Page 142 of Reasons We Break

Well, at least that’s Manny sorted. For now. “How’d you find me?”

“We ID’d some van that was parked near the Khullar mansion earlier last night and found it where you were. There were a couple of Aces leaving the scene.” Nick’s voice lowers slightly. “We...took care of them.”

“Allof them?” Nick nods. So that’s why no Aces have broken into his hospital room to off him for being the bookkeeper. All their leads died with Zach Singer. “Where’s Zohra? Thought she’d want to come gloat, too.” Something on Nick’s face makes him sit up, ignoring the pain to his ribs. “What? What happened to her? Say something—”

Nick holds up a hand. “The cops showed up while I was trying to get you out. So Zohra distracted them.”

“How?”

“How about...took a cop car for a joyride?” Rajan stares. Nick’s lips tug into a grin. “Surprised?”

Zohra must’ve loved that. “But her law school—”

“We all know she owes you,” Nick interrupts. “If it weren’t for you, she might be in prison right now. She knew what she was doing then, and she knew now. Law school might be toast with her new criminal record, but here’s the thing: She’s gonna have acriminal record. She’s not squeaky-clean anymore. The Lions can’t use her. So...maybe she got herself out, too.”

Rajan slumps back, dazed. “She shouldn’t have.”

“But she did. Don’t waste it.” Nick stands and stretches. “Well, gotta go. Flight waiting.”

Rajan sits up again. This is too much information all at once. “You’releaving?”

“Nothing for me here anymore. I’m done babysitting Simran—Manny won’t touch her now—and you’re under her protection. Manny doesn’t even want my help finding a new bookkeeper, so your friend Maya’s safe, too. I think the Khullars wanna find some rich white accountant to blackmail.” He chuckles. “Those guys are a little more predictable.”

“So you’re going back to Surrey?”

“Yeah. They need me back home.” His expression is neutral—but Rajan wonders whether the fact that he’s going back alone, without even Zohra, matters to him. Whether he cares.

Probably not—yet Rajan’s struck with the urge to say he’ll miss him. The words stick in his throat. How can you miss someone you met during the worst time of your life, who objectively made your life shittier? How can you miss someone when you were poison to each other?

Nick pauses halfway across the room. “Oh right, I almost forgot. We found the cab you got kidnapped in. I dropped your suitcase off at your house.” At Rajan’s questioning look, he adds, “I needed to make sure there wasn’t any evidence lying around.”

Right. “That’s a nice little present.”

“No, actually. Here’s your present.” Nick reaches into his bag and tosses something to him.

Rajan catches it. A wrapped Popsicle, sweating slightly. He rips it open and takes a bite. “Knew it,” he says. “Freezer burned.”

Nick chuckles. “You little asshole.”

But the way he says it, Rajan can tell he’s not the only one thinking of what might’ve been.

Rajan’s discharged soon after they pull his chest tube. Kat immediately calls to set a meeting.

Seeing as he’s missed a probation check-in and could be in deep shit, he goes in the same day to explain himself. It’s obvious he was in the hospital, so all he has to do is tell her why: He got roughed up by people he no longer has anything to do with. That was all they wanted, he explains. To jump him out. Break some ribs, scare him...When they were done, that was it. He keeps his story intentionally vague, avoiding the news story of a gang shootout that conveniently happened the same night.

He suspects Kat reads between the lines anyway. By the end she says, “I’m glad you’re okay. You have a good reason for not attending your check-in in Halifax. I’ll make sure that’s clear.”

How very neat. Unless, of course, she asks him for his medical records from the hospitalization as proof. She’d find some very interesting things. But then again, she tends to ignore interesting things.

Screw it, hehasto ask. He can’t stand this anymore. “But Ididbreach probation—I know the social worker told you. I know there’s photos of me using.”

Kat is silent.

He has to know. “You didn’t rat me out. Why?”

“Sometimes people need more chances.”

“I’ve had a million chances.”