They got in Ryker’s car and drove to Stacy’s Diner. It was the only place close by that would be open at 11 p.m.
Once seated in their regular booth with worn, faux-leather benches, he pretended to read the menu. He got the same thing every time.
Their waitress, Leilani, knew it judging by the side-eye she was giving as she approached. “What can I get you tonight? Anything different?”
Ezra leaned back and draped an arm over the seat. Leilani was cute, but she was a little too young. She might be old enough to drink, but it was hard to tell. Regardless, he was twenty-eight and would rather hook up with someone his own age.
“Always the same, sweetheart,” he said.
She lifted a brow, scribbling on the notepad in her hand. Her blonde curls bounced with each flick of her wrist.
“And you?” She turned her attention to Ryker. “Feel like being adventurous today?”
Ryker wasn’t as flirtatious. “Not unless you have kimchi hiding in the back.”
Leilani tipped her head to the side. “Kim—what? No. Just fries and stuff.”
He pushed his palms against his eyes, clearly frustrated that the waitress had never heard of his favorite fermented cabbage.He would let something dumb like that get in the way of hooking up. And the way Leilani eyed him made Ezra think she was definitely interested.
“Pancakes and bacon,” Ryker said finally.
Leilani bobbed her head as she jotted down the order and walked away.
“I don’t get it,” his friend muttered. “How is kimchi still so fucking foreign?”
Ezra rolled his eyes. “Don’t get all bent out of shape.” He pulled up the tracker app on his phone and found it was still parked. Good.
“Yeah, yeah.” He stretched his arms. “You see that chick from the bar lately?”
Hannah. It wasn’t serious. She’d stopped responding to texts a few weeks back. “Nah. I think she moved on.” He had no room to let anyone in besides a casual fuck here and there anyway.
Leilani returned with their usual drinks—coffee for Ezra and a Coke for Ryker. She lingered for a second while setting Ryker’s drink down, maybe hoping he would take notice. But there was no reaction beyond a casual “thanks”.
While stirring sugar in his mug, he asked, “Your pops still good?”
Ryker snorted. “Only because he’s on lockdown. Hard to lose more shit when no one lets you go off by yourself.”
Unlike Ezra, Ryker was stuck in the job over his dad’s debt. Two years ago, he’d made a deal with Xander Coughlin to save his dad’s house. His term was eight years, and he wasn’t sure how his friend would handle it when he had to get a new partner.
Ezra’s first partner had skipped town like a dumbass and paid the price. Then he got landed with Ryker. This guy could save a kitten and crush a man’s hand in the same day. They had been total strangers at the start, but they quickly found they worked well together.
Even with his insistence on making him try every food under the sun.
Leilani arrived with their meals and they settled into their quiet routine. The place was practically empty. A couple of drunks by the window, giggling, and random pop music were the only sounds in the space.
Ezra’s phone dinged as he took another bite of his limp fries.
“Ah, shit.”
As if he knew exactly what had happened, Ryker sighed. “He won’t get far. Let me finish my plate of diabetes.”
It was true and he was in no rush to dole out the next punishment.
So he set his phone down and kept eating.
Chapter 3
Willow
