Rachel drove through the raggedy parking lot of the Moonrise Motel forty minutes later.

A group of young black men stood on the side of the building drinking forties and smoking bud.

Rachel parked on the opposite side of the lot, getting a wonderful view of the motel’s scenery of piled up trash bags and beer cans.

“Isn’t this charming?” She patted the bottle of mace in her pocket and got out the car, hoping it would be there when she returned.

Rachel walked across the split sidewalk and made it to the first row of orange doors. She struggled to read the worn off numbers while watching her back. She walked around the corner and came to a door dressed in graffiti.

“Room ten.” She glanced around to make sure no one surprised her. “Stone?” She tapped on the door.

He bust out the door shirtless and ashy. “Rach.” He pulled her inside smelling of Black and Mile cigarettes and granola bars. “Come here, girl.” He closed the dirty door and embraced her with his thin, six-two frame.

He held her arms out, looking her over. “Damn, it’s good to see you.”

“Glad you’re okay.” She pulled the strings of his black skullcap. “Nice get up you got going on.” She gestured to his saggy, army fatigue shorts and white socks pulled up to his knees.

“Everybody can’t be like you.” He grabbed the back of her head and shook it as he’d always done since childhood. “Besides, this ain’t no fashion show.” He walked to the bed with the crumpled up white sheets and grabbed his cigarette from the lopsided end table. “Look at you.” He smoked. “Coming down here in the middle of the night all by yourself like a bad ass.”

She smiled, beaming with pride she’d shown her big brother how brave she could be.

“Where’s your purse?”

“You kidding?” She laughed. “I looked this area up on the Internet. You said it was bad, but I didn’t know we were in the damn hood.”

He laughed, kicking his legs.

“I wasn’t about to bring my purse down here.” She sat beside him. “Remember, we grew up in areas like this.”

“Who you telling?” His droopy eyelids swallowed his slanted eyes. “Let’s not go down Memory Lane.”

“Can’t believe it’s been three years since I’ve seen you.”

He leaned forward, dimples sprouting from his smiling cheeks. “We’ve seen each other.”

“Through video chat.” She sighed, crossing her legs at the ankles. “It’s not the same. You stopped coming around.”

“I was working.” He scratched under his cap.

“Yeah, for Dario Fusco. Why would you get involved with someone like him? You’re thirty-five and still making dumb decisions.”

“Really?” He lay against the headboard with his knee high.

“You’ve always been on the wrong side of the fence, but you never slang drugs before. Why would you do that? That’s against everything we stand for. Just letting him use you to pump shit into your own community.”

“If you came here to lecture me on my lifestyle choices for the hundredth time, then you can get the fuck out.” He blew smoke out the corner of his mouth. “What I need is support, not your mouth.”

“You’re gonna get my mouth.” She wiggled her neck, batting her eyes. “Dragging me into this crap. I didn’t steal seven hundred grand worth of Fusco’s coke so don’t come with attitude after the shit I’ve been through because of you.”

He took a long drag from the cigarette and smirked. “You and that mouth.”

“I’m serious, Stone.” She touched his leg. “You’re in debt to a cocaine kingpin. Do you realize what that means?”

“Course I do.” He tilted the cigarette. “I can’t eat, sleep, shit, fuck without thinking about it, girl. I know I made the worst mistake of my life when I took that stash, but I’d had it with Fusco’s shit. He was using me for his flunky meanwhile promising me I’d have a shot to stand with him.”

“You fell for that? Why would Fusco bring your black ass into his organization beyond anything than level one?”

“I’ve proved my worth to that man.” He poked his chest. “Did shit you can’t imagine for his ass.”

“What’s wrong with you? Why can’t you do right?”

“Me doing wrong is how I got money to raise you, remember? Doing wrong is how I made sure you had a place to sleep and food to eat growing up. You were fine with it then.”

“That’s a lie.” She waved her finger. “I never liked what you did, but I accepted it because at the time it was the best you could do. But, not anymore, Stone. You’re better than this. I get a feeling your luck is running out and what will I do without you?” She cried. “If I lose you I got nothing, Stone. Nothing.”

“Rach.” He laid the cigarette in the tray. “I love you.” He got out the bed and hugged her. “I’d kill myself if that’s what I gotta do to protect you.”

She wrapped her arms around his solid six-pack, smelling his underarm funk. “Ooh.”

He laughed. “I know I need to bathe.”

She snickered, wiping her eyes.

He cupped her face in his palms. “You’re my world. There’s nothing I care about more than you. I promise I’ll handle this.”

“He wants me to rob Omega Trust.”

“What?” He grabbed her by the arms. “He said that?”

She nodded.

“You can’t do that, Rachel.”

“He’s forcing his way into everything.” She walked across the matted, gray carpet. “My life and now my job. I can’t breathe.”

“I’ll think of something.”

“You keep saying that.” She sat on the edge of the bed. “When are you gonna do it?”

“I will.” He rubbed his hands together, eyes narrowing even more. “Leave everything to me.”

* * *

The next morning, Scott got to Bobby’s office as Bobby headed out. “Bobby?”

“Sorry, Little Brother.” Bobby shut the door, waving a folder. “Captain’s called a meeting.” He hurried toward the second floor elevator with Scott alongside.

“I have to talk to you for a second.”

Bobby pushed the down button on the side of the elevator. “I don’t have a second. Been a development in the murder case I’m working on.” He jumped into the elevator.

“Wait.” Scott pried the doors opened and joined him. “This is important.”

“How important?” Bobby straightened his back, bouncing on his heels. “Life or death important? I doubt it.”

“Why you gotta be so smug all the time? Can I just have five minutes?”

“What part of ‘I have a meeting’ do you not get?”

The elevator stopped, and they scurried toward a corner room where officers entered.

“This has to wait, Scott.”

“I’m your brother.” Scott blocked Bobby. “The meeting hasn’t started yet.”

People milled around the room.

“Just give me a minute, okay?”

Bobby pulled Scott to the secluded stairwell. “What is it?”

“Rachel—”

“Rachel.” Bobby hit the folder against his thigh. “Why am I not surprised?”

“I wanted to give her space, but I’m too afraid for her safety. So, I’ve been watching her.”

Bobby wiggled his nose. “You’ve been stalking Rachel Howard?”

“Not stalking. I wanted to make sure she was all right. I went to her place last night about ten and saw her leave.”

“So?”

“She seemed frantic, so I followed her.”

“Scott.” Bobby crossed his arms. “Have you lost your damn mind?”

“She went to the Moonrise Motel on East Lane.”

Bobby pushed his shoulders back. “So what?”

“She met someone who’s staying there. I saw her go into the room, but I couldn’t make out the person. It was too dark. I think this guy might be the man who attacked her in the park.”

“Why would Rachel meet the man who attacked her alone at a motel at night?”

“The same reason she met him in the park.” Scott huffed. “She looked upset when she left.”

“I don’t get you. What will it take for you to leave this alone?”

“I’ll let it go if you go to the motel and find out who she saw.”

“My meeting.”

Scott grabbed Bobby as he passed. “You’re curious about what’s going on with Rachel too.”

Bobby yanked his arm free, eyebrows constricting. “Why can’t you walk away?”

Scott glanced at the officers who mingled in the meeting. “Because if I don’t help Rachel, who will?”