Fic: Taking Turns (Holding This World). AU RPS. Jensen/Jared. NC-17. Part 3

[felisblanco]

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Master post | Part 1 | Part 2 | Part 3 | Part 4 | Part 5 | Part 6 | Epilogue | Art post



“What are we doing?” Chad hissed in a low voice, eyeing the two men in the front seat. “What the hell have you gotten us into?”

“Us? I told you to leave,” Jared whispered back. “You’re the one that insisted on coming along. This is my problem, Chad. Mine to deal with.”

Chad just looked at him in disgust. “Your problems are my problems,” he said. “Where the fuck were you when they taught Brocode 101?”

Jared didn’t know whether to laugh or cry. Or possibly kiss Chad for being such a stubborn loyal idiot. Christ, he just knew something bad was about to happen and he should insist on Chad getting the fuck out of there. He was just too damn relieved he wasn’t alone in this. He was scared out of his mind, he was angry and hurt and he hated himself for wishing he could just see and talk to Jensen. Jensen who apparently was an asshole of gigantic proportions and had probably set the whole thing up just to lure Jared to... do whatever it was he was about to do.

That was the problem, he had no idea what they were going to ask of him and neither the lawyer nor the weird guy that served as his driver were answering any questions. What would he be ready to do to stay out of prison? Steal, definitely. But hurt someone or even kill them? No. No, he drew the line there. He’d rather take his chances in prison.

Ok, maybe he could beat someone up if they were like really, really evil. He’d be okay with that. Not badly, just punch them a few times. Not breaking any bones though. That was just nasty and he wasn’t sure he was strong enough anyway. Except maybe the nose, he could break someone’s nose. He’d broken Chad’s nose once, although on accident, so he knew that wasn’t too hard. Would be different doing it on purpose though. Maybe he could just like tie them up and threaten to beat them. That could work.

“I’m not gonna kill anyone,” he said out loud, just to get that out in the open. “Or, you know, hurt them. I won’t do that.”

Welling acted like he hadn’t heard him but the weird driver glanced at him in the rearview mirror. Jared was pretty open minded when it came to fashion but even he couldn’t see how anyone would think a red velvet suit would look good with purple shoes. With that big nose he looked like a parrot. All the guy needed was a feathered pimp hat to perfect the look but instead he sported a bald head and a sarcastic sneer.

“Where did you find these two?” he asked Welling with disgust. “The gutter?”

“Try your mama’s bed, Baldy,” Chad shot back and Jared elbowed him hard. Their chances were bad enough without pissing of the weirdo with the gun. The gun he had gleefully shown them and then stuffed down the back of his red velvet pants when they’d been ordered into the car.

“We only need one of you,” Baldy pointed out, glaring at Chad. “Right, boss? Can I shoot the twink?”

“Hey!” Chad protested, more at being called twink than the threat to his life if his indignation was anything to go by. Jared would have rolled his eyes but he was too busy being terrified.

“If you shoot him you can just as well shoot me,” he said, trying to sound braver than he felt. “It’s both or nothing.”

Chad nodded enthusiastically and threw him a grin. It would have been more convincing if he hadn’t been so sickly pale.

“No one is shooting anyone,” Welling said, as casually as if they were talking about the weather. “We are not criminals, Mr. Padalecki, whatever you might think.”

Baldy looked like he wanted to object being denied his criminal status but settled for glaring at Jared in the rearview mirror instead.

“Right,” Jared said sarcastic. “That’s why your driver just threatened to shoot my friend with his gun. Pardon me if I’m less than convinced.”

“We are not criminals,” Welling repeated patiently, “but you are, Mr. Padalecki. You and your ‘friend’ both. Mr. Rosenbaum is simply making sure you don’t get any ideas.”

“I still won’t do anything illegal,” Jared insisted. “I mean, nothing that can hurt anyone.”

