Time To Die by James P. Sumner

Author:James P. Sumner [Sumner, James P.]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Published: 2023-05-22T16:00:00+00:00

19

Roach rested gently against the hood of Vanessa’s Porsche, his arms folded across his chest. He stared blankly at the ground, trying simply to take a beat and relax.

Light clouds formed above, dulling the sunshine for the first time since he had arrived in Waters Point. The breeze picked up, still warm for the season but stronger than it had been in a while. He tilted his head back and closed his eyes as the gust washed over him like a refreshing shower.

When it died down, he sat straight again and looked around. The parking lot was much bigger than the grocery store needed it to be. He bet he could park every car in town in this one lot and still have spaces available. The store was located on one of the main strips, about a quarter-mile from the intersection statue. It seemed to act as a hub for everyone. Roach noted that half the people who had parked there weren’t customers of the store. They simply left their cars and trucks while they ran their errands all over town.

He had parked alone in a corner of the lot away from everything else. It was close to a low fence that backed onto a patch of empty land, overgrown with weeds.

He waited ten minutes before he heard the distant roar of Chen’s Charger. The spluttering growl was unmistakable, especially in a town like this. Roach glanced back over his shoulder as the car eased into the lot and drove directly toward him, ignoring the markings for spaces and navigation. It circled to a stop, nose to nose with the Porsche, with only a few feet between them. Chen climbed out with gusto and marched toward him, his face narrowed with a hard frown and a tense jaw.

“Who the hell do you think you are, summoning me like this?” barked Chen as he stopped in front of Roach.

Roach stared calmly into his dark eyes, matching his restrained aggression. “I’m here to help. You want to hear me out, or do you want to mouth off until I punch you?”

“You’re welcome to try.” He sighed as the moment defused. “Look, just because you and I have come to an understanding, that doesn’t mean Mr. Pope is okay with you still being here. I can’t be seen tolerating your bullshit.”

“He might not like it, but after seeing me destroy two of his security guards in his living room, even he can’t deny I’m effective. However, this isn’t about what he likes or doesn’t like. This is about keeping Vanessa safe. And seeing as it’s just me and you right now, you can drop the act because we both know that’s all you’re really concerned about. So, are you going to listen to what I have to say, or not?”

Chen held his gaze for a heartbeat, then stepped back. He mimicked Roach’s body language by resting against his own car’s hood.

“Fine,” he said begrudgingly. “What do you want?”

Roach nodded his appreciation. “Vanessa’s told me everything.

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