Lost and Found

Chapter Twenty-Five

Trubel's POV

Roy and I told Andre that we were driving, looking for Crew members. We were going to tell him later that we couldn't find anyone or anything and that we'd try again later.

I let Roy drive because I was still a complete mess after my funeral. I'd probably kill us in an accident if I got behind the wheel.

"So, about last night," Roy said, breaking our long silence and probably looking for something that would distract me. "It's kind of strange that Andre let you rob someone and plan the whole thing, especially since you've severely pissed him off, like, a bunch of times."

"Do you have any theories?" I asked him.

"I think Andre likes your attitude. I think you remind him of himself, even if you make him mad," Roy guessed." I think, as much as he would never admit it, he trusts you to be of benefit to him. It's why he hasn't killed you."

"You think I'm like Andre?" I asked. I was offended because Andre was a despicable person. Was I just as horrible? Maybe... but I didn't really think so.

"I think you're a leader, you know? I think you're smart like he is, but you're not malicious... You're Anti-Andre," Roy explained.

"Why do you work for him?" I asked bluntly. I didn't like beating around the bush, and I felt like Roy owed me a few answers by this point. "Sometimes I think you hate him, but you do everything he wants you to," I summed up. "So, what's your deal?"

He actually looked kind of sad when I ran my eyes over his expression. "I don't have anywhere else to go. I have known this life for so long, everything just feels natural. Kai was the one that pulled me off the street, and I feel like I owe it to his brother to stay."

"You don't owe that jerkface anything," I growled. "If I ever left, I would want you to come with me," I said. "Change can be good, believe it or not."

"Maybe, maybe not," Roy said.

I thought about what he had said about Kai before finally asking, "Do you hate Nick like the rest of them? For killing Kai, I mean?"

Roy sighed. "Kai was no saint. I know what he was up to when Nick shot him, and I also know what he would have done to Nick if he didn't shoot him."

I nodded.

We drove in silence for the rest of the time. When we arrived at the house, I saw a newspaper rolled up in the driveway and decided to grab it. Reading it would be a distraction; I wouldn't want to think about my funeral, get upset, and have Andre figure out what we were up to.

Roy and I walked into the house and found Andre and Orion counting money on the coffee table. I unrolled the newspaper and started reading it while Roy explained that we hadn't found any Yaguaraté.

"Man Killed in Robbery," was the headline. I read the article and discovered that the dead man was the one that Andre had shot. That made me sick. I really thought he could have lived. In some part of my awareness, I heard Andre say, "It's okay. We'll find them. By the way, you guys did good."

I looked up and saw Andre throwing a wad of cash at me. It wasn't huge; there was only so much to be made from a convenience store robbery.

Only a few bucks for another man's life...

I caught the bundle of money and he said, "That's for last night."

I glared at him and hissed, "I don't want your blood money." I balled up the newspaper and threw it and the bundle of cash back at him. I didn't wait around to see if he caught it. I heard a bunch of people say, "Ohhh, you're in trouble," like Andre had just gotten called to the principal's office in school. I went down to the basement quickly, so desperate to get away from all of them.