Page 125 of The Other Side of Green

Luca seemed okay. I didn’t think we’d be friends again, but it would be nice not to beat the shit out of each other for a while.

Change and all that.

We pulled up outside Evan’s apartment block and I gently woke Lyra.

“Wasn’t sleeping,” she sleep slurred and I pecked a brief kiss on the tip of her nose. “Come on, let’s get inside. You must be freezing from standing out in those little shorts for hours on end.”

She shook her head and smiled, still half asleep. “Hundred denier.” She pinged the tights on her legs.

Chuckling, I eased her out the car and waited for her to put her feet down. I needed us upstairs and in that spare room so I could either fuck her silly or spoon the life out of her. I wasn’t sure which way it would go yet. Her eyes flicked open, bright and wide, and she poked me in the chest. “You, Jack Cross, are about to start talking.”

“What?”

“Don’t even. No more secrets. You’re going to tell us all about Blue’s bar and what the hell else has gone on.”

For a split second I tried to look innocent, but she pointed at the bags and I sighed.

“Can we at least get in the warm first?”

She nodded, all businesslike. “I’ll give you that long.” Then she marched for the entranceway. The cheeky minx hadn’t been asleep at all, she’d just lured me into a sense of false contentment.

Here we went again, on the merry go round of hell.

I clutched my bourbon, my first drink since finding out that I didn’t have a preprogrammed genetic disposition to alcoholism running in my veins.

Lyra had a herbal tea clutched in her hands, and I wondered if my old worries had not transferred to her. She caught me looking and shook her head. “I’ve got a sore throat.”

Grinning, I leaned over and planted a wet kiss on her lips, making her cringe back.

“Hot honey and whiskey is what you need,” Evan told her, but she grimaced and shook her head making us chuckle.

Three pairs of eyes stared at me, expectantly.

“I’m sorry about the club, Evan.”

He waved his hand. “Mere trifle.”

Rhian tutted and threw me some visual daggers.

“I went to go and pick up my stuff from the apartment.”

“No. You don’t say,” Rhian snapped.

“Babes.” He patted her knee and she settled back, pouting a little.

“Anyway, long story short there was an envelope on the bed.” Knowing showing them would be quicker and less painful than telling them, I got up, and went to where I’d dumped my belongings by the door. Unzipping it, I pulled out the envelope, half of me wishing it would have just disappeared and all been a terrible fucking nightmare.

But no.

Sitting back down next to Lyra who curled into my side, I opened it and pulled it out, rifling through the sheets of paper. “Car. Blue’s. Basically, everything I owned.”

Evan reached for them, scanning them over, his gaze critical. “This is fraud. I’m guessing that’s not your signature.”

“Well, fucking duh.”

Ignoring me, he carried on looking them over. “They have got some seriously corrupt attorneys working for them. The transfer of deed from the club should have been witnessed by two independents.” He glanced up. “Ever heard of a Riley Smith?”

“No.”