Page 13 of Briar

For a moment, I think he’ll ignore me. His eyes slip to Jenson beside me, his expression tightening before he pushes up from the table and makes his way over to us.

“You called?” His voice is dry, but there’s something in his eyes that makes me straighten.

“What’s going on?” Jenson doesn’t change his position. His arms are crossed, his body loose against the wall and the usual smirk on his lips. Casual, for anyone watching us. But his words are a hard demand, his eyes tight as he sweeps the room. “Spit it out.”

He doesn’t pull rank on us often. Guess River has him worried.

River forces out a breath. “It’s that obvious?”

I roll my eyes.Just a little.

“Not here.” River nods to the back. “In the meeting room.”

Jenson pushes away from the wall at that, his body fluid as he heads through the crowd without looking back. He raises his hand in response to a called greeting but doesn’t stop before he pushes the door and disappears.

I wait for River to move before following him. People glance at me, taking in the wraps around my hands and the nasty cut across my bare chest that I picked up in my last fight last night. Asshole didn’t feel like playing fair. The shiv he had down his shorts nearly lost him his balls. After I yanked it out.

And I’m itching to do it all again tonight.

I get a variety of looks. Coy invites. Wariness. The gleam of interest that only appears when there’s money involved. River leans in to listen to someone who grabs his arm before he shakes them off with an easy smile.

Nobody speaks to me.

Jenson is pouring drinks when I push the door closed. “Sit.”

Only if you call me a good boy.

He doesn’t crack a smile as he hands me a water. I don’t drink before fights. Rarely drink at all, truthfully, aside from the evenings River coaxes me into bad choices.

Jenson doesn’t say anything else. We sit there, waiting for River. He glances between us before rubbing a hand over his face. “Fucking hell. You two are worse than my mother.”

We care a hell of a lot more than she ever did. Out with it.

He sighs, taking a swig of his drink before answering. “I found her.”

It takes me a moment.Her?

And then I get it. Beside me, Jenson stiffens, one hand gripping the armrest tightly. “What do you mean, you foundher? An option, you mean?”

But River shakes his head. “It has to be her.”

His voice is almost hoarse. “I met her today. And I can’t… fucking hell. I can’t get her out of my head. Ithasto be her, Jenson.”

His words should make my heart leap. Hefoundsomeone. Someone who might agree to our pretty fucking unorthodox… arrangement. But—

Did you ask her?

River digs his hands into his hair. It looks rumpled as hell, as if he’s been doing it all day. “No – of course not. We agreed that we’d do this together. Besides, she’s…,”

I wait silently.

“What?” Jenson says finally. “She’s what?”

He spreads his hands out, almost helplessly. “Sweet. Quiet.”

I can fill in the blanks, my fingers already moving.Not part of this, you mean.

This world that we live in. With gangs, and fighting, and politics that keep Jenson up at night.