AllFreeNovel
Share Us
“Hey! You’re not supposed to agree with me,” he grins, nudging her with his elbow as he pulls his hat off. Running one hand through his green strands, he spins his hat around, and slides it back down onto his head backward.
Chuckling, I push back off the bar and excuse myself as I check on the other few customers that linger around the bar. As I pour a couple of shots, I look up from the corner of my eye, and find myself staring. I just can’t help myself. Riot West is an absolute enigma. He’s all violence, tattoos, and mystery, wrapped in a calm and charming exterior, and I ache to unravel him.
I’m painfully aware that he already has something going on with Zeke Adams, but I’d be lying if I said Zeke didn’t intrigue me too. Not only that, but as my eyes roam over his muscled frame, I’d swear on my life that I just caught Riot eyeing me back.
Chapter five
Zeke
Tilting my head back, I chug the lukewarm remnants of my coffee in one gulp. Setting the mug down on my desk, I lean back and run both hands across my head as I weave my fingers through my hair, pulling until the strands stand on end. I’m so fucking exhausted that it’s impacting my ability to even work. I’m growing cross-eyed and can barely stay awake, let alone think.
My eyes water and as a yawn escapes me, I press my fingertips into my eyelids, forcing the liquid that pooled behind them out of the corners. Sliding my hands down the sides of my face, I drop them to my desk and allow my shoulders to fall. Hunching over my keyboard, I find myself filled with the overwhelming feeling of defeat. While all of this is beginning to feel like a giant waste of time, I know deep down that it’s not, so I can’t just give up. I found her name on that unsecured spreadsheet, and that has to mean something. It has to mean the information is right here. I’m positive it’s within my grasp, but my brain is foggy, and every string of code I build to get around the encryptions on these locked files end up a failure of epic proportions.
I’ve never seen something locked up so damn tight in my life.
Cracking my knuckles above the keyboard, I flex my fingers before I jump back in, only this time my fingers won’t even move. They hover on top of the keys in anticipation. Waiting for the signals from my brain to give them an order, but the signals never come. There’s static in the airwaves and for the first time in what feels like my entire life, I don’t know what to try next.
You’re such a fucking failure Zeke.
While Riot met Spencer last night for drinks, I holed up in my office to work on this, and I haven’t so much as fluttered my eyelids since. Maybe it’s just the exhaustion. Maybe if I just lay my head down and sleep for a bit, the answers will come to me. Except, the last thing I want to do is sleep. I avoid it at all costs lately, because being alone inside of my head scares me. I’m afraid of all the things I see and hear when I close my eyes.
Sighing, I push myself up from the computer chair and walk over to the small sofa against the far wall where I flop down on my back. Trembling, I throw an arm over my eyes, and tell myself it’ll just be a few minutes. Just a few minutes to gather my thoughts and reset myself.
Not long at all.
“Hey, kid,” the deep, gravely voice shocks me awake like cold water splashing my skin. Blinking my eyes rapidly, it takes me a moment to realize, I’m outdoors, curled up on the concrete.
Gripping my backpack to my chest, I press myself against the brick wall, sliding further into the corner beneath the exterior staircase of the building. My breathing grows erratic when it dawns on me that there’s no place to go. Nowhere to run. Not that I have the strength to run anymore.
I’ve been running for weeks and I’m so damn tired. I don’t even know how long I’ve been asleep out here, but the sun is high in the sky, so it must be the middle of the day.
The tired looking man, with dark eyes and salt and pepper hair, stretches out his tattoo covered arm, offering me his hand.
“It’s ok, kid. My name is Rodney. Rodney Cash.”
His eyes are friendly, but I’m so wary of everyone and everything. I don’t know who to trust. I don’t even know where I am.
“H-hi,” I stutter as I clear my throat.
“What are you doing out here?”
“I, um…” I look around, hesitant to respond. Worried I’ll say or do the wrong thing.
“Did you sleep out here?”
My eyes meet his and I nod softly before hanging my head in shame.
“Come on, seriously. I can’t let ya stay out here,” he inches forward, climbing into this enclosed space I’m tucked away in, and I’m equal parts scared and relieved.
“Got a name?” he asks, sitting down with his back to the brick wall.
“Zeke.”
“Zeke. Got it. When’s the last time you ate Zeke?”
“A couple days ago,” I answer honestly, my stomach grumbling embarrassingly loud at the thought of food.
“Where’s your family?”
