forward and slide down into my seat. “This is all my fault.”

“It’s not your fault,” Vann says. “You didn’t do anything wrong. Someone told him you were here. We have a mole problem, it’s that simple.”

“Wait,” Belinda says. “How serious is this? I mean…” She grabs my seat back and leans forward. “Who’s here looking for you, Tara?”

“Diablo.” I whisper his name, still afraid of conjuring him even though he’s already here. “The guy with the devil tattoos who came looking for me. I testified against him back in Long Beach but… he got off. That’s why I moved here two years ago. I’m so sorry for lying to you, Belinda.”

She places a hand on my shoulder and gives it a squeeze. “Hey. It’s not your fault people are assholes. I’m here for the same fucking reason.”

I’m just about to ask more questions about her situation when my phone rings in my purse.

“Don’t answer it,” Vann says. “It could be him.”

“It’s not Diablo.” I sigh. “It’s Lonnie.”

“Do not answer it,” Vann reiterates. “We need to get rid of your phone so we can’t be tracked. Turn it off for now. If we plan it right, we can use it to our advantage once we leave town.”

“Don’t worry. I’m not answering any more of Lonnie’s calls. Wait—did you just say leave town?”

“We have to go somewhere, don’t we? We can’t stay here.”

Belinda leans forward so her face is right next to mine. “How come you’re not answering Lonnie’s calls, Tare?”

“Because he lied to me, Belinda. About everything.” Then I lean to the side a little to see past her. Fix my eyes on Vann Vaughn. “Why are you leaving town, Vann? You’re not involved in this.”

“Hold on.” Belinda holds up her hand. “He lied to you?”

I know Belinda well enough to recognize her bitch-you-will-not-change-the-subject voice. Even if we are on the run from the actual fucking devil. I reposition myself in the seat so I’m leaning against the door so I look her in the eyes when I admit my mistakes. “You were right about him, Belinda. He’s not an accountant. He’s a fucking fisherman from Key West. Fisherman! Can you believe that? Like who the fuck fishes for a living? Have you ever in your life met a fisherman?”

Belinda stares at me and blinks. “Well. Actually… I’m sorry. Where was he from again?”

“Key West. And here is the best part. Are you ready for this? After all that fuss I made about never dating guys with ink, I find out his whole fucking body is covered in mermaid tattoos. He showed me this! Just before Vann grabbed me and Diablo came knocking on my door. Mermaid tattoos, Belinda! I mean… I just…” I shake my head, then stop. Because that small motion is making me dizzy and I feel a headache coming on.

Belinda clears her throat in my ensuing silence. “OK. So… a fisherman? From Key West? With mermaid tattoos?”

“I know, right?” I huff out some air as I massage my temple. Vann pulls his truck into the alley behind the run-down mansion he calls home. “He’s the exact opposite of everything I’m looking for.”

Vann parks behind the house, but doesn’t turn the truck off. He just looks at Belinda and me.

“What?” we both say at the same time.