Page 36 of Ride Hard
“Fine.” Tapping in the number, I pressed the call button and slapped the phone to myear.
It rang three times before Yvette pickedup.
“Hello?”
“Yvette, it’sSloane.”
“Sloane! Where areyou?”
“I’m around,” I replied, glancing atChaser.
“It’s been a week,Slo.”
“Sorry. I wasbusy.”
“Busy skipping out onme?”
“It’s complicated.” Chaser nudged me with hisboot.
“I saw the security footage from out back,” she began, her speech stilted as if she was reading from a script, and my hacklesrose.
“A guy tried to grab me when I went to take the trash out,” I said, attempting to throw her, and whoever was listening, off the scent. “It was nothing. He was off his face and couldn’t even stand up straight. You know what people are like at Teasers. He ran off,anyway.”
“You should’ve reported it,” Yvettecomplained.
“Maybe, but it was nothing. I’ve had worse. So haveyou.”
“Still…”
I paused, listening to the background noises. There was someone there, heavy breathing and shuffling papers. It wasn’tYvette.
“I’m sorry I worried you,” I said after amoment.
“Where are you, Slo? Are you comingback?”
“Nah. I didn’t think anyone would miss me.” That was partially true. I’d never allowed myself to get too close to anyone considering who my father was. A broken childhood instilled certain fail-safes in mybrain.
“I missyou!”
“Well, when I get settled, I’ll call you. Maybe you can tell me how Brittany’s going and all the gossip fromTeasers.”
“Slo? Whereareyousettling?”
“I don’t know yet. I’ve just gotta find a happy medium, you know? Work, cheap rent, internetaccess.”
“You stillstudying?”
I glanced at Chaser. “I’m tryingto.”
“I’m worried about you,Slo.”
“You don’t have to be. I’m cool. Totally sweet or whatever the kids are saying these days.” Chaser made a cutting motion across his neck. “Listen, I’ve gotta go, but I’ll call you soon,okay?”
“Youbetter.”
“Seeya.”
Hanging up the call, Chaser took the cell out of my hands and opened the back. He took out the SIM card and snapped it inhalf.
