I picked it up slowly, rolling it between my fingers, feeling the weight of it.
Kyrin’s pale and tired face from the night I picked him up from Lainey’s flashed in my mind.
Then Dr. Hill’s voice echoed right behind it.
Two hundred thousand.
Lastly, the taste of panic when I saw my paycheck cut in half.
I exhaled slowly. “Fuck it!” I muttered. “Whatever he’s offering can’t be worse than fighting this hard just to stay broke.”
I pulled out my phone and dialed the number on the card.
Two rings, then a voice. “Marcos.”
“Hey, it’s Jo… the Uber driver,” I said, keeping my voice steady even though my heart was doing the most. “You said to think about it, and I’m done thinking.”
There was a pause… then a low chuckle. “I was waiting on your call.”
“Were you?”
“Yeah. You free tomorrow?”
“Depends.”
“Depends on if you want to change your life or not,” he countered. “I’ll send you the address in a text right after this call. There’s no specific dress code. This isn’t a regular interview. Just dress like you’re running errands… nothing flashy. And Jo?”
“Yeah?”
“Don’t tellnobodywhere you’re going.”
My eyebrows pulled together.
“Keep an eye out for the text,” he concluded, then the line went dead.
Okaaaaaay…
I stayed sitting there for a minute, staring at the wall.
My brain was doing cartwheels.
Who was this man really?
What kind of job needs secrecy like that?
And why does my gut feel like I just stepped onto something bigger than I understood?
My phone buzzed in my hand, snapping me back.
Marcos:Tomorrow – 9:00 P.M.2148 W. Lexington St. Come alone.
I stared at the message, then at the card again.
My chest tightened.
Whatever this job is, I was sure I’d be doing something well beyond my wildest dreams.
***