The lawyer sighed, like he was talking to a petulant child. “We simply need you to deliver a letter to a certain address. That’s all.”

Jared frowned. “A letter? Why does Jensen need me to deliver a letter?”

Welling turned his head and looked at him. His eyes were cold. “You do not know that name, Mr. Padalecki. No more than you know my name or that of the man sitting next to me. Do you understand?”

Jared drew back. “Yeah,” he said and swallowed. “I get it.”

Baldy smirked at him in the mirror.

They kept silent the rest of the ride. Jared had no idea where they were except that they’d obviously left LA. There was sand as far as he could see and he kept getting flashes of old mob movies in his head, where people were driven into the desert and shot. Glancing at Chad it was obvious he was thinking the same thing. The only thing keeping Jared from panicking was that if Welling (or Jensen for that matter) wanted him dead, a night in the cell with those bikers would have done the trick. The fact that they were going through all this trouble had to mean they really did want him to deliver that letter.

Whether he would live to tell the tale was another thing.

Chad suddenly elbowed him. “Vegas, baby!” he whispered, pointing ahead. Sure enough, the dark sky was lit up by neon lights flashing promises of fame and fortune. “At least I got to see Mecca before I died,” Chad sighed wistfully. “Think they’d allow us one spin of the wheel before they pop us?”

“We’re not dying so just shut up about it,” Jared hissed.

Someone cleared their throat in the front seat and they looked up to find Welling studying them impatiently. “It’s simple. You just take this letter to the place it’s addressed to, wait while they make sure everything’s in order, accept another letter in return and bring it back to us. Not too complicated, is it?”

Jared took the letter handed to him. It was not thick, couldn’t hold more than one sheet of paper. He glanced at Chad who looked just as nervous as he felt.

“If it’s so simple why don’t you do it yourself?” Chad blurted out.

“Are you suggesting you are of no use to us?” Welling asked calmly.

Jared grabbed Chad’s arm before he said anything else. “No. It’s fine. Chad, shut up.”

Chad huffed but he had the sense for once to keep quiet.

The car suddenly came to a halt and Jared looked up to find they were in a dark street, the glow of the neon lights brightening up the night sky. The whole thing felt surreal, like he expected to wake up any second on his old mattress with Chad snoring on the other side of the room, the memory of Jensen nothing but a good dream turned bad that he could push out of his mind.

“Get going,” Welling said impatiently. “And remember,” he added just as Jared was about to open the door, “cross me and there will not be a place on earth you can hide where I won’t find you.”

Jared swallowed. “We won’t,” he said. “Come on, Chad. Let’s get this over with.”

They hurried away from the car as fast as they could, keeping quiet until they’d rounded a corner and were safe from the car’s view.

“You know they’re gonna kill us anyway, right?” Chad hissed. “Dude, no way they can let us live, knowing the Ackles family is doing… whatever dodgy stuff it’s doing. Drugs maybe.”

“Not the family I’m guessing, just Jensen,” Jared said, his voice bitter. “Fuck, I can’t believe I let him play me like that.”

“Are you even listening to me? Forget your goddamn teenage girl crush on the pretty boy and try and figure out a way for us to get out of this, ok? Because hell if I’m gonna die in some desert outside Vegas, like Jimmy fricking Hoffa.”

“That was Detroit, not Vegas. And no one knows what happened to Jimmy Hoffa anyway,” Jared pointed out even if he didn’t really care. Chad was right, they were probably not looking at a long prosperous life beyond tonight. On the other hand, running off from that scary fucker Welling didn’t seem like a good idea either. Jared had no doubt that threat had been real.

“How ‘bout this?” Chris suggested. “We open the envelope and see if it’s anything worth exploiting. Maybe it’s worth a lot of money. Then we could use it to disappear.” Chad’s eyes brightened. “Dude, seriously, we could go to Europe! Hell, we could go to frigging Agrabah.”

