Page 37 of Digit's Deflection
“Yes, Sir. Too blessed to be stressed.” The man’s permanent good mood is infectious. “Have a good evening now.” As Maverick passes him, Giovonne tips his head in greeting.
Heading straight over to the bar, my eyes scan the club in search of Liora. Not seeing her, I ask the closest bartender if she’s around.
“Yes, Sir. She’s just taken a drink order to one of the private rooms. She’ll be right back.”
“When she does, please ask her to come find me in the restaurant.”
“I’m hungry enough to slay one of those monster-size steaks they serve here,” Maverick says once we’re seated and waiting for our drinks. He reads the menu, back to front, as is his habit. “Yep, definitely the steak.”
“Hey, Treven, they said you were looking for me. I’m glad to see you’re all rig—” Her words stop cold as Liora spots Maverick. “Holy shit. John Henderson, is that you?”
“It sure is. Man, you haven’t changed a bit. You look just like you did the day you left. Maybe a tiny bit older, but damn, the years have been good to you.”
“I could say the same about you. Wow, it’s good to see you.” Liora’s words say one thing, but her eyes say something different. It’s clear to see the nervousness in her eyes. As if she’s expecting Mav to judge her.
“You got time to join us?” he asks.
“Sadly, no. I actually need to get back to work, but it was really great to see you again. Hopefully, we can catch up soon.Let me know when you’re ready to leave and I’ll go grab your keys.” And with that she disappears back into the club.
There’s silence at the table as we both watch Liora walk away.
“So, what’s the scoop, bud?” Maverick says, turning back to me and breaking the silence.
“Not going to get into it all tonight – it’s a discussion for another time – but long story short, I was asked to work with someone new to the club. Turned out to be Liora.”
“She’s into the lifestyle?” His surprise is almost laughable.
“No, but would it be so bad if she was?”
“Not at all, just didn’t fit the image I had of her as the young girl I knew.” He stops long enough to thank our server and place his order before he continues.
“You know you’re going to have to share the rest of that story sooner rather than later, right? Your sister’s going to grill my ass when I get home and I tell her.”
“I know, I know. Just not tonight. So, where are you staying tonight?” I ask to change the subject. “Want to crash at my place?”
“Yeah, I’d like that.”
“Done.”
Just then our food arrives, and we tuck in to some of the most incredible steaks. Conversation turns to the mundane. How the kids are doing at school, what Sheri’s been up to, their recent visit home to the folks. Anecdotes of family outings and vacations, Sheri’s recent health scare.
We lose track of the time as we simply enjoy each other’s company, a treat we don’t get to have very often. And before we know it, it’s oh twenty-three hundred and Liora’s shift is over.
“Hey, I thought you guys would have wanted to be long gone.”
“Nope, I wasn’t going to just leave you here to find your own way home, princess.”
I can almost hear Maverick’s eyebrow ascend. That fucking eyebrow that says a million things without him uttering a word.
As we make our way out of the club and to the car, I can’t help but think how truly bizarre life can be.
19
DIGIT
The plane is quiet as everyone attempts to get some shuteye before the big showdown. With such high stakes, there’s no room for failure. Tension is palpable, despite the silence of the teams of men.
This mission is, once again, a joint one involving Wolf’s and Merlin’s teams to assist in shutting Armatrout down for good this time. The powers that be are taking no chances. Little do they know we have zero intentions of letting this man escape us. This goat rodeo ends with this mission.
