Page 36 of Drift

Jan held up his hands and physically took a step back. “I’ve not met Jason, and from childhood stories of Tweedledum and Doe here, I don’t think I want to.”

Gray gave a sniff. “So, Jason Tucker, then? And you’ve both had run-ins with the law too?” It was a cruel way to play for personal background information, but he needed to test the waters for facts.

“Hey.” Monique hit Jan’s leg. “I see what you did there, giving out his forename.”

“Ouch.” Jan rubbed at it, mouthing a sorry with his smile. “You were the one calling our designated driver names.”

“Let me find one for you for dobbing my brother in.” Monique flipped him the bird.

“What a lady,” said Jan. She was, Gray could see that, but she came with no sensor filter that he liked. Would Jason have had similar traits? She was definitely used to covering for her brother and knowing when to say nothing. So yes, they’d had a few run-ins with the police at some stage, but with her being here in London, Jason in Wales, and both having settled into good careers and relationships, it seemed distant history for both.

“So.” As Monique took out her iPad, shutting down police talk on her brother and looking too set to do some work, Gray eased back by his Merc and tipped his head Jan’s way. “Breakdown by name and repetitive nature, huh?” He needed to keep thatease in Jan’s eyes just a little longer. “You started early on the suggestion box? Only this time you get… me.”

Jan coughed a little, blushed, so badly as he scratched at his neck at the reminder of how he’d first met Jack and just all the fucking around that had gone down in Jack’s garage… his home after that. No doubt more on how Gray had observed it all on the CCTV. “Don’t. I was preparing myself for Jack’s pisstakes, but yours—”

Air brakes sounded off the main road, and a recovery truck pulled into the car park, tearing Gray’s look back to the entrance. The truck slipped ahead of Monique’s car, then reverse warning lights and an alarm came on as it backed up close to the front end of the Polo.

With iPad in hand, Monique moved first to head over, but a touch to her arm, Gray shook his head and kept her by him. It won a frown off Jan, but as the engine was cut to the recovery truck and the cab door opened, Jack jumped down with a grin, easing Gray’s hold on Monique’s arm now Jack seemed to automatically hone in on Jan.

“So, Breakduh—”

“Not a word.” Jan levelled a finger Jack’s way as he came over, stopping him in his tracks. “You mention one word about Breakdown’s and me, and us—” Jan sliced across his own throat. “—we’re so done, Harrison.”

“As if I would.” Jack laughed, winked at Gray, then made no bones about kissing at Jan’s cheek as he came over. “I’ll play nice. I’m on the clock,” he said, pulling back and patting lightly at Gray’s abs. “There’s also a lady present. How you doing, Monique?” He winced at her. “Well, other than the whole remake of Jan’s epicTitanic,Get off my piece of Plywood, Jackscene? Hang on. I’ve even got the theme music somewhere forhim.” He patted himself down and pulled out a phone Gray didn’t recognise. But, damn, Gray was glad Jack was here, easing tensions. Thumbing through the new phone, the theme music toTitaniccame on, but a warped version, a kid playing a school recorder for the first time and missing every note.

“You ass,” said Jan as Monique doubled, laughing. “You actually spent time searching YouTube for that?”

“Maybe.” His quick hide of the phone called yes as he pinched Monique’s hat and slipped it on. “You both okay? Any bruises, cuts—concussionsfrom talking to each other about those boring-ass numbers you drool over all day?”

Monique tried to pinch her hat back, a little flustered as Jack dodged her each time. “My God, you’re like a bloody puppy seeing life after being left alone all day. Keep—” She choked a smile. “Keep still and give me my bloody hat back.”

Jack dumped it back on her head, leaving Monique scowling up at the haphazard slant. He looked Gray’s way a moment later, and a haunting look of an eight-year-old boy playing in the back yard with his dog was… startling.

Jack chucked a second phone over, and Gray caught it. The iPhone he recognised. The crack down the screen he didn’t.

“Dropped it down the pit doing that Cherokee that got taken to Steve’s instead of mine this morning. Had to stop and pick up a throwaway.” Jack held up the one playing theTitanicmusic, then set it to quiet with a wince, and Gray frowned at how Jack didn’t quite meet his eyes after that.

Was that a lie there?

“Ray said he’ll handle getting a new one set up,” added Jack. “Gotta keep the hired help happy with some Internet security checks, right?” He sighed Jan’s way. “Sorry I missed your call.I got back to the garage just as Aid was killing the gears on my baby back there.”

Jan cocked a brow towards the tow truck.

“So.” Jack looked at Monique. “You wanna tell me what’s gone on with gorgeous little Marco Polo here? And please note: Sam’ll be bringing you a courtesy car before you finish work. No need for Ray.”

There would be, but Gray couldn’t disclose why Ray would be around anything to do with Monique for a while.

“Why thank you, sir!” Monique held on to her hat as a gust of winter wind hit. Giving a sigh, she found Jack again. “She just died on me. It felt like I’d run out of fuel with how she kept choking and trying to take a breath as if her BDSM collar was fastened too tight, but I had a quarter tank of petrol in last night.”

Jack choked a laugh, his look coming Gray’s way briefly, then took the keys off her. “Let me take a look at that, erm… BDSM collar tight fit.”

“Didn’t know I could make you blush, Jack,” Monique called as he headed for the driver’s side. He waved her off, but something caught his eye, and he stopped for a moment to run a touch over whatever stole his head away at the back of the driver’s side. Another look at Gray, he got in and started her up.

A loud whining hurt the ears, but arm resting across the steering wheel, Jack seemed taken with the fuel gauge. He cut the engine a moment later, then came back over.

“Any ideas?” said Monique as she rubbed at her shoulder. The wind picked up, shifting her long blonde hair across her face. Jan slipped off his suit jacket and wrapped it around her shoulders.

“Thank you.” A smile went Jan’s way.

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