Page 76 of Retribution

I stand up. ‘Thanks for this. You’re a good friend. The best I’ve ever had.’

I turn to go, but then swing back. ‘I don’t have a phone. But as soon as I get one, I’ll contact you.’

Lu gives me a quick hug and I return it. ‘You want me to tell your baseball cards where you are?’

I chuckle but shake my head. ‘If they ask, tell them I’m okay, but keep them out of the loop for now. This will be easier if they don’t know what I’m doing until it’s too late to stop me.’

Lu’s brows rise. ‘Sounds like you have it all in hand, my badass bitch. I’d say be careful, but that ain’t really your style.’

I grin and leave Grinder, walking quickly,but not too quickly, to the parking lot. I see the Miata and get into the passenger seat.

Lu’s tall cousin with the buzzed hair and the small tattoo on his cheek side-eyes me but says nothing. He just turns the ignition and backs out of the space.

‘Take me to Wrath, please,’ I say, staring out the window and already breathing easier now that I’m almost free of the oppressive links of the Banderville chains.

‘It’s closed. Gas leak. A couple weeks ago.’

‘Gas leak,’ I mutter and smile in spite of myself at thestory. ‘I know. I was in the basement when it happened. Hole blasted right through the floor. It was a whole thing. I almost died.’

He doesn’t say anything.

A few minutes later and we’re in the center of Richmond.

‘What does your tattoo mean?’ I ask.

‘Which one?’

‘The cheek.’

‘Killed a guy.’ He smirks and glances at me. ‘Scared?’

Now I smile wide. ‘Why?’

‘Because I’m a killer.’

I roll my eyes. ‘Areyouscared?’

‘Why?’

‘Same reason.’

He looks at me and laughs. ‘You? Miss prissy Novelle princess with the golden snatch?’

I don’t laugh, just cock my head at him. ‘First, I’m not a Novelle. Second, golden snatch?’

‘I heard it in a Guy Richie movie. Thought you were British. You don’t know what a snatch is?’

I frown a little. No, I don’t think that word ever came up at The Heath.

I must not be acting how he expects because he stops smiling and doesn’t actually answer my question.

The silence stretches and he glances over at me a few seconds later with a weird look on his face.

‘Are you serious?’ he finally asks.

‘I rarely joke about murder out loud,’ I say. ‘People find it upsetting.’

‘Yeah,’ he says faintly. ‘I think I get why Lu likes you… Pop Pop, too, actually.’