“Why would you want to go to Agrabah?” Jared asked with a frown. “Is that even a real place?”

“Jared, you’re missing the point. The point is we can be rich!”

“And dead. Don’t forget dead,” Jared said sarcastic. “Chad, did you see the guy? He was like evil incarnated! He eats boys like you for breakfast!”

“Dude, that’s just gross,” Chad said with a grimace. “Keep your gay fantasies to yourself.”

“I didn’t mean…” Jared stopped. What did he know, anyway? “Ok, know what? I think we should deliver the letter or we might get both parties after us. One psycho is enough.”

Chad thought that over before nodding. “Good thinking. So where are we going anyway?”

Jared looked at the address on the envelope. “This way?”

Ten minutes later they were standing outside a door in a dark alley, looking at it with trepidation. “I guess we better knock,” Jared finally said with fake bravado and raised his fist.

Barely a minute went by until it was cracked open as far as the thick chain allowed and a tall man with dark eyes and a scowl to match glared out at them. “Yeah?”

Jared hesitated. “Uhm…” If they weren’t allowed to mention neither Ackles nor Welling, what was he supposed to say? “I have a delivery from… someone.”

The man looked at them then suddenly burst out laughing. “What do you know? Delivered to our door. Like pizza.”

Jared shot Chad a confused glance. What the hell?

The door closed and then opened again a moment later with the chain released. “C’mon, get in,” the guy said. He was almost as tall as Jared with long hair and a goatee, dressed in jeans and a leather jacket that had seen better days. His neck was covered in a black tattoo that looked like the end of a dragon’s tail.

They followed him down some stairs and through a long hall before finally being let into a large room. A fat man was sitting behind a desk, eating spring rolls and sipping from a bottle of Pepsi. “What’s this?” he said, not even sparing them a glance.

“Delivery from Ackles Industry,” the guy said gleefully, taking away any hope Jared had that Jensen wasn’t involved.

The fat man raised his head and looked them over. There was a glint in his eye that Jared really didn’t like. Finally he nodded. “Good. Come closer.”

Jared stepped forward, placing the envelope on the desk in front of the man. He didn’t know what he was supposed to do, if he should say something, like demand to see the money. Then again he didn’t even know if it was money they were getting in return. What if they’d let their imagination run away with them and this was no more sinister than two men exchanging gifts?

The fat man licked his lips just as the guy that had let them in scratched at his neck, which lifted up his jacket, revealing a gun strapped to his chest.

Ok, so maybe it was a little sinister.

“Take them to the inner room,” the fat man said as he wiped his mouth and reached for the envelope.

“What? No!” Jared said in panic because that sounded really bad, like ‘go shoot them in the head’ kind of bad.

The tall guy laughed. “Relax, kid. Not gonna hurt you. Nothing you wouldn’t like anyway.” He laughed again, like it was the funniest thing in the world then grabbed Jared by the arm, pushing him toward a door on the other side of the room.

“Hey,” he tried to object but then suddenly the guy’s gun was up and aimed at his head.

“Don’t be putting up a fight, kiddo. I hate cleaning brain out of my suit.” The man jerked his head at Chad who was staring at the display in shock. “And tell your little friend to get moving unless he wants your dead ass to be the last thing he sees.”

Chad hurried over and together they let themselves be shoved through the door before it was slammed shut behind them, the lock clicking in place.

“We’re dead, aren’t we?” Chad asked. He sounded like he was about to cry. Or possibly scream for help at the top of his lungs. Neither would do any good so Jared gripped him by the shoulders, turned him around and looked him straight in the eye.

“We’re not,” he said firmly. “He could have shot us right away if he wanted to, right? So chances are he doesn’t plan to. Maybe he’s just gonna let us…” He broke off when he heard a sound from the corner of the room, like someone was snorting. “Did you hear that?”

“What?” Chad squeaked, quickly covering behind Jared. “Are there rats in here? I hate fucking rats. Stay away from me, motherfuckers!”

