Page 10 of Cross’s Reckoning

“I’ve never thought you were stupid.”

“Could’ve fooled me.”

“You want the truth?”

“I doubt I’ll survive the privilege.”

There she is, sharp enough to cut when she’s cornered. I step closer and her eyes drop briefly to my mouth. Mine go to hers, and the air changes so fast it pisses me off. Years of arguments running too hot and me keeping my hands to myself because touching Cyrus’s daughter would've been the stupidest thing I could do in a club where Cyrus liked owning every weakness a man had.

I stop before the space between us disappears. “The truth is I expected more from you.”

Her eyes flash. “There it is.”

"Not because you're stupid. Because you're absolutely not. That's kind of my point."

She looks like she wants to slap me. “You think that makes it better?”

“No.”

“At least we agree on something.”

She turns toward her room.

“Lola.”

Her hand closes around the door handle, but she doesn’t look back. I want to tell her I’m glad she came and that I spent the ride here thinking about what Cyrus might do when he discovered she’d helped me. Both sound too close to something I’m not ready to give her.

"Just save it, will you? I've had enough bullshit for today." She goes inside and shuts the door.

I stand there longer than I should. A few minutes later, Kane comes down the hallway with Judge. His expression tells me whatever small breathing space we had just ended.

“Cyrus called,” he says.

I straighten. “What’d he say?”

“That he knows you’re here. Knows Lola is too.”

My eyes go to her closed door.

Kane continues, “He says the next call comes with terms.”

“When?”

“Before midnight.”

Kane looks toward Lola’s room, then back at me. “You still think this stops with you?”

“No.”

I haven’t thought that since her car appeared at the gate. What I don’t know is whether Lola understands it yet, or how long it’ll be before she decides saving my life cost more than I was worth.

CHAPTER 3

LOLA

Idon't sleep much. Considering I've walked out of the only home I've ever known, helped one of Perdition's patched men escape and driven straight into Kingdom Come, that isn't exactly surprising.

What surprises me is how little anyone here seems interested in making the situation worse. Nobody drags me out for another interrogation. Nobody locks my door. When I finally give up on sleep and leave my room, the clubhouse is still awake, but nobody stops talking when Cyrus's daughter appears. They look. Of course they look, but then they go back to whatever they were doing.