The look he tried to disguise was telling, but didn’t reveal enough for her to figure it out. “No. No one will have a problem,” Dover said. “I guess the way you keep looking at that watch, you have somewhere you need to be. You want Noon to give you a ride?”
“I have colleagues waiting outside.”
Noon hit his chest. “Oh, I’m wounded.”
But he was smiling, so she smiled along and drained her glass before slipping off her stool. “What do I owe you for the wine?”
Leaning over the bar, Dover touched his cheek. “Lay one on me and we’re square.”
Noon steadied her as she boosted up to kiss Dover’s cheek. Despite having done it plenty before, it made her blush to kiss him in front of this many witnesses. Since Noon had been as kind, she was compelled to offer him a cheek-kiss too.
“Thank you both. This means so much to me. You have no idea.”
“Our debt will never be repaid with favors like this. You saved Ryske’s life. Show your face any time.”
Backing away from the bar, Harlow was pleased to have accomplished something and done it without coming across as a crazy stalker. It was a relief that Ryske hadn’t been around; she hadn’t needed to embarrass herself by looking like she’d used an excuse to see him again.
Except, Harlow would be back tomorrow and had no idea what that would bring.
11
Walking into Floyd’s the previous night had been nerve-wracking. But it had been impulse, there had been no time to overthink it. Since leaving, she’d had time to obsess about what might happen when she returned.
Last night, Harlow had slipped out of Floyd’s and gotten back to Gina and Clyde without having to face Ryske. But, she wouldn’t be so lucky on night two. Ryske would have spoken to his crew and learned that she’d been around. Dover would have filled him in and told him that she was coming back.
Although she’d received a warm welcome from Dover and Noon on her impromptu visit, Harlow feared the hospitality she received on the second night might not be so warm.
If Ryske was there, it was because he wanted to see her, and she wouldn’t be able to avoid him. If he wasn’t there… It was difficult to decide which would be worse, being forced to face him or learning he had no interest in seeing her ever again.
Gina and Clyde had been surprised to learn that not only had she come out alive and unharmed, but that she was going back to receive an update on Felipe. Her confidence in her contacts was unwavering; they’d come up with the goods.
It had been fun to see Gina incredulous, though Harlow tried to be magnanimous. Clyde was more dubious about her trusting whoever she’d spoken to. That made sense given he didn’t know she had a previous relationship with the crew.
Gathering her wits, Harlow ran down her stoop, thinking about getting to Floyd’s and what might happen if she did make it there alive.
The blast of a car horn startled her to a halt.
There by the curb was Noon hanging out the window of what looked like a Pontiac. “Looking for a date, Sugar?”
Broadening her smile, her stress level dropped. She went over to skirt the car to get in on the passenger side. “You didn’t have to come pick me up.”
He blended into traffic. “I was cruising anyway,” he said, though she didn’t know whether or not to believe him.
Pulling on her seatbelt, Harlow checked out the dash. “This is a nice car.”
“Yeah, that’s what I thought too,” he said. “When I walked by and saw the rims, I had to have it.”
She’d been going to ask about the dealership he’d got it from and the cost, but her mouth closed before the words came out. Ryske had been clear about Noon’s hobby. Bale had told her Noon did all the driving and always had.
It was possible that this car didn’t belong to the man driving it. If she asked, did that make her party to the crime even though she hadn’t been there when he committed it?
“Maze was sorry he missed you last night,” Noon said, before she could decide whether or not to ask about the ownership of the vehicle.
Her train of thought changed suddenly; he’d omitted a name she might have expected to hear. “Maze was?”
There wasn’t quite a smirk on his face, but there was definitely something on his mind. “Your family are rich, right?”
“Middle-class,” she said. “We’re not the Rockefellers.”
He coughed out a laugh. “Maybe if you were Ryske would get his thumb out his ass.”
Speculation about her and Ryske’s relationship might have been expected while she was in their lives, but it had been a month since she had been. Obviously, it was still on Noon’s mind.