“Shut up, Chad.” Jared tilted his head, listening. There was a muffled sound and he located the source of it as coming from a bundle of blankets in the corner. “Is someone there?” he asked, raising his voice.

The bundle moved. “How ‘bout some help here?” a grouchy voice said, the sound muffled by the blankets.

Jared walked over hesitantly. It was kinda dark in the corner but as he got closer he saw they were actually not blankets but a human being in baggy clothes with a canvas bag over the head. When Jared pulled it off it revealed a grumpy looking face topped by greasy long hair and blue eyes that glared at him.

“C’mon, untie me before they come back.”

“Uhm…” Jared took a step back. “We don’t know you. Maybe you’re worse than them.”

The guy huffed in frustration. “Kids, listen to me. I heard them talking about Ackles Industry. That tall sonofabitch Welling sent you, right?”

Jared hesitated. “Maybe?”

“Yeah, here’s a news announcement: Your ass has just been sold! You think you’re the first street kids he’s sent here? Son, no one’s gonna miss you if you never get back. Am I right?”

Jared swallowed. “Jensen’s done this before?” he asked, feeling stupidly hurt.

The guy frowned. “Who? The Ackles kid?” He blinked a few times but then understanding obviously dawned. “Christ. That’s how they got you? Oh man, you really are stupid, aren’t you?”

“Insulting us isn’t really helping your case,” Jared pointed out but he stepped forward anyway. Chad’s hand on his arm stopped him.

“What if this is a test?” he whispered. “About loyalty or something. Maybe if we do untie this fucker, then they’ll shoot us.”

“Oh for fuck’s sake,” the guy said, trying to sit up but he kept rolling back on his side, not surprisingly considering his wrists were tied to his ankles. “You wanna end up some closet case’s bang toy? Want to spend the rest of your very short life on your knees sucking cock and taking it up the ass? Cos that’s what’s gonna happen if you don’t get out of here. And without me that ain’t happening so fucking untie me, morons.”

Jared stared at him, feeling sick with fear. “You’re insane.”

“Probably. Doesn’t mean I’m lying.” The guy sighed. “Can we talk about this later? Like when I’m not about to be shot in the head and you have more to look forward to than being someone’s buttboy?”

Jared looked at Chad uncertain and he shrugged, grimacing slightly. It was fifty-fifty whether they were doing the right thing or not but either way, Jared didn’t feel comfortable leaving the guy tied up and helpless on the floor, ready for slaughter. And if the guy was right… Jared shook his head, pushing down the terror threatening to paralyze him. He wasn’t gonna think about that because now was really not the time to freak the fuck out.

It took some time loosening the knots, not helped by the guy’s constant swearing and Jared’s hands sweating with fear and frustration, but finally they managed to release him. The guy quickly rubbed his wrists and then jumped to his feet. Only to promptly fall over on his face.

“Goddammit!” he mumbled into the moldy floor. “A little help here?”

Jared and Chad hauled him back up. Another bruise had been added to the ones already covering most of the guy’s face, coloring him blue and purple. “You okay?” Jared asked worried. “How long have you been here?”

“Fuck if I know,” the guy muttered, hissing as he tried to walk and his legs wouldn’t let him. “Three, four days?”

“No wonder you’re all fucked up,” Chad said, grimacing as he got a whiff of the guy’s smell. “Gotta say, buddy, this ain’t exactly my dream damsel-in-distress scenario. Even if you’re short and have girly hair.”

“Hey!” the guy sputtered. “Watch your mouth, douchebag.”

Chad scowled at him. “The name is Chad, Grumpy, and this here is my boy Jared. He’s about ten feet taller than you and eats babies for breakfast so how ‘bout toning it down, alright?”

The guy looked up at Jared who tried to look menacing but probably only ended up looking constipated. “Right,” the guy said, rolling his eyes. “He’s a real animal. Whatever. I’m Chris Kane. So you wanna get out of here?”

