Page 77 of Break Out

“And Dad?” I asked, even though I knew the answer.

“I’ll do what I can.”

“I love you, Mom.”

“I’ll always love you more, pumpkin.”

A dull headache formed along my brow late in the afternoon as I reviewed programming code. I glanced at the time on the lower part of the computer screen. Four o’clock. No wonder I had a headache, I hadn’t eaten anything in hours.

Setting my laptop aside, I went to the kitchen and grabbed a package of peanut butter on cheese crackers and a can of lime Bubly. I heard a key slide into the lock and a moment later Steel came inside.

Exhaustion rolled off him and his eyes looked defeated.

“What’s wrong?” I asked.

He shook his head. “No offense, baby, but this town sucks.”

My head reared back. “Why’s that?”

“Too many reasons to count, but the fuckin’ building department, code enforcement, the awful traffic, and a fuckin’ HOA to start.”

My brows furrowed. “An HOA?”

He huffed out a derisive chuckle. “Yeah. I’d terrorize the shit out of those pretentious, ignorant, motherfuckers, but it’d be too damned obvious.”

I pressed my lips together to keep from smiling. Not that I found his anger funny, but rather he was really freaking sexy when he was pissed – as long as it wasn’t with me.

The doorbell buzzed and I shook my head. “Who could that be?”

Steel took a deep breath and wandered toward the door. “It better be Rafferty.”

He opened it, and Rafferty came inside handing a key fob to Steel. “Gray Tundra, parked near the retention pond. Don’t have a ramp, but I brought a sheet of plywood to get your bike in the bed. You need straps?”

Steel shook his head. “No, I got those. Can you be here in the morning? Don’t want to load the bike until I’m ready to leave – otherwise those assholes will know exactly which vehicle to follow.”

Rafferty nodded once. “You leaving at five?”

“Six, if Jade isn’t dead to the world.”

Rafferty nodded, then looked at me. “Hey, Simone.”

“Hey, Raff.”

He locked eyes with Steel. “I’ll be here at five-thirty, then.”

Steel shot him a skeptical look. “You won’t be out partying tonight?”

He shook his head. “No, sir. I’ll party tomorrow night – if the mood strikes.”

“Nineteen-years-old that mood should always strike,” Steel said.

Rafferty’s brow ticked up and down. “Not always, not for me anyway.”

“You want something to drink?” Steel asked.

Rafferty shook his head. “Nah. Gonna get rolling,” he pointed a finger at Steel. “That general contractor I used to work for got back to me. He’s willing to take a look at the structure, but can’t get out there until Monday afternoon.”

Steel nodded. “That works since we’ll be back by then.”

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