Given that she hadn’t seen Ryske for so long, she was out of the loop. Noon would’ve seen his friend, probably that day, so his opinion on her worthiness was likely to be more accurate than anything she thought.
Her mood soured. “You’re saying I’m not rich enough for him?”
Glancing to her in a sudden panic, he checked the road, then looked at her again. “What? No! I… I didn’t mean that. Shit, that would be something, wouldn’t it?” His smile was awkward. “There were times growing up he and me couldn’t afford to eat for a week. He’s no prince.”
Her curiosity was almost suspicion. “I thought he stayed with Floyd and Dover… didn’t you stay with them?”
That she knew anything about Ryske’s past seemed to surprise the driver, enough that he tossed her another look, this one more astonished than panicked. “Ryske told you that?”
“He told me a lot,” she said, allowing a knowing smirk to warm her lips. “Like how a little game of three-card-Monte brought the two of you together.”
Laughing, he relaxed and stretched a loose hand to the back of her headrest while tossing her another look. “Maybe it’s not as lost as we thought,” he said. “Sure, yeah, we stayed with Floyd a lot. Sometimes we got restless, you know? We were kids, no responsibilities, and sometimes flush. So, we’d take off on what we called ‘Wild Adventures.’ At some point, we’d run out of money, and out of luck. We’d be stranded in a random shithole in some crappy corner of the planet. Didn’t matter how desperate I thought our situation was, Ryske always had a plan, always had a way out.”
Thinking about what Ryske had said to her the night he left her apartment, Harlow straightened the line of her skirt on her thigh. “Let me guess,” she said. “It involved a con.”
A few seconds went by. “Is that the problem?” he asked, his hand sliding away from her seat to return to the wheel. “You snap about not being rich enough for him; maybe he’s not righteous enough for you… I get it, he’s not good enough. You think he’s not good enough for you… You don’t want a guy who’s damaged goods.”
Although there was anger in his voice, she didn’t feel the need to backtrack. In fact, in an attempt not to exacerbate the situation, she tried to conceal her kneejerk smile by turning towards her side window to hide it. Apparently, she wasn’t quick enough because Noon made a sound of disgust.
His quick judgement made her angry and erased her smile. “That’s it, Noon, yeah, he’s not good enough for me. That’s why I took him in and looked after him for a whole week,” she said. “I think he’s evil and demented and completely beneath me.” Bouncing around to face him, a surge of infuriation enflamed her. “The bastard walked out of my apartment without so much as a thanks for the memories. You called and then he was gone. Just gone. All of you were. Do you think that if I thought you were damaged or inferior that I would have let you take up residence in my home? I didn’t cut ties with you. All of you abandoned me!”
“Night—”
“Spending time with Ryske, getting to know him, it was the most… enlivening time of my life. He never made me feel judged, something my family specialize in, and he never asked for anything I wasn’t capable of giving.”
Capable, though not always willing. Harlow could have slept with him; it was within her ability to yield. She’d just cho
sen not to.
“Was sex all you wanted?”
“Sex was all he wanted,” she said, losing some of her gusto and angling her body toward the hood while taking her attention back to the side window.
It seemed ridiculous to confess that they’d never had sex. They hadn’t, but maybe Ryske hadn’t told his crew that. With how Noon was talking, she guessed Ryske hadn’t said much to his crew about them. It sounded like there had been some speculation on their part though. Confirming or denying anything wasn’t her place. They were Ryske’s people. What they knew was his call.
Saying less felt more normal than revealing anything that might contradict Ryske. Maybe she was covering for him, but could admit to herself that there was a corner of her psyche that liked the idea of being a grifter’s girl. That was another reason she didn’t correct Noon.
“Is that what he said?” Noon asked. “That he just wanted to be casual?”
“He didn’t have to say it,” she said, ready to cut off this line of questioning. “I want to be your friend. Yours, Maze’s, Dover’s and yes, even Ryske’s too. Bale said I was part of your toolbox, and I’m fine with that. I understand the trust and dedication you have to each other. I admire it. But… I’m never going to be special to him.”
