Page 36 of Clashing
I reached into my pocket and retrieved the picture, confirming it was him by the scar on his left cheek and the tattoo on his hand that read his last name—Harvey.
Stuffing the photo in my pocket, I followed him. Idiot was oblivious to my presence. Pocketing his phone, he chewed his Danish and paused at a streetlight. I stopped beside him.
“That you, Jerry?” I asked.
His expression went blank. Some of them made this so easy, it hurt. “Uh, yeah.” He faced me with a frown. “Sorry, man, your name’s escaping me.”
“Come on, Harvey, don’t tell me you don’t remember me?”
I needed him to not deny the last name, and then I could make my move.
He rubbed his chin. “Did we go to high school together?”
“Nah, Jerry, we didn’t.” I smacked the Danish and coffee out of his hands before pinning his wrists behind him and cuffing them. “You missed your court date for that assault and battery case with your ex. Let’s go.”
I ushered him forward, expecting a fight. These dumb motherfuckers must have some handbook on how to fight against a bounty hunter because they all tried the same thing. I saw it coming and gripped the nape of his neck before he threw his head back. I wasn’t surprised at his next move. He crouched to escape my hold, and I let him. Then I shoved him to the ground, and he fell face-first onto the pavement.
“I can do this all day, Jerry,” I warned, grabbing the cuffs and yanking him up. “Either way, you’re going in, so I suggest you make it as painless as possible.”
“Fucking twat,” he spat.
Eh, I’d been called worse.
Jerry was an annoying little shit. Tried to get in my head by calling me names, asking for a fight. I laughed. Scrawniness didn’t intimidate me. I could knock him out with one hit.
I got him to the police station, and they booked him while I waited for Conrad to arrive. I tapped my fingers against the counter near the reception desk, glancing at the door every time it opened. Usually, I didn’t wait for Conrad, but he happened to be in the area. He had a previous check for me and promised to give me the one for Jerry as well if I sat tight. Finances weren’t an issue, but I had a buddy who was struggling. I planned to send him the money to help him out.
An easygoing grin spread over my face when a familiar man rounded the corner from behind the desk. Ray had rich brown skin, barely any hair, a potbelly, and the best sense of humor. He approached the counter with a cup of coffee. “Ryker, hey.”
“How’s it going, Ray?”
I was grateful for Ray. Some police officers had a problem with bounty hunters, but he didn’t.
“Doing good, doing good.” He slapped a newspaper on the laminate counter. “Who you bring in today?”
“Jerry Harvey.”
“Oh, that piece of shit.” He took a gulp of coffee. “Glad to have him locked up again. How you been?”
“I’m good. How’s the family?”
“Good. Jada is turning thirteen this weekend. Can you believe that?”
I couldn’t. The last time I saw Jada, I was pretty sure she was only ten.
“How’s thirteen turning out for you?” I asked, aware Jada had a rebellious streak since she was a baby.
“Lord help me, Ryker, it’s not easy. She’s full of eye rolls andwhatever Dadcomments. It’s driving me nuts. I love her to death, though.” He grinned. “What about you? Any chance you’ll settle down soon?”
“I don’t intend to. You know that.”
“It’s a shame. A real shame. There’s nothing like having your woman by your side as you get older. You mean to tell me not one girl has caught your eye?”
Only one giant pain in my ass. He didn’t need to know that. Though thinking of her reminded me . . . A quick sweep of the room showed no one nearby, but I still lowered my voice. “If I give you a name, can you tell me who they have a restraining order against?”
“Not legally.” Ray peered at me over the computer he shuffled in front of, hands hovering over the keyboard. “But out of curiosity, what’s the name?”
My lips twitched up.Knew I could count on him.
