Page 128 of Jagger's Remorse
"Oh?" Tina tries to sound casual. "That's... good. Business has been slow."
"Don't mention it to anyone though. He wants it kept quiet until he works out security."
"Of course. My lips are sealed."
Two rats. Two traps. We wait to see which one springs first.
But waiting's never been my strong suit, and the second I find Scarlett, she can see the tension coiling in my shoulders.
"Come on," she says, grabbing my cut from the chair. "We need to get out of here for a few hours."
"We should stay close?—"
"The traps won't spring until tomorrow night. Right now, you need to clear your head before you explode." She tosses me the leather. "When's the last time we just rode? No destination, no job, just us and the road?"
She's right. Can't remember the last time I rode for the pure joy of it.
Twenty minutes later, we're heading up Highway 299 toward Whiskeytown Lake.
The sun's setting, painting the sky in purples and oranges.
Scarlett's pressed against my back, her arms tight around my waist, and for a moment I can pretend we're just another couple out for an evening ride.
I take the turnoff toward Brandy Creek, following the winding road through pine forests.
The air's cooler up here, clean and sharp.
Scarlett taps my shoulder, points to a dirt path leading off the main road.
I take it, curious where she's leading us.
The path opens into a small clearing overlooking the lake.
The water reflects the dying light like molten copper.
I cut the engine, and the sudden silence is almost overwhelming.
"How'd you know about this place?" I ask as she climbs off.
"Found it last week when I was clearing my head." She walks to the edge of the overlook, stretches her arms wide. "Sometimes I need to remember there's beauty in the world. Not just blood and death, and all the things that come along with it."
I join her, wrap my arms around her from behind.
She leans back into me, and we stand there watching the sun sink toward the water.
"You know whatever happens tomorrow—" I start.
"Don't." She turns in my arms. "No talk about tomorrow. No club business. No Eduardo. Just us."
She kisses me slow and deep, different from our usual kisses.
This is exploration, promise, something that makes my chest tight with emotion I don't want to name.
When she pulls back, there's heat in her eyes but also something vulnerable.
"Ever made love in the woods, VP?" she asks, and the fact that she says 'made love' instead of her usual crude terms tells me everything.
"Can't say I have."