“That would be great, yes, Thank you,” Jared said before Chad embarrassed them even further. “You got a plan?”

“Better than that, I’ve got a Steve. Get me to that corner over there.”

They each took one arm, slinging it over their shoulders. Jared had to hunch over to make up for their height difference and he had this ridiculous urge to laugh, imagining what they must look like. Like the three Stooges probably. Once they had dragged Chris to the corner of the room he crawled behind a couple of crates and after a moments search raised his hand, waving a cell phone in triumph.

“Managed to throw it this way while they were roughing me up,” he explained. “Figured they’d strip me of everything once they were done.” He flipped the phone open, whooping in relief when the small screen flashed to life. “Battery should be good for one call. He better be close,” he muttered as he pushed the buttons.

“Why don’t we just call the police?” Jared asked confused.

Chris gave him a look that indicated he was beyond stupid. “Kid, who do you think I am? They’re not exactly gonna… Hey, man!” he said happily into the phone. “Yeah. I know. Steve… Steve, shut up and listen! They’re gonna kill me any minute unless you rescue my sorry ass.” Jared coughed and Chris rolled his eyes. “Got a couple of street rats here as well so bring the truck, not the bike.”

“Hey!” Chad protested but Chris ignored him. He rattled off the address and told Steve, whoever he was, to hurry up. The voice on the other end asked something and Chris frowned.

“I’m not sure,” he answered and looked up at Jared. “How many were out there just now?”

“Some fat guy and a tall one with tattoos.”

“You hear that?” he said into the phone and the voice on the other end murmured some reply. “Yeah, but I’m no good, man,” Chris answered. “Hey, no. No, relax. Just a bit fucked up, nothing serious. Yeah, I promise. Just get here, ok?”

He snapped the phone shut and then turned around, looking almost embarrassed. “Guess I got him worried.”

Jared nodded but Chad just sighed and kicked one of the crates in frustration. “What if they decide to come in here and shoot us before your boyfriend shows up?”

“We better make sure they don’t get in here then,” Chris bit back. “Plenty of crates and crap you can barricade the door with. Get on it.”

Chad looked like he wanted to argue with being ordered about but Jared grabbed his arm and pulled him away to a stack of crates by the other wall.

“I hate that guy!” Chad hissed. “Dude, he’s the fricking douchebag.”

“Maybe, but he’s the douchebag that’s gonna get us out of here. So I suggest we do as he says.”

Chad scowled but he didn’t argue and together they stacked crates and floorboards and bags of cement in front of the doors.

“Feels like we’re closing our own tomb,” Chad muttered. “What if that Steve guy never shows up? What if they just let us stay here until we die of hunger? What then?”

“I guess we can always eat the one who croaks first,” Jared joked. “My bet is on the douchebag. Should be tender meat from all that beating.”

They shared a hysterical giggle that had Chris looking up from the corner that he was slouched in, glaring at them. “What’s so funny?” he asked and they laughed harder.

Their laughter was promptly cut off at the sound of a key being turned in the lock. They both dropped to the floor behind a couple of crates, staring at the door. It opened less than an inch before being stopped by the makeshift barricade.

“What the hell?” a gruff voice said and banged on the door, trying to get it to budge. The crates shook and in panic Jared and Chad scrambled to their feet and leaned into them. “What the fuck do you think you’re doing?” the voice said. “Stupid kids.”

“How you gonna rape us now, you fucking pedo?” Chad yelled. “Loser!” The banging stopped for a moment and then increased tenfold, loud voices cursing at them and Chad yelling insults back.

