Hold On

“Yeah, I get that. That’s a major shift, Merry. And, not tellin’ you somethin’ you don’t know but go

Garrett locked eyes with his friend. “Happily stand at the town limits and wave the woman on her way to Bloomington. I’m dead serious about that. Our end did not happen Friday night. Our end happened five years ago. I drew out the grief of that, with her stringin’ me along in ways I never shared because that was mine and hers. Seein’ it through different eyes now, though, it wasn’t mine and hers. It was hers, and it was shit.”

“Stringin’ you along?” Ta

“Mia likes games. Blinded by my feelings for her, never saw it for what it was, but she likes games,” Garrett told him and watched Ta

He wasn’t a big fan of secrets between family or friends, but on this, he had to suck it up. Until Garrett wanted to make info like this Ta

Which meant only now, sharing this info about Mia was his business.

“Since Friday, had time to think about it,” Garrett went on. “And what I think is that I held on to what I had with her so I wouldn’t be open to what I could have with someone who didn’t get off on yankin’ my chain.”

“Yankin’ your chain?” Ta

“We’re not talkin’ about Mia now,” Garrett told him. “Time I gave her is done.”

“Okay, brother. I hear you,” Ta

Garrett shook his head. “No clue. I just know I’m not where I used to be.”

Ta

Garrett had given Ta

Fuck.

The anger slid out of him, but it left frustration behind.

“Ryker made a difficult job a lot harder today, big man,” Garrett pointed out.

“Dig deep and decide if it’s worth the effort, Garrett. You make the decision—cut her loose or make that effort. Only you can decide,” Ta

Garrett drew in another breath, dropped his arms, and lifted his chin.

His message relayed about Ryker, with no reason to be pissed other than being pissed at himself, a ton of work on his desk, and a new problem with Cher to sort, he had no purpose being there.

“Gotta get back to the station,” he muttered.

“On your walk, think about how Cher had occasion to have a chat with Ryker.”

Garrett’s attention turned acute on Ta

It came to him and he whispered, “Fuck.”

Ta

“What I heard just now from you, she’s thrown up her shields, fightin’ you off. She knows you’re diggin’ in with her shit and she might’ve been lookin’ for reinforcements to help her out with that so she could untangle you from it. So she’s got no call to be pissed Ryker knew when she was go

Garrett gri

Ta

“Thanks, buddy,” he muttered.

“Don’t mention it,” Ta

Garrett moved toward the door.

He stopped when Ta

He looked back to see the man sitting behind his desk.

“Rumors fly. Don’t wa

“Lots of gifts God gave Cher she doesn’t recognize, that’s one of them. If it isn’t, her surgeon was a master. But, big man, if Cher ever had money to blow on somethin’, she’d use it to give good to her boy. She wouldn’t use it to get her tits done.”

Ta

“Don’t give a fuck how you take it,” Garrett told him. “Cher and me ever get down to sharin’ medical histories, that in itself would be cause for celebration considerin’ how things are right now. But, seein’ as it’s no one’s business, you can warn every fuck who might open their trap to me or her about it to keep it shut or they won’t be able to open it since their jaw’ll be wired shut.”

Ta

Garrett shook his head and muttered, “Whatever.”

He turned to leave again when Ta

He looked back.

“Jesus, brother, what?” he asked.

He asked it before he caught the look on Ta

He braced when he caught that look.

“It’d be good to see you happy. It’d be good to see you give what you got to give to a woman who deserves to get it. And it’d be good Cher’s son has a man in his life who isn’t an ex-junkie but is a staple and can offer him a shitload of things he needs to grow up and be a good man. That might not be the end for the three of you. But if it is, man, I’ll be happy for you.”

Garrett fought back clearing his throat before he asked, “You done?”

Ta

“Rocky’s made you soft,” he returned.

“That is one thing your sister has never made me.”

Garrett felt his lip curl. “Christ.”

Ta

Not even close to that mood, Garrett muttered, “Later,” and took off.

* * * * *

Cher

After my shift, I left out the back door with Darryl opening it for me to keep an eye on me on the way to my car (like he always did, or Morrie did, or Jack did).

I moved down the alley toward my Equinox.

I heard the door close and it did this earlier than Darryl would normally do it.

I knew why.

“Goddamned shit,” I muttered under my breath, seeing Merry leaning against my driver’s side door, his Excursion pulled in against the wall in front of my Chevy.

He didn’t move as my heels clicked their pissed off staccato on the pavement. He just watched me come to him, ankles crossed, arms folded on his chest.

Shit, it totally, seriously sucked he was so hot.

I was five feet away when I snapped my question, “You lose the ability to read?”

The left side of Merry’s lips curled up, but that was the only movement he made.

Asshole.

I stopped three feet in front of him.

“Move out of my way, Garrett,” I ordered.

“So,” Merry said softly, “considering Ta

Oh fuck.

He’d figured it out.

How much—in other words, the Carlito business—I didn’t know.

I kept silent.

Merry felt chatty.

“I’m guessin’, in an effort to convince yourself of the bullshit you’re tryin’ to convince me of—that you’re happy spi

How I got taken in by De