The Wrath Walker (The Wrath Series Book 1) by Matthew Newson (moboreader txt) 📕

brake, and hit the starter. The car roared to life. I dropped it in gear and my heart pumped as fast as the car as it tore through the empty parking lot, and out on the road to The Holy Anointed Church. That car had a lot of power, which made it harder for me to not speed even though I wanted to so badly. The clock on the digital screen in the dash read eight-thirty, so the chances were good Phillip would still be at the church, and hopefully I could confront him alone. I’d rather not be run out of there by multiple angry people in his congregation that might not know who Phillip really was and would do anything they could to protect their beloved pastor. I wouldn’t allow myself to be stopped if someone did get in my way.

As I made my way across town, I remembered Wrath gave me my cellphone. I pulled it from my pocket while I passed a box truck that was moving too slow for the lane it was taking up. I unlocked it and scrolled down to Lizzie’s number and pressed send. I hadn’t called her in years, and I didn’t know if it was still her number. She’d probably changed it or blocked me. After we broke up, I had called her several times in futile attempts to win her back. I called her using all the pathetic excuses a guy uses when they try not to appear desperate. The pocket dial, the drunk dial, the not-saying-anything-except-for-crying-into-the-phone dial, and always popular, let-me-confess-my-undying-love-for-you dial.

I really thought all that might work at the time.

I was wrong. All the chick flicks I’d been forced to watch over the years had lied to me. I’d been pathetic.

I tried my best to calm myself before she picked up, but I couldn’t get my pulse to stop racing as fast as I drove. But if she could tell I was panicked, she might not believe me and hang up, or worse yet, she might bring a ton of cops with her and arrest me because she believed I killed Ron, Joey, and Frankie. Even if she brought me in only to question me, that would still ruin my chances of stopping Phillip and saving the entire city. Wrath had been clear. If I didn’t put an end to whatever Phillip was up to, the city was going to be destroyed. It was as simple as that, and every life in the city was dependent upon me.

As I expected, she sounded annoyed when she picked up on her end, and she didn’t try to hide it. “What do you want, Brandon? This better be about the case and nothing else. Do you understand?”

“Yeah, I got that.”

“You know, I figured you were going to call me soon.”

I imagined the smug look on her face. “Why is that?”

“We found what was left of Frankie in that burned-out warehouse. Are you calling to try and get ahead of the investigation, or do you want to confess now your part in all of this? You know I’m not dumb. I know you’re connected to all of this, and sooner or later, I’ll get the evidence I need. Why don’t you do us both a huge favor and just come clean.”

“Look, Lizzie...”

“It’s Elizabeth to you. You got that? It will always be Elizabeth,” she snapped.

“Right. I’m sorry, but I am calling you about the case. I have strong reason to believe that Phillip Martin is involved in some pretty bad and illegal things that involved the Amaras and possibly the dark arts,” I said as I tried to hide the anxiousness in my voice.

“Phillip Martin? Have you been drinking? He’s a pastor, who is, by the way, one of the most well-respected and beloved members of this city. He’s the last person that would be engaged in illegal activity with the mob and whatever else you think he might be into. I mean, what evidence do you have to support your outlandish claim?”

“No, you know I don’t drink anymore, and I don’t have any real evidence right now other than hearsay.”

“Here we go...”

“Please listen. I have it on good authority it’s all true.”

“Who told you this?”

“Skeeter Amara. Well, he heavily implied it.”

“Skeeter Amara. When? At your weekly poker game or something?”

“No, he and Enzo came and talked to me because they thought I had killed Ron, Joey, and Frankie, and I told them I had nothing to do with their deaths. While we were talking, Skeeter let it slip about there being someone over him who is really calling the shots.”

“Wait you’re telling me Skeeter and Enzo had a talk with you about killing their friends, and you’re still alive? Did Skeeter say Phillip’s name specifically in your group chat?”

“Please, I know all of it sounds crazy, but I’m telling you the truth. I wouldn’t lie to you, Elizabeth. All I’m asking for is for you to trust me this one time.”

She sighed deeply on the other end of the phone and was quiet for a moment. “Okay, Brandon, what do you want me to do?”

“Will you meet me at The Holy Anointed Church?”

“When?”

“Now.”

“Like right now?”

“Yes.”

“Do I need to have some officers meet us there?”

“No, it’s nothing like that, and I think if a bunch of cops show up, we won’t get anything out of him.”

“That might be because he and his church do a lot of fundraising for the police department of the city.”

“Believe me, I know all of that, and I just want to talk to Phillip with you there. I hope and pray I’m wrong about all of this, and he’s as good as everyone believes him to be. But if he’s not, it would be good for you to be there to arrest him when we catch him in something.”

“Alright, Brandon, I’ll be there only because I was already planning on going over there tonight anyway. I will meet you as soon as I can.”

The cold disconnect