Dead Zone by Amber Lynn Natusch

Author:Amber Lynn Natusch [Natusch, Amber Lynn]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Published: 2018-04-30T16:00:00+00:00

Chapter Twenty-Six

Two hours and zero leads later, Jenkins appeared from the back room and pulled me aside.

“Hey,” Jenkins said, leaning in close to my ear, “change of plans. You need to come with me for a sec.” I turned to find sharp blue eyes staring down at me. There was no room for questioning him.

“What’s up?” I asked, throwing aside the towel I’d been using to wipe down the bar.

“Not here.” He walked out from behind the bar, heading for his office. I followed behind him, if for no other reason than my morbid curiosity about what had him so tight-lipped. I knew it couldn’t be good.

Once we were alone in his office, he closed the door, blocking out the cacophony of the bar.

“I just got a call,” he said, “from Murph.”

“Murph who no longer runs the fight club because it got shut down? That Murph?”

“Yes, and he said they’re having fights tonight at a new spot. It’s on the down-low for obvious reasons. He wants me to come ref some of the matches…”

“And you want to know if that’s going to get you in trouble.” It wasn’t a question. The uncertainty rolling off him was so strong I could practically taste it.

“I want to help you guys, Phira, but not enough to get caught in the crossfire.”

“You won’t be,” I said, turning to open the door, “because I’m going with you. It’s the perfect chance to see if my ghostly murderer returns.”

“Phira—”

“Nope. Those are my terms, or I tell the boys about this pop-up fight club and they go apeshit. Your call.”

His chest heaved as he tried to calm his anger. It appeared that my lone wolf buddy didn’t love ultimatums.

Yet another trait we shared.

“Fine. You can go.”

“Sweet. Let’s move.”

Without another word, the two of us made our way out the back door and to his Jeep. There was no singing on the way there; no joking and horsing around. It was as if we both knew that shit was about to go down that night. Like our sixth senses were screaming at us to turn back. To stay out of it.

We both ignored the warning.

Thirty minutes later, we pulled up to an unlikely location. St. Anthony’s Episcopal Church didn’t really seem like a great place to hold a fight, but Jenkins launched into a rather long-winded explanation about why it worked. It was in the Northsiders’ territory and was well protected by them. The reverend had a little gambling problem that had been exploited to secure the venue.

I wondered if he’d be there betting on the fights.

“Did they move the pews out of the way for the cage?” I asked, walking up the front steps.

“No, it’s all downstairs. They have some big banquet hall or something. I don’t really know all the details. Murph didn’t tell me.”

“Guess we’re about to find out.”

He looked over his shoulder at me, concern in his eyes. “I need you to keep your mouth shut this time, okay? We can’t have a repeat performance of last time.

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