Just saying it out loud was difficult. It was insane that Ryske could hurt her when he wasn’t even present. He’d been nothing but honest. It wasn’t his fault that she’d got more invested than him. Yet, there she was, trying not to squirm in her chair or reveal just how deep that truth cut her.
His lack of response revealed that she hadn’t been completely successful. There was no double take or glib retort, Noon kept his eyes fixed on the road ahead.
“I’m sorry, Nightingale,” he said. “I had no idea… Maybe he is damaged.”
“Damaged goods is what my ex called me when I told him I wouldn’t give up work to play the dutiful wife. My mom went insane when she found out I’d told him before the wedding. Really nuts. She’d advised me not to. She wanted me to trap him into being with me, I guess. It wasn’t malicious, she was never as explicit as that. Rupert was a good man. Maybe she thought I’d change my mind about working, I don’t know.”
“I… I don’t know what to say.”
She inhaled through her nose, becoming reflective. “Maybe I am too independent for my own good… I did value Ryske’s honesty, I did. I’m just not casual about relationships,” she said. “Not because I have some righteous sense of virtue or because I want every man I care about to fall in love with me. The truth is, I still haven’t figured out what I want from the rest of my life. Ryske isn’t damaged, at least, if he is, it doesn’t change what he means to me. But that’s not why we’re not… I don’t know what he told you guys about us, but…” Expanding was just going to take her further down the rabbit hole. She had to stop rambling. “All he wanted was something casual, and I’m sorry, but that’s not who I am.”
They drove past a gang on a corner and closed in on Floyd’s. Noon pulled in around the back and she twisted to reach for the door handle.
Noon caught her hand to hold her back. “Dover told me to tell you something.”
“Okay,” she said, dubious of what it might be. “About Felipe?”
“No.”
The drive had been nice, but now that she thought about it, she should’ve just asked Noon for the update and then she wouldn’t have had to come near the bar at all. “Noon, what did he say?”
“Go with it.”
That might have been supposed to mean something to her, except she didn’t follow. “I don’t understand. What do you mean? Go with what?”
“In Floyd’s, tonight, any time you’re back, any time you’re here…” Giving him some time to figure himself out, she stayed quiet. Eventually, he sighed. “Just always be careful what you say outside the crew, you know? Even if something doesn’t make sense to you, never question or contradict, just go with it.”
Putting a hand over his, she smiled. “Don’t worry about that, Noon. If you think I’m going to blow one of your schemes, I’m not. I’d be surprised if I ever have reason to be in Floyd’s again after tonight… unless another one of my kids goes missing.”
His face set in a scowl. “I thought you said you wanted to be our friend.”
She touched his cheek. “I do,” she said. “And if you want to show up with Chinese food, my door is open any time. But, I can’t force myself onto Ryske. I don’t want it to get weird, and it will if he thinks I’m stalking him.”
Telling a guy that she didn’t do casual and then showing up everywhere he hung out might give him the wrong idea. Ryske intrigued her and it would’ve been fun to explore what had been between them if she was a few years younger, or pre-Rupert. But her ego couldn’t take another bruising.
“He’s been in a bad mood for the last month,” Noon said, fidgeting like maybe he wasn’t sure he should be saying anything.
“He was stabbed,” she said. “Has Bale been keeping an eye on him?”
“Bale’s out of town.”
The way he said that and then let her go made Harlow think there was more to the story, but she didn’t ask. Noon got out of the car and came around to open her door. It wasn’t an act of chivalry, she got the sense he just didn’t want to be alone with her anymore. Maybe he feared getting into trouble for telling her something that was possibly a secret.
But if she covered for Ryske, she’d cover for Noon too.
Linking their hands, he led her toward the alley that would take them to the street and the corner entrance. “I’d think you guys would have a secret back door for your underground gamers.”
