Page 78 of Visions in Blood
“Should I ask or ignore that canary grin of yours?”
I finished my drink and stood.“Drink up.Let’s check out that bar on the corner.”
We were on our way to a third bar when someone yelled my name.
“Yo, Cressa.”
I didn’t have to turn around to know who it was, but Ginger stopped, her arms waving in excitement.
“Harlow!”She tripped over a piece of broken concrete, and Harlow caught her.His hands, as usual, roaming more than they needed to.“Hey, Trudy.What are you guys doing in this part of town?”
My thoughts exactly since Harlow lived closer to the Hollows.
“One could ask the same of you.”He was all smiles, and when he turned to me, he winked.“Twice in one week, luv.How could we be so lucky?”
Ginger gave me a slide glance.“We were just club hopping.”She pointed to the bar across the street.“We were headed to that one next.”The line was half a block long, and Harlow shook his head.
“There’s a nice lounge just a block over.It has some local talent, not as busy as these other cheap places.Why don’t you have a drink with us, then you can come back here?”
Trudy smiled, but she scanned the area.A look I knew well.They were on a job.And what were the odds we’d meet them here?Yet, I didn’t sense any deception from Harlow, and that was something I could usually pick up after years of working with him.It’s why I knew he hadn’t been the one to call Sorrento when he’d surprised us on that job.
“Ooh.Let’s do it.”Ginger grabbed my hand, and we followed the couple as Harlow launched into sordid tales about jobs they’d worked since the last time we’d all gone out together.
The lounge was quieter than the other clubs.After ten minutes and a martini, I couldn’t argue the talent was better, but the place was a dive in every other aspect.
“So, what’s the job?”I asked it right after Trudy shared the antics of their new neighbors, who apparently had more frequent and louder sex than they did.That was saying something, which I’d unfortunately discovered on an out-of-town job with the crew.
Harlow flashed me a look before hunching over and scanning the room.“Why do you think there’s a job?”
I rolled my eyes, and Trudy just grinned into her beer.I pointed at her mug.“Trudy’s drinking beer, scanning the street, and keeping an eye on all the exits.You’ve hardly touched your drink, and the only time I see you this sober is when there’s a job.”
Ginger giggled.“Even I know you have a job.”
Harlow scowled, then his brows rose, and I sighed.He always got that look whenever an idea popped.I didn’t like it.“It’s an in and out.Snatch and run.Some jilted lover wants an expensive piece of jewelry back.”
“I guess they’d been dating for six months, and he gave his lover some diamond earrings.”Trudy tapped her right ear.Her hair had been shaved to a buzz cut with just a touch of curls left on top.She reminded me of Pink.“Then he caught her cheating on him, yet she was the one to kick him to the curb.Now he wants the earrings back.Says they cost him a cool hundred grand, and he’s willing to pay half that to get them back.”
Ginger whistled.“Wow.Will the jewelry store even take them back?”
Trudy shrugged and tugged at her bra strap.“The guy’s not hurting for money.It’s the principle.”
The women grinned then looked at Harlow.
“What?”Then the lightbulb went off.“Oh, yeah.We men have such low self-esteem that we get all in a twitter when rejected.Now, don’t tell me if the tables were reversed, you wouldn’t sneak back and grab those earrings.”
“We’d take the earrings and probably cut up a couple of his favorite suits.”I grinned at him.
“Exactly.”
We listened to the music for a bit before Harlow tapped the table.“You know.It’s a simple hit, but the woman has a safe.”
I snorted.“I suggest you keep with your original plan.Nothing good comes from changing the job in the middle of it.”
“Technically, we haven’t started the job yet.”Trudy was usually the one who cautioned against straying from the plan.
“Look at it this way,” Harlow said.“Roxie, our new hacker, will be working on the security.This would be an opportunity to meet her.See how she works.”
Ginger fidgeted beside me.“I didn’t think you were looking for work.”
