remembered the cold rage on his face when she’d grabbed his arm to pull him off the guy. Watching Saven force the fury back had been intriguing. That took control. Something she didn’t always have herself.
No doubt women regularly fell at his feet, but she had no plans to audition for that role.
She wanted to succeed in this mission, though. She would take Saven up on his summons to club Zero, dig up any possible drug business. Find out his interest in the dealer.
Did he really just want his wallet back? Or did he want something else from her?
She ambled down SIDE’s hall on the top floor. Bare and stale, the interior held a slight scent of mildew that wouldn’t go away. A couple of rat holes dotted the walls. The abandoned firehouse served as a useful cover for SIDE, with a sign on the front door listing it as a private office. No Trespassing . No one did.
She turned a corner on her way to the meet room and ran into Skates. Sweating and wide-eyed, skateboard clutched in front of him, he jerked his body at every little sound.
His paler-than-usual vanilla-toned skin gave her a jolt. Ana grabbed him by his arm, which was surprisingly firmer than he appeared to be.
“Whoa, kid. What’s going on?” She pushed him toward one of the empty bathrooms. “Come here a minute.”
Inside, she shoved him down on the chipped toilet lid, shut the door and turned the pitiful lock. She leaned down, resting her palms on her thighs, and stared into his wide, glassy eyes. His pupils were pinpricks. Unease stirred in her stomach.
Kid, what have you done?
“You got something to tell me?” she asked him softly, prying his skateboard from him to set on the floor.
Two tears ran down his cheeks.
“Switch,” he whispered. “I screwed up. I was scared, you know?” He sniffled. “I’d been out asking questions and everything was cool. I met with this dealer, goes by Doms. He said I asked too many questions. I got real nervous-like and started making up all these excuses and went for the door. He had these guys grab me and he told me if I didn’t want him to think I was a narc, that I’d better do some lines of Yola.” He covered his face, cutting off his hysteric ramble, and sobbed.
“Go on.” But she knew.
“He said…” He dropped his hands, swallowed. “He said if I didn’t, he’d know I was a narc and hurt me, or kill me. So I did.” He hugged himself, his body vibrating with tremors. “But I dunno, I think it was bad stuff. I think it was laced or something. I feel sick.” He shuddered. “Real sick.”
He didn’t look good at all. Was it a bad trip off the drugs, due to paranoia? Or something worse? Maybe it really had been laced with something.
Skates burst into tears and leaned on her, banding his long arms firmly around her waist.
She froze, arms suspended in the air. Oh, God. “Get a hold of yourself, Skates.” She pushed the words out, trying to step back.
“I don’t know what to do.” He spoke with his head down, his arms still attached to her. “Oh man, if Sarge sees me, it’s all over. I’m outta here, and I can’t go back to a cage. I can’t. I’ll die in there. I had to come for our meet. Had to.”
“ Shhh . Take it easy, kid.” She stared down at his blue-dyed hair. Buzzed short, she could see his scalp was tinted blue. He must have just dyed his hair. An odd thing to think as his body shook against her, as his tears dampened her sweatshirt. But there you go, it was a lot easier to think about his hair than wonder about the odd sensation constricting her chest.
The team knew Skates couldn’t handle violence. He wasn’t strong enough for this crap they were involved in. He was supposed to function as their yellow pages to the underground black market. Need info? Just let Skates’s fingers do the walking. Somehow the rep as drug underworld liaison didn’t fit him, though.
With a solid grip on his arms, she forced him to let go of her. He blinked up at her, blue irises
No doubt women regularly fell at his feet, but she had no plans to audition for that role.
She wanted to succeed in this mission, though. She would take Saven up on his summons to club Zero, dig up any possible drug business. Find out his interest in the dealer.
Did he really just want his wallet back? Or did he want something else from her?
She ambled down SIDE’s hall on the top floor. Bare and stale, the interior held a slight scent of mildew that wouldn’t go away. A couple of rat holes dotted the walls. The abandoned firehouse served as a useful cover for SIDE, with a sign on the front door listing it as a private office. No Trespassing . No one did.
She turned a corner on her way to the meet room and ran into Skates. Sweating and wide-eyed, skateboard clutched in front of him, he jerked his body at every little sound.
His paler-than-usual vanilla-toned skin gave her a jolt. Ana grabbed him by his arm, which was surprisingly firmer than he appeared to be.
“Whoa, kid. What’s going on?” She pushed him toward one of the empty bathrooms. “Come here a minute.”
Inside, she shoved him down on the chipped toilet lid, shut the door and turned the pitiful lock. She leaned down, resting her palms on her thighs, and stared into his wide, glassy eyes. His pupils were pinpricks. Unease stirred in her stomach.
Kid, what have you done?
“You got something to tell me?” she asked him softly, prying his skateboard from him to set on the floor.
Two tears ran down his cheeks.
“Switch,” he whispered. “I screwed up. I was scared, you know?” He sniffled. “I’d been out asking questions and everything was cool. I met with this dealer, goes by Doms. He said I asked too many questions. I got real nervous-like and started making up all these excuses and went for the door. He had these guys grab me and he told me if I didn’t want him to think I was a narc, that I’d better do some lines of Yola.” He covered his face, cutting off his hysteric ramble, and sobbed.
“Go on.” But she knew.
“He said…” He dropped his hands, swallowed. “He said if I didn’t, he’d know I was a narc and hurt me, or kill me. So I did.” He hugged himself, his body vibrating with tremors. “But I dunno, I think it was bad stuff. I think it was laced or something. I feel sick.” He shuddered. “Real sick.”
He didn’t look good at all. Was it a bad trip off the drugs, due to paranoia? Or something worse? Maybe it really had been laced with something.
Skates burst into tears and leaned on her, banding his long arms firmly around her waist.
She froze, arms suspended in the air. Oh, God. “Get a hold of yourself, Skates.” She pushed the words out, trying to step back.
“I don’t know what to do.” He spoke with his head down, his arms still attached to her. “Oh man, if Sarge sees me, it’s all over. I’m outta here, and I can’t go back to a cage. I can’t. I’ll die in there. I had to come for our meet. Had to.”
“ Shhh . Take it easy, kid.” She stared down at his blue-dyed hair. Buzzed short, she could see his scalp was tinted blue. He must have just dyed his hair. An odd thing to think as his body shook against her, as his tears dampened her sweatshirt. But there you go, it was a lot easier to think about his hair than wonder about the odd sensation constricting her chest.
The team knew Skates couldn’t handle violence. He wasn’t strong enough for this crap they were involved in. He was supposed to function as their yellow pages to the underground black market. Need info? Just let Skates’s fingers do the walking. Somehow the rep as drug underworld liaison didn’t fit him, though.
With a solid grip on his arms, she forced him to let go of her. He blinked up at her, blue irises
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