Jared sighed, leaning his back against the barricade as he tried to shut out the noise. This was not how he’d imagined himself dying; in a dirty basement with a grumpy midget and Chad. ‘Sorry, sis,’ he thought and tried to remember what his sister looked like but all he could see was Jensen, looking at him with those green eyes filled with concern. Goddamn Jensen, this was all his fault. Tricking him like that…

Something Chris had said suddenly occurred to him and he looked over at where the man was still sitting on the floor, rubbing his calves and ankles in an effort to loosen his stiff muscles.

“What did you mean earlier? About Jensen?” he said loudly to be heard over the ruckus.

Chris looked up at him then slowly got to his feet. He wobbled, clearly still weak, but at least he wasn’t falling over anymore. He made his way over on shaky legs and then sunk down on a bag of cement, leaning his back against the crate next to Jared. He breathed deeply a few times before looking up at him with what almost looked like pity. “What did Welling tell you?” he asked.

Jared gave him the short version of what had happened, leaving out the more intimate details but by the look on Chris’s face he had no problem filling them in. When he was done Chris shook his head, smiling a little.

“Kid, he screwed you over.”

Jared swallowed. “Yeah? I just… He seemed really nice, you know.”

Chris rolled his eyes. “Not Jensen. Welling. Welling screwed you over. Everyone knows the Ackles boy swings both ways, man. He got caught with his hands down a guy’s pants way too often in college to be in the closet.”

Jared blinked. “What?”

Chris sighed. “They had nothing on you except his words and let me tell you right now, those ain’t his words. Believe me.” He shrugged when Jared looked at him in surprise. “Knew the guy in college. Him and me and Steve jammed a few times. Dude’s got a good ear for music.”

Jared stared at him. “You went to college?”

Chris looked insulted. “What? I look stupid to you?”

“Well, you did get yourself locked up in a basement,” Jared pointed out.

“Ha fricking ha. Don’t quit your day job, kiddo. Yeah, I went to college. Even got a degree.” He snorted. “Don’t think this is what they thought I’d do with it though.” At Jared’s inquisitive look he seemed to hesitate before adding, “We’ve got a business, me and Steve. Doing people… favors. ‘Your wish is our command’, you know.”

Jared shook his head, confused. “Not really.”

“He means they’re hookers, Jarehead,” Chad said. “Right? You spreading your cheeks for cock and money, douchebag? Sucking your way to success?”

Chris smirked. “Not exactly, shitmunch. I kill people. I can give a demonstration if you’d like to volunteer?”

Jared’s eyes widened. “You… Holy shit. You’re hit men?”

Chris smiled a little and shrugged. “Something like that.”

Jared thought that over for a moment. “So how do I know you’re not gonna kill us once we’re out of here?” he asked.

Chris looked at him, clearly insulted. “Hey, I’ve got scruples. Just because I kill people doesn’t mean I’m unethical. You helped me, means I owe you. Helping you get out of here should cover it.”

“I don’t know,” Jared said thoughtful. “Your friend Steve’s the one rescuing us, not you. The way I see it that puts us in his debt while you are still in ours. Right?”

Chris stared at him for a moment then he burst out laughing. “Kid, I like you. You’ve got balls.” He shook his head in amusement then stuck out his hand. “You’ve got yourself a deal, boy.”

Jared grinned as he shook his hand, trying not to think of the absurdity of having just made a gentlemen’s agreement with a killer.

The banging on the door suddenly stopped and they all looked at each other, holding their breath. A man yelled but it got cut off by what sounded like a soft pop. Then someone was knocking on the door, ridiculously politely. “Chris, you in there?”

“Yes! About time, you lazy sonofabitch,” Chris called back and stumbled to his feet. “C’mon, guys. Move all this shit.”

“You sure?” Jared said. “What if there’s still someone out there?”

Chris sighed. “Steve, the rats are skittish. Tell them you’ve cleaned the floor.”

“Ain’t no one here but me and my gun. Now open the goddamn door before I get bored and leave again.”

