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“In Oceanside?”
“Nah, this was personal. Came to see an old friend. But I’m heading back to L.A. tomorrow.”
“Give me a couple of days, will you?”
“No problem at all.”
We shake hands, exchange a few more pleasantries, and then he disappears down the street.
Of all the times and places to run into my old mentor, this was the last place I expected to see him.
There’s movement in my peripheral vision and I watch a guy in a dark hoodie, face obscured by both the shadows and the hood pulled over his head. He’s not acting suspiciously, but he’s also not standing with the others. With his head down the way it is, I almost wonder if he’s talking into an earpiece of some kind, reporting back to someone.
I keep my stance casual as I edge in his direction, close enough to still be with Metal and the others, but on the far edge of our little group. My head is down as well, but I keep the guy in my line of sight.
His lips are moving, so he’s definitely talking to someone.
He lifts his head and for a fraction of a second our eyes meet. Then he spins around and ducks down the alley. I move to follow, but if I run, it will alert the cops, and by the time I get there, he’s gone.
Dammit.
The good news is that I’ll recognize his face if I see him again.
The bad news is that he could be anyone.
He looks to be about thirty, dark hair, maybe Latino but it was hard to tell in this light. That’s not a lot to go on.
“What did you see?” Metal asks, coming to stand beside me.
There’s no point in lying. “Guy in a dark hoodie, talking to someone like he’s reporting on the scene.”
Metal’s eyes narrow. “Should we pursue?”
“He’s gone. And we don’t need the cops looking at us suspiciously.”
He grunts. “This whole thing just pisses me off. If I find out who’s behind this, I’ll gut them.”
That’s what I’m afraid of—that Metal will look for revenge and get himself in trouble in the process.
By the look on his face, I don’t think he’s open to listening to reason. All I can do now is be supportive. Maybe distract him.
“I’ve got your back, man. Just make sure you don’t go after them alone.”
He looks down the alley, a faraway expression on his face.
“No promises.” With that, he turns and walks back to the others.
Chapter Fifteen
Luna
I wake up in a better mood. Now that I’m at the office, buried in work, I put last night’s fuckery out of my mind completely. I’m going to remind Daniil about updating my locks and the new doorbell camera, and tell him what happened, but while I was freaking out last night, I had a thought.
Roger.
The last time we talked, I told him we were over and that I’ve started dating someone else. He was less than enthused about that. So, the more I’ve thought about it, the more I wonder if he’s behind the weird delivery. Everything else can be explained away, and I’m going to call Roger about the roses, but for now, my job is stressful enough without adding unnecessary drama.
Meanwhile, I’m pulling up CCTV footage of the streets where Ginger worked last night. It’s a little heartbreaking when I finally find her, standing on the street corner adjacent to the motel she wound up at. It’s Oceanside but farther inland, about ten minutes from the beach where Rage and I were and where all the high-priced real estate and shops are.
