Chapter Twenty-Three

Chapter Twenty-Three

Creed

“Where are you?” I demanded, gripping the phone tighter than necessary between Murphy and me.

“South,” came Leo’s voice, crackling through the background noise.

Murphy glared at the phone. “You want to elaborate a little bit more on that?”

“Southeast,” Leo called back, the noise growing louder, making it hard to hear him clearly.

“What are you doing southeast?” I asked, frustration creeping into my voice.

“Tying up a loose end. What happened with Candace?” he asked, his tone curt and distracted.

I was more interested in knowing what the hell Leo and Apollo were doing. “Jada fed her the line about St. Louis, and Candace took the bait. Wanted to know when you were going there, and then took off,” I explained. “Our guys tried to follow her, but she got ahead of them and disappear like a fucking ghost.” I didn’t know how the woman did it, but it was like she literally poofed into thin air.

“Good,” Leo called.

“Why is that good?” Murphy asked. “Can we get a little more information about the significance of St. Louis and what you’re doing southeast?”

“No,” Leo’s voice echoed, his words dripping with mystery. “You’ll find out when the time is right. For now, keep things under control there.”

Murphy and I exchanged a glance, both of us brimming with questions that Leo clearly wasn’t going to answer. “Fine,” I said, trying to keep my irritation in check. “But you better call us if anything goes sideways.”

“Will do,” Leo replied, and with that, the line went dead.

Murphy shook his head, letting out a long sigh. “I don’t like this. Not one bit.”

“Neither do I,” I admitted, staring at the phone as if willing it to give us more information. “But we’ve got our orders.”

Murphy nodded, his face set in a grim expression. “Let’s hope whatever they’re doing, they come back alive and not in a casket.”