Ford was careful not to let much slip, but the reality was that we all had a weakness, and I’d just found his. Now all I needed to know was exactly who she was.
“Did he?” Ford asked, his voice becoming deeper. “Did Hut send you to spy on me?” The straight line of his lips and narrowing of his eyes told me he wasn’t impressed by the thought of Hut having him followed.
I shrugged. “I’m just doing what I’m told to do, man.” I omitted anything concrete, not wanting to slip up on my own words at a later stage.
“Fuck!” He paced back and forth in front of me, scrubbing his hand over his face and through his hair. “Shit.”
“Look.” I stepped forward, and he halted, his hand whipping out lightning fast and drawing his gun from his waistband. It wasn’t the first time I’d had one pointed at me, and I could almost feel the burn of the bullet as it pierced my skin. The pain had been like nothing else. Thank god it had only happened once so far. Once was more than enough to have me holding my hands in the air in surrender. “I don’t care what you do in your own time.” I raised my brows, hoping he’d lower the weapon because I really didn’t want another scar to add to my collection. “I just want to go home and get some sleep. I’m tired as fuck.”
“Then go home,” he ground out, his arm as steady as a rock. “Forget what you saw and I’ll let you walk away.”
I pursed my lips and lowered my hands, not giving a shit if he was still pointing his gun at me. He thought he had the upper hand, and he didn’t. He really fuckin' didn’t.
“That right?” I stepped forward, causing him to step back. I had a feeling if he didn’t have someone in his car, he’d have matched me step for step, but he didn’t, and it could only mean one thing: he was protecting her. “Who’s the girl?” I asked, tilting my chin toward his car.
“None of your fuckin' business!” Spit flew out of his mouth, his rage becoming more than he could control. “I suggest you
get back in your shitty fuckin' car and pretend you didn’t see a thing.”
“See…” I leaned on the hood of my car and crossed my ankles, acting like this was a normal thing to do. “I don’t think I can do that. I was following you for a reason, so I need something to report back.”
I looked at my nails, acting like I wasn’t paying him much attention when it was the complete opposite. I was hyperaware of each of his movements as he lowered his gun. He knew if he wanted my cooperation, he had to give me something in return, it was the way the world worked.
“She’s someone I don’t want Hut to know about.” The protective stance he took could have told me that, but his words confirming it meant I had more to go on and an in to ask about.
“Why’s that?”
“Because she’s better than this shit. She’s better than him.”
I tilted my head, staring at him intently and making it look like I was thinking about it. My mind was swirling, trying to piece everything together. If Ford thought Hut was having him followed, then that meant there was a rift starting to form between them. And if the person who was in his car was important to Ford, it meant she was a bargaining chip to me.
“Okay.” I pushed up off my car. “I won’t tell him, but you owe me one.” I pointed at him, making sure he saw I was serious as shit until he nodded and stowed away his gun. “I mean it, Ford.”
“I know you do.” He narrowed his eyes. “And I don’t like owing people shit.”
“Tough luck, kiddo.” I grinned at the growl he gave me. “Owing people is what happens. It’s called life.” I sauntered back to the driver’s side door, pulled it open, and took one last look at him. “You kids have a nice night now.”
I slipped back into the car, glanced at the side mirror, and pulled out onto the road, speeding past his car and taking the first right turn I could. As soon as I was far enough away, I speed dialed Jordan’s number.
“Yo.”
“Jord.” I gripped the steering wheel harder as I pushed my foot down on the gas. “He made me.”
“What?” I heard some shuffling over the line. “What do you mean he made you?”
“He saw me following him and stopped in the middle of the road.”
Jord chuckled. “Looks like you need to brush up on your stalking skills, old man.”
“Fuck you.” I shook my head and laughed.
“I’m good but thanks for asking.”
“Dick.” I took a left turn, heading back toward the neighborhood. “Please tell me you found out who the girl is.”
“I did.”
I rolled my eyes. “Well, tell me then.”