Sariah takes a deep breath, then lets it out slowly. I can’t help but wonder if she’s caught on to where I’m trying to lead the conversation, but if she does, she refuses to take the bait.
“Thanks, boss,” she says softly.
I glance at her again and smile before I shake my head.
She’s not going to give it up tonight, and that’s okay.
Hudson will have to tell Carter and me what he did on his application anyway.
“Next stop, Crenshaw!” I say as cheerfully as I can to lighten the mood. Sariah clears her throat and then the rest of the way to her house is marred in silence.
And that’s okay.
Sometimes, silence can be a person’s best friend.
Chapter Nine
I didn’t go straight home after I dropped off Sariah. Instead, I opted to drive around town for a while.
Los Angeles after dark isn’t the best place to wander around, but considering I’m in my car, I know that if any trouble arises, I can either mow it down or make a hasty escape.
I run a hand back through my hair as the night air drifts in and out of the car. A glance into the rear-view mirror tells me that I look like aPantenecommercial and it makes me chuckle slightly.
That’s the thing about being exotic, though. Something as slight as nature sending a breeze by can make one look like they’re meant to be special.
With a sigh, I reach for the pack of smokes I tossed into Sariah’s seat after she got out of the car.
I don’t know why I didn’t press her for more information about Hudson, but I guess I would feel the same way if someone tried to stick their nose into my affairs.
Deep breath and keep driving, Kenji.
I roll up to a stop sign on the corner of Slauson Avenue and Crenshaw Boulevard and light my cigarette. Inhaling deeply, I roll my neck on my shoulders and glance around the otherwise empty street.
In a neighborhood like this, vacant roads are never really a good thing. It could mean that something ominous is about to happen, or more than likely it already has.
I lean my head back against the rest of my seat as I wait for the light to turn green, but another minute goes by and it stays red.
“I’m not in the mood for this shit tonight,” I mutter as I sit up. I glance both ways, up and down the intersection, before I press down on the gas pedal and roll through.
There’s no possible way that any cops will be out tonight because if they were, the sirens would already be blaring, or the streets would be lined with unmarked cars.
Suffice it to say, I need to get the fuck out of here sooner rather than later.
Gripping my cigarette between my teeth, I glance into the rear-view again to see if anyone is behind me. As soon as I see that no one else is on the road, I turn the steering wheel hard to the left and do a U-turn, speeding all the way back in the direction that I came from, and clear out of supposed gangland territory.
I’ll have to poke Sariah again in the morning and figure out why the hell she thought this would be a good place to live in.
* * *
I’ve been sitting in the driveway of my home with my eyes closed and the window still open. I haven’t cut the engine to the car yet because I don’t feel like going inside.
The wonder of why someone like New Zealand would live in a neighborhood where she would clearly be seen as a target bugs the shit out of me.
How many times has she been able to walk down the street and feel safe? Who is she friends with? Does anyone protect her?Is that really the best place for Hudson to be when he gets out of Irongate?
I groan as I run a hand irritably over my face.
The only priority I should worry about is the one inside that’s waiting for me, but I feel like it’s my duty to protect my employees as well.