Four pairs of eyes are trained on the woman in question, who never even looks up from her plate.
“Is this about work?” She asks coldly.
“Not exactly,” Hammer starts hesitantly, but Lucy cuts any further explanation off.
“Then we have nothing to talk about. Goodbye.”
Hammer stands there for a few beats, breathing heavily, as if gearing himself to try and persuade her, but ultimately he relaxes and says, “You’ll have to talk to me sometimes, Luce.”
The loud clank of Lucy’s fork against her plate almost makes me jump. She finally looks at Hammer, but her eyes are so hateful that he draws in a sharp breath.
“Listen to me, Frank.” She says his name like it’s an insult. “I’m tired. I’m tired of my parents' criticism, of my ex and his holier-than-thou attitude, of feeling like I’m not enough for my boys. You were the last drop, the cherry on top of a big fat shit sundae, and I’m done. I don’t want you anymore. Get that in your thick skull. Not as a friend, not as nothing. Leave me the fuck alone. Stop trying to talk to me, or I’ll quit and find a new job, you know I will.”
Hammer’s shoulders slump.
Red looks like she’s going to cry.
Hawk puts his hand on my knee, and I cover it with mine.
Lucy resumes eating.
Around us, the Friendly Fork buzzes with activity, people outside this bubble unaware of what’s going on.
Five minutes after Hammer leaves, Lucy announces that she has to go too. “I have to get ready for my date.”
“Your what?” Red asks, as shocked as the rest of us.
“You remember the customer I told you keeps asking me out, David?”
Red nods slowly.
“I finally said yes,” Lucy announces cheerfully. “Wish me luck!”
Chapter 26
Slim
“Name?”
The guy at the gate is holding a rifle, and yet it is his stony expression and the sunglasses that make him look truly menacing. I quickly deduce it would be in my best interest not to fuck around with him.
“Dylan Barnes.”
“Reason of visit?”
“Pick up my son from, er, Marissa Johnson.”
“Please wait a moment.”
After she’s done gawking at the guy’s ass, Rebel remarks, “I feel like I’m at Davis-Monthan.”
The awe in her voice rubs me the wrong way. I bet she’s remembering how grand life was when she was a drug lord’s whore.
To add insult to injury, ten minutes later, Cueball of all people comes outside with my son in his arms.
“What the fuck…”
I slam the car door and stride towards him. As soon as I’m close enough, I grab my son.
