Page 81 of Kings & Carnage

"Lunch sounds great," Claire said. “Have you ever been to Chasen’s?”

"I haven't been hardly anywhere," I said. "The Kings barely let me out of their sight before they knew Roberto was trying to kill us.”

“Chasen’s has the best food," Claire said. “It's not far. We can walk.”

We were halfway down Main Street, straddling the line Oscar had told me not to cross when he'd taken me to the drugstore that first day. I was curious about the other side of town — I'd only seen it at night when Neo had fights at the Orpheum — but we were heading in the other direction, towards Cassie's Cuppa and the other cute stores the weekend tourists loved.

We passed a couple boutiques and a Greek restaurant and came to a large gallery window showcasing a series of black-and-white photos.

I stopped, studying the pictures, a series focused on exotic doors, probably in Turkey or Morocco.

"Those are gorgeous," Claire said next to me.

"Oscar's pictures are just as good," I said, "if not better. His work should totally be in a gallery like this one.”

“I've always wondered about that," Claire said. “I almost never see him without his camera. What does he do with all the pictures he takes?”

"What can he do? You know how our families are about that kind of stuff.”

Looking at the pictures in the gallery made me sad. I wasn't just bullshitting. Oscar's pictures really were good enough to stand next to the photographs in the gallery window.

He had so much talent. I hated that it was wasted because of his family. If not for their part in the Alinari crime family, Oscar probably would've been a famous director or photographer.

"That really sucks," Claire said. "What about you?”

"What about me?” I asked.

"What would you do if you’d been born into a normal family?” she asked.

"I've never really thought about it." I felt dumb saying it, but it was true. "I was in high school when Emma went missing, and after that…”

Claire reached out and squeezed my hand. "I'm sorry. I hope when this is all over you'll be able to live your life the way you want.”

I had no idea what that meant or what it would look like but it sounded pretty good. "Me too.”

"It's just one more block," Claire said. "Wait a minute…”

I stopped to look at her, frozen on the sidewalk. “What?"

"Is that… Neo?”

I followed her gaze to the black Hummer parked across the street. The side windows were tinted but I could clearly make out the firm set of Neo's jaw, the broad sweep of his shoulders in the driver’s seat.

"What the actual fuck?" I asked.

Claire laughed. "Looks like somebody doesn't trust his own bodyguard to protect you.”

"Unbelievable," I said.

"Want to go talk to him?" Claire asked.

"No, I really don’t.” I didn't know whether to be annoyed or touched that Neo was following me around even though he'd assigned me a bodyguard, but I wasn't going to give him the satisfaction of thinking I appreciated his stalker tendencies.

"If you say so," Claire said in a singsong voice. "We're here anyway.”

We’d come to an upscale bistro with a green awning and an outdoor patio that was closed for winter.

Claire opened the door and we stepped into a cozy, dimly lit restaurant, the walls painted deep navy, soft light glowing from the chic overhead fixtures.

---