“We need to go. Now.”
Thunder cracked overhead as Naomi paused. “Wait, why?”
But, I knew that tone of voice. I knew that look on his face.
“All right,” Ranger said as he lifted his hip, “I’m going to calmly pay for our tab, then we’ll walk out the same way we came in. Got it?”
Naomi peered over the top of the booth. “Seriously, what’s going on?”
I turned to face her and took her hands within mine. “Do you trust us?”
She nodded. “Yes, I do.”
“Then, don’t ask questions. Just come on.”
I slid out of the booth and offered my hand to her, but Dutch intervened. He took her hand from mine and helped her to her feet, pulling her close as he slinked his arm around her waist. In any other situation, I would have decked him for a move like that. But, when I followed his gaze, I clocked him.
The man sitting at the table by the front window.
“Oh, my God,” Naomi murmured.
“Range?” I asked.
“I see him,” he said as he brushed past us to move to the bar, “just stay calm and let me get our stuff paid for.”
“Don’t look too hard,” Dutch said as he turned Naomi away from the man.
She reached her lips up and kissed his cheek. “Make it look like I’m fine, yeah?”
Dutch grinned. “You’re good at this, you know.”
“Isn’t she, though?” I asked as I shoved my head in between the two of them.
Dutch paused, looking down his nose at me. “Do you mind?”
I smiled brightly as I turned my head toward Naomi. “You okay?”
She kissed the tip of my nose. “Never better. Let’s go.”
“Wait,” Ranger said.
He stepped in front of the three of us, tucking his wallet back into his pocket.
“What is it, Range?” Naomi asked.
I furrowed my brow. “Yeah, what gives?”
But, Ranger’s gaze didn’t waver from her face. “This is your one chance.”
“I’m sorry, what?” Dutch asked.
“What chance?” Naomi asked.
“Range, think about what you’re doing,” I hissed.
He didn’t budge, though. “We all know who that man sitting in the corner is. And we know why he’s here.”
Naomi nodded. “That’s Gordon’s partner, I know.”
