Page 23 of These Broken Hours

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I look away out the window. “I’m not sure that’s gonna work out.”

She goes quiet for a long moment and sips the coffee. I watch a truck park and sit there idling and wonder how many cities it’s seen, how many girls just like me it’s driven past over the years, and if I’m any different than any of them or if I’m just another lost cause.

“I saw you coming up from the woods this morning. Does that have to do with your sudden change of heart?”

I grimace and glance at her. She doesn’t look upset, only curious. “Yeah, it does.”

“What did he say?”

“You already know what he said. Things are dangerous.”

“We both knew that already. Remember Craig shot up our poor truck?”

I smile a little. “That was pretty rude.”

“Right? As if we can afford to get that fixed. Good thing Nolan did it, but I guess we can’t count on that anymore.”

My smile disappears. “Nolan’s got his own game running and I didn’t know what exactly it was until today. Now I think it isn’t worth the risk.”

“Yeah, maybe not,” she says quietly, almost wistfully, but then she looks up. “But are you sure?”

I sit up a little straighter. “What do you mean?”

“Are you sure it isn’t worth the risk?” She puts the coffee mug down and leans closer. “Ninety-thousand dollars, Cora—”

“Kady…”

“Just think about it, okay? Whatever you decide, I trust you and I have your back. But that kind of money can change everything.”

“If you heard what he said to me, you wouldn’t be thinking about the money.”

“Maybe you’re right.” She looks out the window and shrugs a little. “What the hell do I know?”

I study her, thinking about what Nolan said, about how she’s in deeper with the ORB than I realize. And he must be right—because I really don’t know how she met Jaxson to begin with. She has some story about them seeing each other in a bar, but why’d she end up at that bar to begin with? And once she figured out what he was, why didn’t she turn and run away before things got really nasty?

I change the subject and Kady finishes my coffee before she heads back to the floor. “I’ve got drinks to refill. Speaking of which, I’ll be right back to freshen you up, hon.” She winks at me, grinning, but I wave her off.

“I’ve had enough already and I should get going. If I’m not working for Nolan anymore, I’d better find a new job.”

“Welcome back to the world of working stiffs.” Kady hugs me tightly and hurries back behind the counter.

I leave a tip and head out. The day’s brutally hot and it’s like walking through marshland to get through the parking lot. I’ll head home, shower, look at job listings, and come back to pick up Kady in a few more hours when her shift is over. I’m already planning dinner when I come to a stop and stare at the motorcycle parked behind the truck with Jaxson leaning against it.

He doesn’t say anything, only stares at me. I don’t move, my feet rooted to the concrete. I’m suddenly very aware of the cellphone in my pocket, the burner phone Nolan shoved at me, and I’m tempted to turn around and run back inside so I can call him.

But I told him no already, and if I start making calls then I’m only going to trap myself deeper.

“Hey, Cora,” Jaxson says. He sounds almost shy, almost contrite. “Kady working?”

“What do you want?” I give him an icy glare.

“Just stopped by to see how she’s doing is all.”

“You know she doesn’t want to see you anymore. I thought Nolan made that clear.”

His face darkens and he shifts his weight slightly, crossing his arms over his chest. “I don’t hold that against you, you know. You only did what any good sister would do. I shouldn’t have threatened to leak that sex tape the way I did, and I’ll admit that I fucked up. But you fucked up too when you got that mafia asshole involved.”

“What do you want, Jaxson? Kady’s done with you two. It’s all over. Why can’t you just walk away and let it be done?”

“Because Kady’s my girl,” he says fiercely, anger slipping into his face. So much for apologies. “Because you don’t know a damn thing. You’ve got no clue what’s going on, both of you. Otherwise you never would’ve gotten involved with Nolan again.”

“I know there’s a war coming and that’s why I told Nolan I’m finished with him too. Grow up, Jaxson, and just leave Kady alone, okay?”

“That’s not going to happen.” He stares at me for a long, quiet moment, and my stomach is a twisted mess. “The world’s changing, Cora, and I’m gonna bring Kady along for the ride whether she likes it or not. She’ll thank me when this is all done and the ORB’s running this fucking town.”


Tags: B.B. Hamel Romance