“You heard the man.” Chris started pulling at the floorboards even if he was deadly pale under the dirt and shaking with the effort of just standing. Jared and Chad got to work, clearing the makeshift barricade from the door. When they were finally able to open they came face to face with a guy Chris’s age with blond long hair and a frown of worry that he was desperately trying to hide.

“Where is he?” he asked as he pushed past them. “Chris!”

“I’m over here, you fucker,” Chris said from where he had once again sunken down to the floor, clearly exhausted. “I’m alright.”

“Jesus fuck, Chris.” Steve grabbed him by the shoulders and pulled him to his feet and into a tight hug. “You got any idea how worried I’ve been? Fucking asshole.” He sounded close to tears, clutching Chris tight in his arms and over his shoulder Jared could see Chris squeezing his eyes shut as he buried his face in Steve’s neck.

Chad rolled his eyes and was clearly about to say something so Jared grabbed him by the elbow and pulled him out into the other room, giving the two men some privacy.

“Now I’ve seen everything,” Chad muttered. “Gay hit men. What the fuck is the world coming to?”

“Shut up, Chad. You’d be blubbering like a girl if that had been me in there.”

“Whatever,” Chris mumbled but he didn’t deny it. “I just wanna get out of here. Oh shit, man, look at that.”

Jared glanced at where he was pointing. The fat man lay slumped over his desk, a puddle of blood spreading over the flat surface and soaking into the files. In the middle of the room the tall tattooed guy lay face up, arms and legs sprawled. A gun lay by his outstretched hand and there was a neat hole in the middle of his forehead.

Jared gulped. He was going to be sick.

“Keep it in, kiddo,” Steve said behind him. “We have to get out of here, pronto.” He had one of Chris’s arms slung over his shoulders but the weight was clearly pulling him down.

“We’ll take him,” Jared offered. “Better you have your gun arm free, just in case.”

Steve seemed to hesitate for a moment but then he nodded and Jared took Chris off his hands. He slung one arm over his shoulders and the other over Chad’s and together they half supported and half carried Chris as they followed Steve out of the room, along the hall and up the stairs, trusting him to know what he was doing. A third body was waiting by the door, slumped up against the wall. Jared swallowed down his nausea and hoisted Chris further up then hurried after Steve. A truck was waiting by the end of the alley and together they stuffed Chris into the backseat then Chad got in front while Jared sat in the back, Chris slumped against his side.

“Wait here,” Steve said, getting something out of the trunk before running back. About five minutes later he returned, smelling of gasoline. “Just getting rid of the evidence,” he explained as he threw a duffel bag in the back and when Jared turned around he saw smoke starting to rise up from the dark alley.

“You torched the place?” he asked horrified.

Steve grinned as he put the car in gear and drove off. Chad reached out the window, flipping their former prison his middle finger, clearly not bothered. Chris mumbled, “Burn, fuckers, burn,” into Jared’s shoulder and then promptly passed out.

Jared wondered if he was the only sane person left on the planet.

It was dark outside except for the neon lights illuminating the sky and Jared realized he had no idea what time it was or where they were going. No matter what Chris had said about honor among thieves, him and Steve were still hit men and Jared and Chad were witnesses to a triple murder and arson. Letting them go would be stupid and these guys looked anything but stupid.

“Where are we going?” he finally decided to ask. “I mean, you can just drop us off anywhere.”

Steve looked at him in the rearview mirror. “Chris said you were on Welling’s radar. That’s not a good place to be, kid. The further away we get, the better chances you guys have of making it out of this alive.”

“Why do you care?” he couldn’t help asking.

There was silence for a while but then Steve nodded to where Chris lay bruised and bloody in the backseat. “You see that stupid sonofabitch? I’ve been looking for him for three days, thought for sure he was dead. He probably would be if it hadn’t been for you two. So let’s just say I owe you and leave it at that.”

“You saved us too, you know,” Jared pointed out as he had with Chris. “Way I figure you don’t owe us anything, more the other way around.”

