𝑼𝒏𝒕𝒊𝒍 𝑫𝒆𝒂𝒕𝒉 𝑫𝒐 𝑼𝒔 𝑷𝒂𝒓𝒕 | ✓

ᴄʜᴀᴘᴛᴇʀ sᴇᴠᴇɴ

Tobias blew out a breath as he sat in his hotrod gripping the steering wheel tightly. He glanced over at the empty passenger seat and rubbed his scruffy chin. Esmeray's place had been empty for far too long. To anyone else a month wasn't that long, but to him it was an eternity. He ran his fingers through his thick hair and stared ahead at the small gas station settled on the lonesome dusty highway. No cars were present so this would be an easy job. He sighed again. Oh, what he'd give to have Esmeray by his side. Prison had a way of taking everything he ever loved, and he couldn't wait until he could cripple the authorities. Until then, he would bide his time and bolster his forces.

With a set of his jaw, Tobias pulled the keys from the ignition and pushed them into his pocket as he stepped out of his car. He shut the door and slipped his hands into his pockets before striding across the deserted pavement and around empty pumping stations.

A bell on the door chimed when Tobias entered and a smiling middle-aged man greeted him with a wave. "Howdy, sir. Anything I can help you with?"

"Actually yeah," Tobias answered with a grim set of his lips. He pulled a .45 Colt Army pistol from the waistband of his pants and trained it between the man's eyes. "Open the register and hand over the money."

The man's once cheerful face instantly turned to one of grim seriousness. He glanced beneath the counter for a moment before he reached up and began pressing in the combination to unlock the register's drawer.

Tobias kept his Colt aimed at the man's head as he quickly scanned the items on the cabinet. Nothing caught his eye and the soft click of the register drawer unlocking drew his attention back to the man. His heart leapt as he heard the familiar metal-on-metal grating noise of a pistol being cocked.

As the man began to pull a sidearm out from under the counter top, Tobias squeeze the trigger and the bullet ripped through the man's skull and spattered his blood on the back wall. The pistol he'd been bringing out of concealment clattered to the floor before he slumped forward.

Tobias stood stockstill as his eyes watched the ooze of blood seep from under the man's head and onto the wood surface of the counter. The soft sound of blood dripping and hitting the floor in front of his feet snapped him out of his thoughts and he leaned over the table beside the body. He grabbed as many bills as he could before jogging out of the store and to his car. He closed his eyes and leaned back against the seat as his heart thundered and his chest heaved. He stuffed the money in his glove box, not even bothering to count it. He just killed a man. No, his conscience called out. A second man.

Tobias floored his Mustang and charged from the parking lot of the gas station in a swirl of dust and pebbles. His hands trembled as the adrenaline that had previously coursed through him began to leave his body and he forced himself to drive the speed limit. He didn't want to chance any run-in with the law in Kaufman any more than he had to at the moment, especially with the murder scene he'd left behind.

Half an hour later and Tobias was slowly driving down 105 Herbert Street in West Dallas and pulling in front of the squat brick home. He noticed Pietro's white Impala parked in the drive and he sighed. For a moment he closed his eyes and breathed in a deep lungful of air before stepping out of his Mustang and walking up to the dark blue door. Before he could knock, it opened and Cora ushered him inside and to the sofa.

"You and Esmeray are gaining quite the reputation," Cora stated as she sat in her chair. Worry etched wrinkles into her forehead and she hugged Snowball close. "Where's Esmeray anyways?"

Tobias blew out a breath and roughed his hand over his face. He blinked and met Cora's concerned gaze. "You haven't heard?"

"Heard what?" Cora asked, her eyes widening.

"Esmeray's in jail. Been there for 'bout a month," Tobias answered. He could hear the thick note of longing in his tone and he hated it. He didn't want to appear weak in front of anyone no matter how much he could trust them.

"Damn. Guessed we missed that," Pietro spoke up as he walked from the bathroom, his jet black hair glistening with tiny droplets of water. He stood in front of Tobias and sighed with a knowing look. Contrary to what Cora knew, he was in the know about a lot of things he kept hidden from her. "When's she getting out?"

"I dunno. Judge ain't called a court session over it yet as far as I know." Tobias shrugged, linking his arms across his chest.

Cora chewed the inside of her cheek. Her brows furrowed even more and she ran her fingers through Snowball's thick fur. "That's awful. How'd she get there?"

"We robbed Sam's Hardware and the cops apparently got called 'cause they showed up." Tobias shifted on the couch. No matter how much he thought it over, he still hated the fact he wasn't the one who allowed her to escape not the other way around. He should've manned up instead of letting Esmeray do what he should've. "She got caught so I could escape."

"Oh my gosh. I'm sorry," Cora sympathized as she bit her lip. She hoped Esmeray was being treated better than Tobias had been. They all knew the horrors prison had gave their friend.

Pietro sunk down on the couch beside Tobias and titled his head. "What have you been up to since she's locked up?"

"Nothing but recon and stuff 'til 'bout. . . ehhh an hour ago. Tried robbing a gas station over in Kaufman." Tobias gave a dry humorless laugh and shook his head before sighing. "It was fucked, man. Went south when the man behind the register pulled out a gun and I killed him."

Pietro shook his head while Cora gasped and covered her mouth with a hand. "Oh my goodness, I'm so sorry," she stated softly.

"It's fine. It was either me or him," Tobias assured as he gave a small shrug. "Worse has happened before and will happen again. It's just life."

"Unfortunately that's true," Pietro agreed with a serious face. He opened his mouth to speak again but stopped once the olive green rotary phone vibrated and rang loudly with an incoming call. He raised his eyebrows. "Wonder who that is?"

"I dunno but I'mma answer and find out," Cora stated, standing up from her chair and setting Snowball down. She walked to the small table beside the window and picked up the phone after its tone blared out again. "Hello? Oh my gosh, Esmeray!? Yes, yes he's here. Wanna speak to him? Of course!"

Tobias's body tingled with excitement as he walked up and accepted the phone from Cora before pressing it against his ear. "Babe?"

"Toby! My gosh how I've missed you," Esmeray's voice floated through the phone. "They just released me 'cause the judge failed to indict me and I'm in a phone booth across the road from Sam's Hardware ironically."

"I've missed you too, baby girl," Tobias returned with the biggest smile on his face. He licked his bottom lip and sighed. "Don't worry I'mma come get you. How'd jail treat you?"

"Pretty good. I started writing poems to pass the time," she answered in a chipper tone that carried through and warmed Tobias's heart. "Can't wait to show them to you."

"And I can't wait to see them darling," he confirmed, gripping the phone a little too tight. "I'll be there soon, okay?"

"Okay!" She giggled and sighed. "You better have something exciting planned this weekend 'cause I'm in need of some rewind time."

Tobias grinned and glanced out the window at his slick ride. He watched the black paint reflect the sun's rays and chuckled. "You're in luck. I know just the thing you need."