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And the urge to tell everyone that if TJ had to go on therun, she was going with him. Because she was. She’d spent the last day and ahalf sitting with the decision.
“I’m trying to show TJ that his past isn’t coming back tohaunt him,” Lou explained. “And it might be fun to catch up.”
“There is absolutely no one from high school that I feel theneed to catch up with,” Kala complained. “They were terrible then. They’ll beterrible now. And I don’t even get to tell everyone what an awesome job I have.I’m supposed to say I work for my dad. Everyone thought I would end up workingfor my dad because no other human on earth would hire me.”
Lou bit back a laugh because that had been a whole thing.
“I was voted most likely to end up in prison,” Zachcountered. “It wasn’t like in the yearbook or anything, but everyone knew.”
They all stopped to look at Zach. He was the only member ofthe team they hadn’t grown up with, so sometimes the man was a mystery.
He shrugged. “My family had some unsavory connections. Themilitary did me some good. I’m just saying I wouldn’t mind showing all thoseassholes I didn’t end up doing twenty to life.”
“I don’t care how they’re doing except for Dennis.” TJ wasthoroughly single-minded.
Cooper snorted from behind her. “Well, they can’t be doingtoo well if they’re meeting at this rattrap bar.”
“Isn’t The Hideout three blocks from here?” TJ pointed out.
“Hey, it’s a city. Things change very quickly,” Cooper saidfirmly. “You can walk a block or two and it’s a whole new neighborhood.”
It could be, but not in this case, though she wasn’t aboutto point that out to Cooper. He had an irrationally inflated sense of theclub’s monetary worth. Probably because every dime he had was invested in it.
Though Lou loved it all the same, and she was lookingforward to playing there tonight. Although she would probably have to takeanother plug. She’d tried to argue with TJ, but he’d started talking aboutexotic lubes, and she’d decided this was one of those times he was in chargeand she needed to follow.
She was pretty sure he viewed watching endless episodes of SellingSunset with his cousins as just as painful. Reality TV was TJ’s butt plug,and he managed to smile through it.
“I’m up for either. The bullets or the frat guys, though Iprobably want to fight the latter.” Zach moved beside Kala. “It’s been a whilesince I got the old adrenaline up.”
Kala rolled her eyes. “You’re not getting anything uptonight. I know these assholes. They were awful in high school. They’ll beawful now. Although you sometimes have terrible taste in women.”
Lou stopped at the corner, waiting for the crosswalk lightto turn green. She was sure Kala would plow through, but this was her mission.Her probably dumb mission that had exploded in a way only her team couldmanage. “You know you don’t have to come along. I meant for this to be me andTJ. I’m not sure why the rest of you are here.”
Oh, she knew. They were nosy. So nosy and always in herbusiness, and they formed a chain. Kala had decided to go, so naturally Cooperhad to tag along to make sure Kala didn’t get like murdered or something or commitmurder that wasn’t sanctioned by the Agency, and then Zach hadn’t had anythingto do and Kenzie had argued that she should be allowed to come along, but BenParker was somewhere in Dallas with the Brits, and in a city of one point twomillion, they couldn’t risk him running into two Ms. Magentas. Tasha had stayedbehind with Kenzie to monitor a couple of things before they headed to theclub, and Tristan was still doing whatever Tristan did. Otherwise, the gangwould all be here.
“We don’t have to be.” Zach was dressed in jeans and a blackT-shirt, looking like just another guy out to have some fun after work.“Personally, I think we should head to the club and have fun there instead. I’mwith Lou. This dude is meaningless to what we’re working on.”
Kala frowned. “You’re not the one who has to hide in thelocker room because your twin is panting after a possibly deranged Canadian. God,even saying those words feels weird. What does a rabid beaver look like?”
Not like gorgeous Ben Parker. The signal finally changed,and Lou started across the street. The lights were beginning to come on, neonilluminating the way as evening turned to night.
She and TJ had never been to a club together. Not one thatdidn’t have a bunch of St. Andrew’s Crosses on the walls. They’d never beendancing and drinking. Instead, they’d sat at home and watched TV and talked andplayed games. They went to family gatherings together and walked the dogs.
They’d had a life together, just not the one TV shows toldher equaled romance.
What if it had been a romance all along? A slow burn, taketheir time until it was right because they valued each other romance? She mightnever have the crazy passion of Tasha and Dare or the angsty pain of Kala andCooper, but it was enough.
Their story was enough.
“People change.” TJ strolled alongside her, his hand inhers. It felt right. It felt real this time. “They grow up. I’m actually alittle excited to see what happened to some of them. But mostly I want to provethat Dennis Sims needs to be assassinated.”
Lou groaned.
“Yes, that’s why I’m here, buddy.” Zach gave him a pat onthe shoulder. “To make sure you don’t kill anyone.”
Kala gave Zach a smile. “I thought you were here to makesure we didn’t have any fun.”
Zach nodded. “That’s what I said. Where is this place? Ifeel like we’ve been walking forever.”