Steve shook his head. “Letting you tag along while I bust him out ain’t exactly the same as saving your lives.”

“But…”

“Jared!” Chad snapped, turning in his seat to glare at him. “If the guy wants to thank us for saving his buddy, let him thank us. Jesus, sometimes you’re just too damn stupid for your own good.”

“I was just…” Jared sighed. “Never mind.” He looked down at Chris who had slumped sideways until his head was resting in Jared’s lap. Damn, that was gonna leave blood and grease stains all over his jeans. “So what… you taking us back to LA?”

“Right back to the snake pit? Don’t think that’s a good idea. Chris and me were heading for Washington D.C. If you guys want to come with I don’t see why not.”

That would add another hundred miles distancing him from San Antonio and his sister. Jared’s heart clenched at the thought but he didn’t really have much of a choice. “Yeah, ok,” he said. “Chad?”

“Whatever, dude,” Chad said and yawned. “Don’t matter much to me where we go, it’s the same shit everywhere.”

Steve gave them a thoughtful look. “About that.” He nodded toward the duffel bag he’d thrown in the back. “Guess half of that is yours. Seems only fair.”

Jared raised an eyebrow at him in question but Steve just shrugged so he pulled the bag over and unzipped it. Then sat staring into it with wide eyes. “Oh. My. God!”

“What?” Chad mumbled, half asleep.

“Jesus Christ. Steve, we can’t… There’s got to be at least a million dollars in here!”

“What!” Chad sat up, instantly awake. “Let me see!”

Jared tilted the bag, allowing him a glimpse inside. “Steve, seriously,” he said. “We can’t take this.”

“Of course we can, you fucking moron!” Chad yelled. “Steve, we’ll take it. Hell, we’ll take all of it if you don’t want any. Whatever you want. Jesus fuck, Jared, money! Loads and loads of money!”

Chad made grabby hands at the bag but Jared snagged it away, shooting him a glare before turning back to Steve. “It’s too much. We didn’t really do anything.”

“Now listen to me, Jared. It’s Jared, right?” Jared nodded. “Chris would be dead if it weren’t for you and he means a whole lot more to me than all the money in the world. I’d let you take all of it except that would really piss him off because he knows there was some dough to be had and he won’t be happy if I tell him I didn’t find any. So you take half of that before he wakes up and we won’t ever speak of it again. You get me?”

“But…”

“Just say thank you, idiot,” Chad said and turned to Steve. “Thank you, Steve. You’re an upstanding citizen. For being a hit man, I mean.”

Steve frowned. “Chris told you we were hit men?”

Chad frowned back. “You’re not?”

Steve seemed to hesitate for a moment. “No, we are. It’s just not something we like to broadcast. Except to clients of course.”

“Of course.” Chad turned back, grinning at Jared. “Now show me the money! Or, you know, count our share.”

“I don’t know…” Jared said unsure which had Chad rolling his eyes in frustration and Steve glancing at him sympathetically in the rearview mirror.

“Kid, take the goddamn money or I’ll throw it out the window, ok? That a good enough reason for you?”

Jared couldn’t help smiling. He was really beginning to like this guy. “You drive a hard bargain, mister. I guess I can take your goddamn money if you insist on it.”

Steve snorted and turned his eyes back on the road. “Just make sure you’re done before he wakes up or we’re gonna have to listen to him bitch all the way to the capital city. Ain’t no one can bitch like Chris, especially when it comes to money.”

Jared grinned and then started deviding the cash while Chad stared wide-eyed at the growing pile that was their share, his breath quickening the bigger it got. Jared wasn’t sure if Chad was building up for an orgasm or passing out, either way it was funny as hell.

Question was, what was he going to do with his share?

“What would you do if you could do whatever you liked?” Jensen’s voice suddenly echoed in his head. “Dream big, man.”

Jared looked at the pile of money on his lap. Well, what do you know. Guess it was time to start dreaming.

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