“We’ll leave,” Ezra said, “but only if you promise to meet up with us again before you skip town. We have some questions for you.”
Irving had that scowl on his face that I recognized from our night at the bar. I wondered what he must think of me. If I were him, I wouldn’t be giving the rude man from the bar the time of day, but I was surprised to see that he didn’t look like he was holding a grudge. Hell, he had come to track me down—that must mean something. As he leaned against Ezra and stared at my feet, I realized that he just looked concerned.
What the hell does he have to be so worried about?
If agreeing to meet up with them was the quickest way to get them out of my apartment, fine. A quick conversation before speeding out of town seemed better than having to fight off a bunch of thugs in order to protect these two. And no matter how reluctant I was to admit it, protecting Ezra and Irving was feeling more and more like a priority
It's a fucked up thing, when pushing someone away from me was the best way to protect him.
“There’s a rest stop off of 90, right when you get to Snoqualmie Pass. It’s a little bit of a drive, but I need to get the hell out of this city. Meet me there in three hours. I’ll answer whatever questions you want to ask me, but after that, I’m gone. Got it?”
“That’s great!” Irving said, linking elbows with Ezra. “We’ll see you there!”
A large van rumbled up in front of my apartment building, and I felt a fresh wave of urgency, thinking about the danger that might be inside. I gave the guys another long look, then gestured out the front door with my thumb. “Now get going. I’ve got a lot of shit to move, and not much time to do it.”
By the time they were out the door, I felt like I was ready to collapse back into bed or slip back into another bender. I hadn’t been joking about the urgency, though, and nothing could get a guy motivated like the threat of a good beating—or worse.
And hell, if I could stay focused with those two angels preening and posing right in the middle of my living room, packing up a few boxes of junk would be a breeze.
