Page 105 of Till The Sun Dies (Checkmate 2)

22

Angelo

And We’re Off

Laine was twenty-five years old the last time we cruised in my Charger late at night. It was before she’d met Graham, but after a lifetime of family gatherings and an unconscious placement in the friend zone.

Neither of us knew more than friends was a possibility. I doubt she’d ever even considered it, but my phone would still chirp within minutes of packing up our instruments after playing a set at Club 188. The lights would flash in my otherwise dark car, I’d turn my music down, try to control my smile, and then I’d answer and thank the angels for allowing me another night of hearing her voice before bed.

“Hey!” she’d shout, because her ears were probably still ringing from the loud club. “Marco!”

“Polo,” I’d reply on a sigh. “Where are you?”

“Not at Ricky Hernandez’s house, that’s for sure! I have a riddle for you.”

“Of course you do,” I’d laugh. “Hit me with it. Are you safe where you are?” I always imagined her standing all alone in a dark street, shivering from the nighttime air, moments from being kidnapped or mugged.

“I’m safe. Okay, you ready? What comes once in a minute, twice in a moment, but never in a thousand years?”

“Um…”

“Quick! I think some criminals are coming this way.”

“M! And don’t say that shit. You make me worry.”

She laughed, so fucking casually like my worry was no big deal. “Right you are, Sherlock. I’m on a corner, and the first letter of one of the streets is M. Ready for the next one?”

We live in a small town, and I’d bet I could name each street off the top of my head. Easily. So I’d run all the M’s through my mind while she teed up her next riddle.

Martin. Mopone. Mabel. Macey. Magnolia. Maiden.

“Alright. How many times can you subtract the number five from twenty-five?”

“Five!” I pulled away from the curb and headed toward fifth and Mopone. “The answer is five.”

“Actually… nope. You can only subtract it once before it’s not twenty-five anymore. You’ve been punked, Alesi.”

“Fuck.” I performed a fast U-turn and headed toward first and Macey instead. Three minutes later, I picked up the classiest corner dweller I knew and sucked in the sweet scent of her perfume while pretending not to notice her short skirt and sexy heels.

“You found me!”

Turning to her in the two-a.m. darkness, I watched the way her throat would move when I leaned closer and smiled. “Always, Laine. I’m just a call away.”

* * *

Sam Smith’svoice sings of fire and rhythm, drifting on the wind as we pull across the train tracks and head toward the freeway. The soft breeze whips Laine’s ponytail around, but even with her hat pulled low and blue framed sunglasses taking up half her face, I seeher smiling.

And since she’s driving, and the others are giggling in the backseat, I luxuriate in the ability to pull my glasses over my eyes and watch her breathe. I watch the way she drags in lungfuls of air. The way her chest lifts, lifts, lifts.

She’s breathing happiness.

She’s exhaling poison.

And her new crystal moves each time she does.

“Laine!” Jess lunges forward into the space between me and her sister. With a stupid grin on her face and crazy eyes almost exclusively the byproduct of sugar, she drops a bag of sour candy onto the bench seat between us. “Fuel up. We’ll stop at Dolly’s and get coffee, too.”

“No, wait.” Kane gently tugs Laine’s ponytail. “Pull over, Twink. Real quick.”

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