Deserted - Auctioned

“Just…don’t quit, okay?” That was Gray’s biggest fear. “If you crash sometime—if you feel like there’s no point in anything—call us first. Promise me that.”

Jackie sobered and nodded. “I promise.”

Good.

Darius woke up shortly after, an hour or so before the sun would rise, and he stepped out onto the porch as he stretched his arms over his head and yawned.

“Mornin’.”

Fucking hell, he was hot.

“Good morning.” Gray found it amusing how freaking unruffled that man could be. Could there ever be a crisis that made him panic?

“Y’all ready for today?” Darius’s question was mostly aimed at Jackie. Gray’s work was pretty much done, and he’d hopefully get some sleep when they began their journey back to Washington.

“Yes, sir,” Jackie replied. “Would you like me to give you a rundown of everything? Gray helped me memorize all the steps, including the changes.”

Maybe it was weird for Gray to feel a little proud of Jackie, but nevertheless. The guy was handling this well, he thought. Even after Darius had gotten off the phone with Ryan and revealed some last-minute tweaks.

One of the corners of Darius’s mouth curled up, and he came over to the table and took a seat in the empty chair. “I think that sounds like a good way to start the day. Hit me with it, kid.”

Jackie sat a little straighter. “After you leave in a couple hours, I will wait out here all day. If I get anxious, I will remind myself that your brother is watching over me, and he will report to you.”

Gray slid an apple across the table to Darius. He needed to eat.

“Then when it gets dark,” Jackie continued, “I will go out front—and stay hidden—and I will check for cars. When I don’t see any, I’ll start the fire. Then I will hurry to the driveway where you will have left a rag soaked in gasoline that I will rub over my arms and stuff. And before I leave, I will make sure it gets thrown into the fire too.” He took a breath, all while Darius’s eyes warmed up. He was impressed too. “I’ll go that way—” Jackie pointed to the west, toward Twentynine Palms “—and if I get scared, I’ll remind myself again that your brother is watching me from a distance the whole way, and when I get to the town, I will stop someone and ask for help.”

Darius didn’t hide his approval. “You’ll handle this great. And remember you can signal to my brother if it’s an emergency. Just show a thumbs down toward the mountains back there, and he’ll be here.”

The gratitude Gray felt for the Quinn brothers hit him with indescribable force, and it wasn’t the first time. Just the fact that they could call each other on such short notice and the other would come running… Gray vowed to himself to nurture his relationships with his own brothers more when he got home.

Ryan had merely asked when and where. To which Darius had given him the coordinates and some instructions.

This was Darius’s compromise. This was how he’d feel better leaving Jackie alone for so long, by knowing that he wasn’t truly alone at all.Gray refused to show how nervous he was before they left.

While Darius was helping Jackie discard some strips of duct tape on the porch and in the driveway—to make it look like the guy had gotten free from his restraints—Gray brought water, one soda, a couple old magazines, and some snacks to the table on the porch. He reminded Jackie to throw it all in the living room later.

This was it. Gray and Darius had done their part. Now it was up to Jackie.

Jesus Christ, the drive today was gonna be hellish. Would Gray even be able to get any rest? It sounded more likely that he’d sit next to Darius and fret his ass off.

Jackie would probably not be able to sleep either. As tired as he clearly was, he was also wired and antsy. He would see his family tomorrow. It kept him going.

Wanting to avoid the body in the living room, Jackie went around the house and in through the front door when he went to the bathroom a final time. And when he came out again, they were officially done.

Darius grabbed the spare tank for the ATV and doused the interior of the house in gasoline. Warren’s body was soaked. Every location that could hold traces of fingerprints—drenched. The hatch in the floor, doorknobs, the kitchen, parts of the porch, the bathroom, and every spot was connected by a trail of gasoline to ensure the fire would spread quickly.

“Your recovery’s gonna be a hellish fucking journey,” Gray told Jackie, “but after everything you’ve been through—what we have been through—there is no stopping. Am I right?”

Jackie exhaled shakily and nodded. “I’ll be strong.”