“Whatever,” he said. He cast his eyes to the ground, then did a quick scope of the bar, seeing if anyone was listening. “Because if you wanted to just drive back down, that trip alone? I could get you ten grand, man. Low-risk.”
I tensed. Adrenaline shot through my body, and I suddenly tasted metal on the tip of my tongue. “I told you—”
“They provide the car,” he cut me off with a whisper. “And you won’t even know there’s something in it. Even if you looked, you wouldn’t be able to find it.”
I hated the voices that rose up inside of me.Yes. Yes. Take the money. How else are you going to get money like that? You need that thrill to be happy. You need to feel like you might die to know you’re alive. It’s all you’re worth.
This is who you are, Asher. Or what, do you think you’re better than your own father?
“Go smoke your cigarette,” I said through clenched teeth. “I said no.”
Daryl curled his lip, then nodded. “Be right back,” he said, flicking the lighter as he stood and walked away.
I fell back against the booth and realized my heart had been pounding.
“One thing you got to ask yourself, Asher,” I muttered into my beer. “Why do you keep hanging out with guys who didn’t give a shit about you?”
