Echo snuffled and chuffed and turned her face away, effectively snubbing me.
Tallus chuckled. “You’ve been told.”
I borrowed one of Tallus’s hoodies and dug a thick pair of socks from my dresser drawer before returning to the balcony. I half expected Darcy to be long gone, making a liar out of me, but he wasn’t. He leaned against the railing, staring out at the city, a faraway look in his eyes. His teeth chattered as he smoked.
Presented with warmer clothes, he rushed to ditch the cigarette into the ash can I kept by the door and pulled them on, mumbling thanks.
Grabbing the pack of cigarettes from the railing, I helped myself to one and lit up.
“I thought you quit.” He took the pack from me, plucking another from within.
“Fuck it. It’s not alcohol, and I’ve managed to hold off all day. I deserve one for not killing you.”
“I… can’t tell if you’re joking.”
I huffed a humorless laugh and handed him the lighter.
Darcy watched me instead of the city. I didn’t like being openly examined but stayed quiet, letting him look his fill. The ugly was on display. Few people were willing to look beyond the scars.
My nerves calmed with the first toxic inhale of nicotine. Soothing warmth bled through my veins. Sure, it felt good now, but regret and self-loathing would knock at my door later, reminding me of the promises I’d made to myself. Promises I could never seem to keep.
One demon at a time. Alcohol was a worse evil and the first I needed to beat.
I took another haul. I hadn’t had a drop of alcohol since Sunday night. Four days was a record, and I was determined to keep it going.
“Are you going to report me to the police?” Darcy asked, cutting into my thoughts.
“No. You’re fucking krill in this equation. I want the shark responsible.”
“I don’t understand what that means.”
“Never mind. I’m not turning you in.”
We smoked. Darcy went out of his way to study me without making it obvious.
“What?”
“What happened to your face?”
The blunt question threw me off, and I inhaled wrong, choking on a lungful of smoke. I almost snarked for him to mind his fucking business, but by the time the coughing fit calmed, the instinctual urge to deflect did too.
“Had a run-in with a bike chain. Where are your parents?”
Darcy balked. “None of your fucking business.”
I laughed because the brat had stolen my line. He had no idea the restraint I had used to avoid saying the exact same thing ten seconds ago. “Then you don’t get to ask me any more personal questions. Got it? What are the chances you can arrange a meet-up withLuke?”
Darcy hugged himself, his petulance and sulkiness returning. “I would need a good excuse.”
“Okay. Like what?”
He considered for a long minute before shrugging. “I don’t know. At first, he wanted to see me to be sure I was suitable. He wanted to hear how I talked and see if I could play a role. He took pictures of me. I guess so he could match me to random people. At least, that’s what he told me. He showed me how to do all the things he required, like setting up online banking. Most seniors don’t have that, so I help them get it arranged. He taught me all the tricks. You know, for avoiding traps, since I have to help them contact the bank. He gave me a phone.”
“Do you have a mark right now?”
Darcy stared at his feet, one sock-covered foot folding over the other. “Yeah. Met with her today. Deal’s already closed.”
“What if you told this Luke guy that she gave you a pile of cash and asked you to take it to the bank or something. Or maybe it was a birthday gift for the grandson. Savings she used to keep under her mattress after her husband died. I don’t know. You have cash, and you need to hand it off.”
