Page 31
As promised, Nash set the alarm. She’d gotten up on time, but she was still racing to the shop at eight in the morning. It seemed his idea of waking up meant other things. She wasn’t complaining, but it made for a chaotic morning getting downtown.
Most of the employees had rotating shifts throughout the day. Charley and Elodie were there the whole time. With the heavy advertising, they’d been inundated with new customers as well as their regulars. By the time she flipped the closed sign, Charley was ready to pass out.
Elodie had a small finger food station set up near the front door. Charley was currently cleaning up. She had the garbage bag in one hand and the plastic trays in another when she heard the bell ring over the door.
She straightened and stilled when Oz walked inside. He didn’t visit the shop often. In fact, since their initial introduction, she couldn’t recall him ever stopping by. Thank God. He had a presence that set her on edge.
“Hi.”
His jaw squared without any type of acknowledgement. Charley shifted on her feet, scanning the store. Anything to avoid eye contact. She hooked her thumb over her shoulder, gesturing to the hallway.
“Elle’s in the back.”
He simply stared, giving nothing away. She looked past him to the man a few feet away. He had a very similar demeanor but at least he’d spoken a few words to her. I can’t believe he’s the friendly face of the two. She lifted her hand and gave a short wave.
“Hi, Caine.”
His eyes jerked toward her, and his scowl deepened. It was a fairly harsh response for a greeting. What did she expect? He’s never given off the warm and fuzzies. Oz slowly turned to Caine. They seemed to be having a silent conversation. Charley was desperate for an escape.
“I can go and get Elle for you, if you’d like.”
Oz stepped away from Caine and walked through the store. His pace was slow as if something she’d see on an animal documentary. A lion hunting its prey. Where the heck is Elle?
“Have you been here all day?” he asked.
“Yes.”
Oz slowly nodded, and his gaze darkened. “Has Elodie?”
Oh shit! She immediately clamped her lips.
That was one conversation she had no interest being a part of.
This had just been an argument between the couple.
Lying wasn’t an option. He’d probably see right through it.
She had no idea how truthful Elodie would be with him.
This is quite the predicament. Charley settled on a compromise.
“I saw her rest quite a bit.”
Oz narrowed his gaze, sending a tremble over her skin. He wasn’t buying it, so she doubled down and went to plan B. A change in subject.
“When the flowers you sent were delivered, she took them back to her office and stayed there for quite some time. They’re beautiful, by the way. Did you get them from the florist down the street?”
Charley knew exactly where they’d come from, but it was a decent segue to a new topic. Unfortunately, Oz didn’t take the bait.
“That’s not what I asked.” His tone was cold and growing increasingly impatient.
Dammit, Elle, where are you?
As if she heard Charley’s thoughts, Elodie walked out from the back and directly toward Oz. “I didn’t hear you come in.”
“Perhaps exhaustion has caught up with you after spending the entire day here.”
Elodie laughed. It wouldn’t have been the response she expected, considering Oz seemed angry. She patted his chest and raised up on her toes, kissing him quickly. Charley averted her eyes, landing her stare on Caine. He scowled, glared at her, and without thinking she mouthed, “What?”
He ignored her, but she caught the subtle shake of his head.
“Charley, I’m going to head out.” Elodie rounded the display near the front door. “We’ll save the rest of the clean-up for tomorrow.”
“I don’t mind staying. But you go, and it’ll be perfect when you come in tomorrow.” She smiled and looked over at Oz, whose gaze darkened. “Or whenever you come in next.”
That answer seemed to appease him. Mildly.
“I don’t like the idea of you being here by yourself. It’s too late.”
Elodie had a point. It was after dark. The streets had cleared out. It was usually a safer section of the city. But with her looming threat from Zeke, it put her in a vulnerable position. She glanced down at the table. Leaving the food clean up might lead to a bug infestation. Not a great idea.
“Really, I’ll be fine.” Even to her own ears, it wasn’t very convincing.
Elodie disappeared in the back, and she twisted the garbage bag. Before she could secure it, Oz took it from her hands and handed it to Caine. He walked through the store and disappeared into the back.
“Go get your things,” Oz said.
Charley glanced around the room. “I probably have another hour of clean up.”
“I can assure you, you don’t. Go get your things. Now.”
Charley widened her eyes. “Yes, sir.”
She rushed to the back, putting as much space between them as possible. Since she was staying at her own apartment tonight, she’d make sure to come in early the next day. Charley had a feeling Elodie’s days were numbered when it came to pulling a double shift at the store.
