Highways & Hostages by Jax Abbey Page B

and started down the sidewalk. Before reaching the gravel lot, she stopped, turned around, and grinned at Billy. Then she took off across the lot.
    Satisfied, Billy leaned against the brick façade of the bar and took a long drag of the cigarette. He opened his mouth and blew smoke rings into the air. Maybe Finn would realize he was more useful than Alex. Maybe Finn would finally see him as an equal. And maybe, just maybe, his dad would praise his efforts to support Finn’s mission and start grooming him to take on a bigger role in the family business. Otherwise, he might take his talents elsewhere.

PHOEBE, 6:49 P.M.
    Phoebe Carstens might not be going to Mexico, but a super gorgeous guy just asked her out, and he thought she was twenty-two? She’d take it!
    Phoebe put her hands in her pockets and made a point not to glance back at Will again as she walked out of the parking lot. She wanted him to get the impression that hot guys asked her out all the time, and that she was doing him a favor. She hoped he didn’t think she was lame for not having a car. If he asked, she would just tell him she usually rode her bike, but it was in the shop. Bike riding was totally in right now.
    The grin on Phoebe’s face morphed into a scowl as she continued down the sidewalk. Why couldn’t Stella just let her borrow the stupid car? Phoebe was embarrassed to even be seen riding in it, but at least it was something. All Stella did was drive it the five minutes to work, where it stayed parked for twelve hours at a time.
    God, why couldn’t Stella let her do anything ?
    Phoebe had thought spending the summer in Las Vegas with her older half sister would be a blast, but so far it was even worse than living at home in Ohio with her parents. At least theylet her be. She barely saw Stella, and when she did, Stella always wanted to nag her about something.
    But maybe she and Will would hang out and hit it off. She imagined them riding in his convertible—a guy like that had to have a nice car. They would take weekend trips to the beach or just wander out into the desert, looking up at the stars and contemplating life like in the movies. Will might be just the thing to save her summer.

FINN, 8:14 P.M.
    Later that night, back in his sleek and sparsely decorated condo, Finn hung up his black leather jacket by the door. Nearly everything in the condo was made of leather, glass, or polished nickel. Finn didn’t spend much time in his condo since he often travelled for Julian, so it only contained the essentials: bed, sofa, wet bar, TV, hot tub, and an amazing view.
    Finn pulled off his shoes and walked past the leather sofa in the middle of the room to the sliding glass doors leading to the balcony. He could see the lights of the Strip glittering only a mile away. He pulled out his cell, dialed a number, and waited.
    “Hello?” a raspy voice answered.
    “Hey, Gram. Sorry to call so late, but I knew you’d be up.”
    “I’m so glad you called! It’s never too late for you . It’s been ages since I’ve heard from you!” Finn’s grandmother, Gloria, exclaimed.
    “I know. I’ve been really busy,” Finn apologized. “But I figured I’d call and see what you’re up to.”
    “The girls and I went to Bingo Night.”
    “Bingo Night sounds fun. Did you win something good for me?”
    “Don’t patronize me, Jacob. I know you don’t want to hear about this old lady’s boring adventures. Tell me what you’ve been up to. How is that girl you’re dating? Are you going to bring her to meet me soon?”
    Finn rubbed his eyes as he tried to remember what he’d told his grandmother during their previous phone call. “We’re doing well, but we haven’t been able to spend a lot of time together lately—I’ve been putting in a lot of hours at the office. I don’t think she’ll stick around much longer.” Finn hated lying to his grandmother, but she worried about him being alone. And she definitely wouldn’t approve of his “love ’em