Page 15 of Vendetta
Eli didn’t say a word.
What the fuck is that supposed to mean?
Setting down the last glass, Dylan turned to walk away when she caught it, almost a whisper.
Trucker kicked him hard under the table as she started walking.
Creep leaned toward the center of the table, voice pitched just above a whisper.“Midnight drop is behind the lot again.Same place as last week.Crates are marked.”
Dylan didn’t stop walking, and hoped to God she didn’t give any indication she’d heard anything.But the words lodged in her brain like a splinter.What was happening at midnight that the big bad bikers had to whisper about?She didn’t know what any of it meant, but the tone usedwasn’tbar business.
Back behind the counter, Dylan took a slow breath and focused on restocking straws just to keep her hands busy.She didn’t know why but she just couldn’t get the coded comment out of her head.
Uncle Eli hadn’t said a word when they talked to her like that.He hadn’t even blinked when they tossed around whatever the hell that was.And for the first time since taking this job, Dylan wondered if her uncle had been trying to protect her from whatever shady shit was going on there.
Or trying to keep her from seeing too much.
The crowd came in even though her uncle and his men stayed a long time.It was almost ten before they left.Once the bar began emptying out, she stepped outside for a quick break.The cool night air bit her skin as she leaned against the brick wall out back.The door shut behind her with a thud, cutting off the noise from inside.Much better.
Pulling out her phone, Dylan’s thumb hovered for a long minute before she typed out a text to Jason.
Dylan:you ever get the feeling you’re not supposed to hear something?
It didn’t take him long to reply.
Jason:you okay?
Staring at the screen for a second, she debated how much to say.
Dylan:yeah.just… weird vibe at work tonight.uncle showed up with his crew.it was weird.
There was a pause.Longer this time.
Jason:you wanna talk about it?i can bring pizza to your place.
Her lips curved before she realized it, looking down at her phone again.
Dylan:yeah.that’d be nice.pineapple okay?
Jason:real pizzas dont have pineapple
Dylan laughed.Oh, he was one ofthose.
Dylan:fine.no sausage
She laughed, tucking her phone back in her pocket.She wasn’t sure what was happening atNed’s Sundown Lounge, or what exactly she’d stumbled into.But for now, knowing someone was willing to show up with food and no questions made the world feel a little less twisted.
* * *
Dylan
Ned’s Sundown Loungewas still buzzing behind her, but Dylan’s shift was over, and that was all she cared about.She pulled her coat tighter around her as she stepped into the cool night and spotted Jason’s van idling under the streetlight across the lot.
The headlights were off, but she could see him through the windshield, quietly waiting.Something about that made her heart squeeze in her chest.In a world full of noise, his silence felt like safety.She opened the passenger door when she reached him, and the scent of pizza hit her before she even got in.After the day she had, climbing into the van with him and the smell of warm pizza was literally heaven.Did she smell…
“Pineapple?”she asked, sliding inside and closing the door behind her.
He handed her the warm box without a word, and she smiled.“You’re good.”
