I want to do that shit properly, not half-assed.
Shaking my head, I lean back on the bed and run my hands down my face.
Today has been a complete nightmare. We went to search the targets apartment and the place was destroyed. He’d obviously left in a hurry and he’d been sloppy with what he’d left lying around.
We were able to see where he was going next, within minutes.
It was easy. Too easy.
People like that don’t leave tracks, they cover them as much as possible. It only took us a couple of hours to track him down and before we left, I wanted to call Ava, needing to hear her voice before I step into this job fully, not knowing what’s about to happen.
Now though, I wish that I hadn’t called her.
Hearing her voice made me want to go back home and wrap my arms around her. To breathe in the sweet smell of her hair, to feel the curve of her hips against me.
Fuck... I really shouldn’t have called her.
Adjusting myself and sitting up when someone knocks on the door, I shout. “Yeah?”
“Time to go.” Daley’s head comes around the door, his face serious and his brows drawn down into a frown. That’s when you know shit is about to get real, when his face takes on the no-shit look.
I push up off the edge of the bed, grab my bags and throw them over my shoulder.
I sit and wait on the couch for Jess to come home. I’d messaged her earlier and told her about the band at the bar, asking if she wanted to come with me. She’d replied with a simple, ‘be home at 8’.
It’s now half past and she still isn’t here.
I pick up my cell and stare at the message that my sorry excuse for a dad sent me earlier. I still didn’t have the money but I came up with an idea on how to get it, I just needed more time.
Telling him this didn’t go down well and I practically had to beg for a couple of extra days. He said I had until Wednesday so I needed to work fast on getting the money.
Having had no sleep isn’t helping me in the slightest. I can’t concentrate on anything and all I want is to be able to talk to somebody about it but I can’t.
“Hoooooney, I’m hoooome!” Jess shouts as the door bangs shut. I hear her footsteps coming closer and steps into the living room, shouting, “Let’s get our rock on!” She attempts to make a rocking sign with her hand and sticks her tongue out.
“They’re not a rock band, Jess.” I chuckle, shaking my head as I lift up off the couch. I’m glad to see her being her usual self again.
“Say what? Then what are they?” Her face falls and I look at her leaning against the wall and start to think this may not be such a good idea as she’s obviously been drinking already.
“They’re an indie band.” I walk closer to her and put my hand on her arm. “You okay, Jess?”
“What? Me?” She points at her chest, her movements slow and sloppy. “I’m fine... Are you okay?” She lifts her brow high on her head and assesses my eyes.
“Yeah.” I give her a funny look. “I’m good.”
We both stand here, awkwardly staring at each other. Both of us know that neither of us are okay but we don’t expand on it and instead we just silently acknowledge that we’re both dealing with something that we don’t want to talk about.
“Ready?” I ask and step away from her, tilting my head to the door.
“Sure.” She grins and hooks an arm through mine, most likely to hold herself up.
> We get into a cab and Jess doesn’t stop talking the whole way there, filling me in on all the cheerleading gossip. When we finally get to the bar, I’m glad to get out of there because she’s got louder and louder the longer we were in there.
“Evening, Miss Ava,” the man on the door says.
“Hi, Stan.” I wave and give him a big smile.
Coming here all the time means that everyone knows my name now. People knowing who I am makes me feel safer. A bar isn’t exactly the best place to be, especially on a night like tonight where the line is as far as the eye can see. It gets busy and fights break out and if you’re not careful you can get caught up in it. Knowing that I can escape to Corey and J’s office means that I feel more at ease here.