Cupcake Explosion (Cupcakes 4)

We nursed our beers until they were gone, and we felt we’d been there enough time to not come across as suspicious, then went outside to check on Bran and wait for some Diablos to leave.

“What took you guys so long?” Bran asked from the back when we got into the van. He had the seat laid all the way back. “I almost fell asleep.”

“Just doing a little recon,” I said, looking at him in the rearview mirror. “The Diablos are in there, Cueball included. They’re just hanging out and drinking. We tried to get close, without getting too close, but nobody said anything important. We’re going to wait for a couple of them to leave and follow them home.”

“Are you sure that’s a good idea?” he asked.

We both turned and glared at him.

“Just asking,” Bran said, holding up his hands in surrender. “I’m in this with you guys, so whatever you decide, I’ve got your back.”

Carmen’s face softened and she said, “Thanks, Bran.”

We sat in the van long enough for me to get Carmen and Bran hooked on Words with Friends, when I heard the sound of tail pipes and turned on the van.

I stayed a good distance behind, not wanting them to pick up my tail, which was difficult since it was dark and the town was pretty dead. It wouldn’t be too hard for them to clock my headlights and I just prayed they didn’t think anything of it.

When they turned left onto a gravel road, I waited a few breaths before turning down it myself and following behind. There was a large fence surrounding the property, with a huge rollaway gate, which was, luckily, open.

I pulled off onto the grass and tried to hide my van off of the road so people coming in wouldn’t see it, then we got out and ran to the entrance. After we were sure it was clear, we went inside and crept along the fence line, being careful to stay in the shadows.

We went in the opposite direction of the entrance, running along the building

until we came to a set of basement windows.

I was about to get on the ground to peer inside when I heard the sound of a gun cocking, and a gravelly voice ask, “Now, what the hell do we have here?”

WE WERE USHERED inside the compound at gunpoint.

We didn’t have our hands behind our heads, or anything too dramatic, but it was still not great.

“Well, if it isn’t the two broads from the bar,” Cueball said as he walked toward us.

His gaze went to Bran, then back to me.

“You didn’t have the stiff with you then, though, did you? What’s your game here?”

When I didn’t answer right away, I felt the tip of the gun in between my shoulder blades.

“We followed you out here,” I tried, hoping like hell he’d buy it. “My friend had to bring her man along, but I was hoping to find you.”

Cueball watched me closely, not saying anything, and I couldn’t tell whether he believed me or not.

“Scam, take those two to the bar, get them a drink,” Cueball said over his shoulder. “You come with me and we’ll find a place where we can talk . . . in private.”

My stomach clenched and I still wasn’t sure if he thought I wanted to go somewhere and sleep with him, or if he was suspicious of why we were here, but I had to go with him and see this through.

I have to find Cade. No matter what.

I watched, uneasy, as Bran and Carmen were taken into the back, then followed Cueball with what I hoped was a look of anticipation.

I almost cried with relief when he led me into the kitchen and not a bedroom.

“Have a seat,” he said, then opened the refrigerator and looked back at me. “You want anything? Beer, food?”

“You have any cupcakes in there?” I joked.

“Got chocolate cake,” Cueball replied, pulling out a round cake with only two pieces missing.