****
Nash rested his elbow on the window in the passenger side of the SUV.
Quiet moments were rare in his world. He’d opted to bring Ridge with him for obvious reasons.
Mainly since Caine and Cyrus had seen Charley at his house.
He couldn’t be sure if they’d mentioned it to Ridge.
Besides, the less people who knew about this meeting the better.
He hadn’t even told Oz yet. Nash wanted to have all the intel before he brought it to his boss.
When his phone pinged, he glanced down. The second he saw her name, he steeled his features. Within close proximity to Ridge, Nash didn’t show any emotion.
Charley: Just got home from the store. It was a success.
Nash tapped out his message and hit send.
Nash: Good to hear.
Charley: The offer still stands…you can come stay at my place.
A small smile slipped past his lips. He wouldn’t be doing any overnights at her place.
It would expose too much, and he didn’t want Inez to have any ammo to use against Charley.
There would come a point that their relationship would become public knowledge.
But he wanted it coming out on his terms. There was so much she didn’t know about him.
Considering the reason for this late-night meeting, the same could be said about her.
Nash tucked his phone in his pocket as Ridge drove up the long driveway. The headlights illuminated Sullivan’s car.
“How many are we expecting?” Ridge asked, parking on the opposite side of the house.
“Two. Sullivan and his old friend.”
“Any idea who it is?”
Nash shook his head. Sullivan had been vague on the phone, which Nash appreciated.
Names were never spoken of when there was a risk of being overheard.
Throughout his life in the Underground, he crossed paths with a lot of people.
Without anything to go on, Nash had no idea who Sullivan was referring to. I’m about to find out.
Nash and Ridge circled the SUV, heading up the stairs. Before they reached the landing, the door opened. Sullivan lifted his chin, and they walked in. Nash looked around the room.
“Where’s your old friend?”
Sullivan snorted. “You mean, our old friend. I got him in the back waiting. Just be prepared, against my advisement, he wants to negotiate.”
Usually, people in their realm were more than forthcoming with information to keep in their good graces. No one wanted to be on the bad side of the Underground.
“This should be interesting.” Nash said.
“And amusing. I didn’t tell him the meeting was with you.” Sullivan grinned, which had Nash even more intrigued. “Fitch.”
It was a name he hadn’t heard in years, but one Nash knew well. It had been well over a decade since Nash had seen him. While most of the people he knew from his youth had moved up with Underground, Fitch seemed to fade off out of existence. For good reasons.
“The snitch?” Nash raised his brows and heard Ridge chuckle.
“This is what happens when you give a kid a nickname at fourteen. He lives up to it and makes a career on ratting out others.” Sullivan smiled.
Nash exhaled a breath. “I’m surprised no one has killed him yet.”
“Many have tried, but you know Fitch. The asshole is like a cat with nine lives.”
“How long has he been working with the force?”
“Long time. I will say he’s pretty accurate with his information. He has firsthand intel on Cody Hudson.”
Nash furrowed his brows.
“I did what you asked, talked directly to the officers, Mitchell and Becker. As predicted, they gave me the same story that was in the file. A neighbor called it in, they show up. Cody and his sister show no signs of an altercation. They chalk it up to a pissy neighbor who’s looking to cause trouble for the kid and his sister.
End of story. And it probably would’ve been, but when I was talking to the officers, there was another one there, and when I started asking questions, he piped in, complaining about never getting easy calls like that, and it should’ve been his. ”
“What do you mean?”
“This other officer was working and actually closer to the Hudson house than Mitchell and Becker. He answered dispatch first, but then Mitchell and Becker came over the radio saying they were around the block, and they’d handle it. On a whim, I checked the GPS. They were ten minutes away.”
“Wouldn’t dispatch have seen that?” Nash asked.
“If they were looking, but it was a busy night. They relied on the officers.” Sullivan sighed. “This is where Fitch comes in. It turns out, he’s been working with Mitchell and Becker, and gotten pretty tight with them.”
Nash scoffed. “Not tight enough to not rat them out though?”
Sullivan snickered. “Fitch would rat out his own mother if money is involved.”
True.
Nash gestured to the hallway, and Sullivan led them down to the last room on the left. Fitch was sitting in a chair in the corner and smoking a cigarette.
Table of Contents
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- Page 29
- Page 30
- Page 31 (Reading here)
- Page 32
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- Page 53