Page 93 of Smooth Moves
Chapter 18
While Jordan took a much-needed break at Ringo’s Bar with the guys, Cash stayed home, ready to have his talk with the kid.
He didn’t need to know Rafi to realize something bothered Jordan’s brother. If Cash so much as breathed too loud, the kid twitched. At first he’d wondered if Rafi was scared of him from that incident with the landlord the other night. But whenever Cash neared Reid’s room, where Rafi was sleeping, the boy fidgeted something fierce.
Time to quit all the secrets.
“Rafi, it’s over. I know what this is about.”
Rafi’s eyes grew huge. “Y-you do?”
I have no idea.Cash narrowed his gaze and recalled a few interrogation techniques he’d witnessed years ago. It was all about head games.
Silence could be a supremely effective tool.
Several seconds passed.
Rafi turned from worried to irritated. “You don’t know shit because there’s nothing to know.”
Cash remained quiet.
Rafi squirmed. “Quit looking at me like that.”
“Like what?”
“Like you’re going to do to me what you did to Alvarez,” Rafi said, not with fear but with a hint of challenge.
Rafi reminded Cash a lot of Jordan. He smiled at the thought. Rafi cringed.
Fine. Time for some honest talk. “Rafi, why have you been pissing your pants since the minute your sister left?”
“Um, because I watched you beat up some guy twice my size?”
“Nope. You’ve been on edge since before the thing with the landlord. Look, your sister isn’t here now. It’s just you and me. What’s going on?”
“Nothing.”
Stubborn son of a bitch.“You know, I was once like you.”
Rafi snorted. “I doubt it.”
“I was skinny and mouthed off all the time. But I wasn’t that smart, and I didn’t have people to help me out. Hell, I was living on my own at sixteen. Barely graduated high school. Nobody but the Marines would have me. Got into more fights than I can remember and still do.”
“Great. You’re big and bad, and my sister likes you. You’re awesome. Now can you leave me alone?” Rafi stood, to leave the house or go back into his room, Cash didn’t know.
He did know he’d gone through Reid’s room earlier today, and he’d noticed the kid tried to hide a backpack way back in Reid’s closet. Though Cash had wanted to look inside, he hadn’t because he didn’t want to violate the kid’s trust.
But maybe Cash could bluff his way past Rafi’s defenses. Before the teenager could walk away, he asked, “Is it about what’s in the bag?”
Bingo. Rafi froze and turned to face him, horrified. He whispered, “Did you look inside?”
Cash gave him a mean look. “What the hell do you think? Better yet, don’t tell me. Let’s wait for Jordan to get back and see what she thinks.”
The kid crumpled. He sank down into the couch and burst into tears. Heavy, heartfelt sobbing that tore Cash right up.
“Aw man. Don’t freak out.” Should he join Rafi on the couch? Give him a hug? A manly pat on the shoulder? Or would that stress him out even more? Instead, Cash remained seated in his chair and watched Rafi wipe his face.
Cash left to grab a box of tissues from the bathroom then tossed it to him. “Here.”
