Page 66 of Drift

“Tell me what you’re thinking,” she said quietly.

He seemed to shake it off and focus. “If he’s old guard, I want to know why he’s looking this way. Maybe he knew Grant? It’s how he knows Jude?”

West knew he’d always chase echoes of Grant. “See is good. But keep to your own rules: what you can’t run from, hide. Don’t… and I mean don’t take any cocktails with you to keep warm. It’s a poor, working class neighbourhood. Give them a break.”

Drift kissed at his fingertips, rested them against his heart, then dipped his head to get a better look in her eyes. A quiet threat came with it, an ask that this time she stay put at Jackson’s, then he nodded. “C’mon. Let me get you back.”

She eyed him up. “I can get back by myself. You’re meant to be staying low… like over in the West Mids low from what I heard.”

He sighed and wiped at his mouth. “Kind of fucked that up with the whole playing with fire thing and wanting to toss Keyne into oncoming traffic, huh?”

She went to ask him about Ava, but clammed up, not trusting that she’d like the answer. “Should have gone for his violin, sweetheart. Would have made him really cry then.”

Drift winced. “Fuck, you’re a sadist.”

West laughed softly. Oh yeah, Jackson and Grant had helped raise him, all right. Hurt anything, anyone, but never the musical instrument. “Maybe.”

He started to walk away, but West dragged him back. “By the pool, with Essex a few weeks ago. I caught it. What did you take? What have you taken since?”

Drift eased back, and a wall of silence played around him.

“Okay,” said West, her tone harder than his would ever be. “Try that again, shall I? Take drugs from him or off the street again, we’re done talking. I’ll go to Jackson. You hear me?”

Oh that hit a note as he took his hand away, that offer of breaking confidence. So she went in, slipping a hold around his waist. He relaxed almost instantly, his sigh calling it out, but as he went to return the truce, the cuddle, she stepped back and started thumbing through his wallet.

“Fuck, seriously?” said Drift.

He took from the best, so she always went one better to cut that competitive edge of his in two, taking from… him. “Get good,” was her only challenge before she handed him the wallet back when she found only cash in there. A lot of it, but no drugs. He’d been feeding over the past few weeks away from Jackson, but he’d done some private hustles too by the look of it. Her count of his cash let him know she’d make later checks just to see how much had been spent. She’d also check his backpack for the hide in oxide he loved.

“You’re a bitch, you know that.”

She winked back at him. “Best of. And like I said. Get good, don’t whine, asshole.” Thing was, every street kid had their way of coping, especially on the runup to happy season. West coped by darkening Christmas and reminding people that safety was just a fucked-up illusion. Drift took drugs to escape how he knew safetywasa fucked-up illusion.

She didn’t condemn him for taking the release, just what damage it did to him each time. Stupid. He could be so goddamn stupid at times.

His look back down the street said his mind lay elsewhere, maybe with chasing echoes of Grant, even if it was on the mention of Jude, and she nodded, satisfied. Guilt there would keep that head of his clear of Ava, or it better do as he went and checked Newham out.

Chapter 20

NEWHAM

As he reached Gray’s manor, Raif pulled up next to Jan’s Merc and got out. The water from the fountain taking his attention, he headed over to the reception entrance, but the door opened up before he got there.

“Hey, mate.” Jack munched on a piece of toast and waved him in. “Heard you were going human gargoyle out by the gates and wanted in with Gray.”

Raif cocked a brow, and Jack winced, toast halfway to his mouth again.

“I said gargoyle outright, huh?”

Raif nodded, and Jack tapped at his arm.

“Don’t eat me for it. My bones are getting older, more brittle lately.” He winked. “Keep to grinding down those younger ones of Ash’s.”

“I don’t grind down bones,” said Raif, following him in and keeping his smile private. “That’ll be Gray’s department.”

“Annnnd that’s me done with this conversation, then.” Jack thumbed behind him, back down the hall, then rubbed at his head, looking like a headache played devil. Patches around his eyes were a little dark. Raif had been around enough users toknow the signs, but he also knew Jack well enough to know it was more than likely down to a change in meds. He didn’t piss about like that. Or he better not do with being boss to Ash. “He’s that way,” added Jack. “Piss off and make it quick, yeah. It’s Friday, and we need some downtime.”

“Mouth.” Jan came on through from the lounge, the scary-ass Maine Coon rubbing up his leg just a second later. “No wonder the neighbours stay away.” Jan smiled at Raif. “Hey, you okay?”

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