Pausing, he turned to examine her. “Shit, Ryske doesn’t usually talk so much, even when he’s high. What were you pumping into him?” He laughed. “No, wait, I don’t want to know.”
12
Rounding the building, they were seconds away from disappearing through the corner doors to go into Floyd’s when she noticed a lone figure loitering by the curb about ten feet away. Probably registering movement, the man turned to them.
Harlow’s eyes met the loiterer’s. Recognizing him, she stopped. “Clyde?”
At her side, Noon grew taller and more rigid while tightening his grip on her hand. “You know this schmuck?”
“He’s not a schmuck, he’s my colleague,” she said and stepped around Noon. Instead of letting her go, he tugged her to him. Disguising her bounce back, Harlow put a hand to Noon’s chest. “Clyde, what are you doing here?”
“This is how you got your information?” Clyde asked, frowning at Noon. “Your boyfriend comes here?”
“Yeah, he does,” Noon said, too confrontational for her liking. “You better fucking remember that, asshole.”
Noon yanked her behind him. Terrified that he was going to hurt the astonished Clyde, she grabbed for his arm with both hands. “Noon, stop it,” she said, stepping in so close that she was almost talking against his arm. Clyde’s scrutiny of the familiar act made her lean back to address her colleague. “Are you here for a reason?”
“I didn’t want you going in there alone,” Clyde said, his words stunted with wonder. “I wanted to be here in case you needed backup.”
“She doesn’t need backup. We’re her backup. Floyd’s is her home.”
“Stop getting defensive,” she said, tugging on Noon’s arm. Clyde’s scrutiny intensified when Noon slid an arm around her shoulders. “Why don’t you come inside and have a drink, Clyde? You’re here anyway.”
If Dover said she was welcome, then her friends should be as well. Sure, she and Clyde were hardly bosom buddies… she didn’t even know his last name… or, come to think of it, his first, maybe Clyde was his last name.
“He’s not drinking with us,” Noon grumbled.
“Stop your BS,” she said, lacing her fingers through his. Gesturing at Clyde, she encouraged him to join them, but kept talking to Noon. “He’s my friend, don’t be rude.”
As they we
nt inside, she noted that Floyd’s wasn’t quite as busy as it had been the previous night, though most of the tables were occupied. The lights and the volume of the music were lower, giving the place a more intimate feel.
It was odd that she should think of a place she’d once feared as cozy. The probing eyes, tattoos and muscles of patrons didn’t intimidate her anymore. Neither did the scent of beer and body odor surprise her.
Given the right mood, she could imagine a time when she’d feel comfortable there. If she wasn’t waiting for Ryske’s reaction to her invading his life that was.
All that considered, Harlow kept her head, and played it smart. Fixing her eyes on the bar, she thought of how children were instructed not to look aggressive dogs square in the eye in case they thought they were being challenged. Harlow didn’t fear for her own safety; Noon was at her side. But she wasn’t stupid enough to give off any hostile vibes. It was impossible to know who was watching and who might hold a grudge.
After Harlow took a stool at the bar, Clyde slid onto one beside her. “I can’t believe you know these people,” her colleague hissed.
Noon ran a hand down the back of her hair and kept going. He disappeared around the corner but reappeared on the other side of the bar a minute later. Without asking anything, he produced a glass of wine for her like Dover had last night. The growl on his face betrayed how he begrudged tossing a beer in Clyde’s direction.
“I’m going to look for the guys,” Noon said. “Wait here. Don’t move.”
Scanning the bottles lined up on shelves at the back of the bar, Harlow wished she’d insisted on a tour last night. If she had asked to be shown around, maybe she’d have some idea of where to run if things went south.
Seconds ago, when they’d come inside, she’d been thinking of how safe she was there. But, watching Noon disappear around the curve of the bar chilled her. Suddenly, she was without protection.
In her peripheral vision, she saw Clyde’s head was bobbing in a nod. “These are the people you came to for help last night,” he said, fixated on completely the wrong thing.
Go With It (A Go Novel Book 1) Page 12
