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Stale: It’s highly unlikely that he’d text you first This could easily be a new job position Or it could be to discuss last night, toto keep quiet

Me: And what if it isn’t?

Stale: I’ll send a few guys to keep an eye on the apartment If you need backup, all you have to do is text, and they’ll be there But Ryler, you need to be calm If Doc notices you’re nervous, he’ll pick up on it

He’s right I could easily be overreacting But I could easily not be overreacting After souzzle a few shots of tequila The scorching liquid swieon Then I step outside to have a shtning blaze through the sky

I feel like I should becould happen If I run, he more than likely will have his men chase If I hide, they would easily findpeople down Besides, where the hell ao in ten minutes? No, this was all planned perfectly, as if Doc kneas going to run

My thoughts wander to Brooks’s brother I wonder if that’s wherethis, I’ll wind up dead, too

I finishlot It’s a rare enough car that I know it’s hier, and the air silences as he shuts off his engine When he cli the car door He continues to look around as he makes his way across the front lawn and toward the stairway, as if he suspects so him Rain soaks his fedora and trench coat, but he keeps an even pace, every one of his ht in front of round and put it out with my boot

"Ryler," he says with a for n "I wasn’t doing anything really Just thinking about taking a nap"

A nervous slances over his shoulder I track his gaze, anticipating seeing one of hislot, but he appears to be looking at the rain

"Mind if we go inside?" he asks, tucking his hands into the pockets of his jacket "There’s soradual breath eases froo "Can I ask what it’s about?"

Another glance over his shoulder then at the upper floor He leans in, dropping his voice so low the rain alhter"

"Is everything okay with her?" I ask, then twist the doorknob to step inside

Once he enters lances around the s room "So, this is where you live?"

I toss my jacket on the sofa "Yeah It’s ss simple"

"I can see that" He removes his fedora and wipes off the rain froht" He sers across the brih, is part of the reason I came here--to ask you the saet it" I sit down on the corner of the coffee table "Hoould I know if she was?"

"Because I think you already know her" Looking torn, he sits down on the sofa and places his hat on his lap "Her name is Emery Iveryson She lives upstairs on the third floor" He watches e of who E I don’t even kno to process the inforhter Doc, the person I watched shoot amy expression "You do know her"