bar,” she instructed. The place was set up like an old-fashioned diner. It made me want to order a milkshake. Hell, maybe I would.
Riley settled into a booth to wait. This wasn’t a subtle move on her part. There was no missing me where I was sitting, Tyler would know I was there as soon as he walked in. But if it made her feel better, so be it. I didn’t need the element of surprise for my part, though it would have made it more entertaining for me.
My fists clenched when he entered. I would have loved nothing more than to punch that beard off his face. I was in enough trouble already, though. I kept reminding myself as that, even as I pictured his broken noise in my head.
Even better, though, I realized he’d brought a girl. That crafty motherfucker . I wondered if it were a new girlfriend or something, but the way she trailed behind him, the way he ignored her and had only eyes for Riley as he crossed the diner, I realized it was something more complicated.
It was too perfect.
Riley’s smile was grim when he sat. She hadn’t been expecting him to bring a girl as far as I knew, but the confusion melted quickly from her face as she greeted them both. I couldn’t hear what they were saying but I could tell that she was tense. She’d decided against confronting him about alerting the cops to our fight. She didn’t want to cause a scene, she claimed.
I hoped that was it. I hoped it wasn’t out of fear of how he’d react. Though the type of guy that would call the cops wasn’t the type that would get violent. Not in public.
They were still deep in conversation when the door to the shop opened and Surly and Lockett entered. She didn’t spot them as they slid into a nearby booth, where they could see me, where they could wait for my signal.
We didn’t have to wait long. Riley fidgeted, and frowned, and chewed her lip as Tyler spoke, before finally nodding and looking defeated. Caving again . It wouldn’t matter. I would take care of this.
She stood, and I waved to Lockett. He and Surly got to their feet and approached the booth just as I did.
“Come on,” Surly was saying, taking Riley by the arm and pulling her toward the door.
“Why, what are you-” her protests were cut off when she caught my eye. “Mal.” She shook her head.
“Go,” I said. She stumbled a step and she let Surly lead her out.
Oblivious to the quick exchange, Tyler’s girl had gotten out of the booth as well. Tyler was about to follow behind her, but I slid in, pushing him back along the seat and trapping him on the inside.
Lockett did the same to the girl, crowding her into the opposite seat and sliding in next to her to block her in.
“What the fuck is this?” Tyler asked. I dropped an arm heavily across his shoulders.
“Just buddies saying hello,” I said, shooting my most charming smile at the girl. She smiled back through her confusion.
“You’re really going to start something? Here?” Tyler asked, gesturing.
“Nope. Friendly visit. Like I said. Right, Lockett?”
“Very friendly,” he said, blatantly looking the girl up and down. “What’s your name, sugar?”
“Samantha. Sammy.” She turned to Tyler. “Is everything okay?”
“Everything’s fine,” I cut in. “What’d you think of Tyler’s ex-girlfriend? Pretty, right?”
“Did she make you jealous?” Lockett asked her, picking up on the situation like a pro, “’Cause I’m pretty sure you were supposed to make her jealous.”
Sammy’s face fell. “You said she was just an old friend,” she said to Tyler.
“Sneaky, sneaky,” I said. “You knew Riley wouldn’t call you on that shit you pulled if you brought a friend along.” I elbowed Tyler, hard enough to make him grunt. He glared back. “I’m a much bigger asshole, though. So here’s the deal. You leave her alone…”
“We leave you alone,” Lockett finished. He
Riley settled into a booth to wait. This wasn’t a subtle move on her part. There was no missing me where I was sitting, Tyler would know I was there as soon as he walked in. But if it made her feel better, so be it. I didn’t need the element of surprise for my part, though it would have made it more entertaining for me.
My fists clenched when he entered. I would have loved nothing more than to punch that beard off his face. I was in enough trouble already, though. I kept reminding myself as that, even as I pictured his broken noise in my head.
Even better, though, I realized he’d brought a girl. That crafty motherfucker . I wondered if it were a new girlfriend or something, but the way she trailed behind him, the way he ignored her and had only eyes for Riley as he crossed the diner, I realized it was something more complicated.
It was too perfect.
Riley’s smile was grim when he sat. She hadn’t been expecting him to bring a girl as far as I knew, but the confusion melted quickly from her face as she greeted them both. I couldn’t hear what they were saying but I could tell that she was tense. She’d decided against confronting him about alerting the cops to our fight. She didn’t want to cause a scene, she claimed.
I hoped that was it. I hoped it wasn’t out of fear of how he’d react. Though the type of guy that would call the cops wasn’t the type that would get violent. Not in public.
They were still deep in conversation when the door to the shop opened and Surly and Lockett entered. She didn’t spot them as they slid into a nearby booth, where they could see me, where they could wait for my signal.
We didn’t have to wait long. Riley fidgeted, and frowned, and chewed her lip as Tyler spoke, before finally nodding and looking defeated. Caving again . It wouldn’t matter. I would take care of this.
She stood, and I waved to Lockett. He and Surly got to their feet and approached the booth just as I did.
“Come on,” Surly was saying, taking Riley by the arm and pulling her toward the door.
“Why, what are you-” her protests were cut off when she caught my eye. “Mal.” She shook her head.
“Go,” I said. She stumbled a step and she let Surly lead her out.
Oblivious to the quick exchange, Tyler’s girl had gotten out of the booth as well. Tyler was about to follow behind her, but I slid in, pushing him back along the seat and trapping him on the inside.
Lockett did the same to the girl, crowding her into the opposite seat and sliding in next to her to block her in.
“What the fuck is this?” Tyler asked. I dropped an arm heavily across his shoulders.
“Just buddies saying hello,” I said, shooting my most charming smile at the girl. She smiled back through her confusion.
“You’re really going to start something? Here?” Tyler asked, gesturing.
“Nope. Friendly visit. Like I said. Right, Lockett?”
“Very friendly,” he said, blatantly looking the girl up and down. “What’s your name, sugar?”
“Samantha. Sammy.” She turned to Tyler. “Is everything okay?”
“Everything’s fine,” I cut in. “What’d you think of Tyler’s ex-girlfriend? Pretty, right?”
“Did she make you jealous?” Lockett asked her, picking up on the situation like a pro, “’Cause I’m pretty sure you were supposed to make her jealous.”
Sammy’s face fell. “You said she was just an old friend,” she said to Tyler.
“Sneaky, sneaky,” I said. “You knew Riley wouldn’t call you on that shit you pulled if you brought a friend along.” I elbowed Tyler, hard enough to make him grunt. He glared back. “I’m a much bigger asshole, though. So here’s the deal. You leave her alone…”
“We leave you alone,” Lockett finished. He
Similar Books
