“You mind getting out of here with me?”
Ira all but jumped in her place in response and Ray grinned at her reaction. She looked over her shoulder to see Angel’s frown deepen as she stepped away from the table. Away from him and the memories he’d forever etched into her mind from last night.
“See you later Raven.” She said quietly and turned to leave, his words from last night still echoing in her mind as she pulled Ira with her.
I promise.
20
Ray breathed out as she stepped off her bike with Ira in tow behind her. The girl was still guarded around her, barely smiling or showing any reactions. The only sense of feeling she’d gotten from the younger girl was when she’d fed her pancakes and Ira had let out a soft sound of satisfaction.
Apart from that, Ira was like a stone wall upon which Ray was going to keep knocking until her hands started bleeding. Now, however, Ira walked beside her, silent and stiff as they strode into a silent beach restaurant. Ira was wearing jeans and a thin T-shirt, and Ray knew by one look in her glistening eyes that the cold air was biting into her skin. Thankfully she had a spare jacket in the seat of her bike, she’d hand it to her once they got out of here.
Once they got this done.
Ray walked into the almost empty restaurant, her eyes narrowing as she searched the tables for a lock of black straight hair and equally dark eyes.
“Raylene Walker!”
Her eyes snapped to his deep voice, widening as she saw him wave in her direction with a grin on his face. The last time she’d seen Noah Hassan, he’d been dressed in formals, looking awfully dangerous with his silver rings as his depthless eyes. Now, however, he was wearing a dark green striped T-shirt tucked into his dark pants. She saw him play with the sunglasses that hung on the neck of his T-shirt, his silver rings shining under the sunlight as his eyes fell behind her.
Ray carefully tucked Ira behind her back, her eyes narrowing into a challenging glare,
“Stay close to me.” She said to her softly, and pressed a blue cotton bracelet in her hands, “Put this on.”
Ira’s response was in Italian, but she still grabbed the bracelet from her hands,
“Why?” she said softly, but her voice was still hard.
Ray didn’t look back at her but responded with a slight tilt of her chin,
“Because everyone needs to know you’re withme.”
It was then she snapped her eyes away from Noah’s and looked directly into the young girl’s wide blue-grey ones, “Nevertake it off. Do you understand me?”
Ira nodded hesitantly and Ray turned again, this time letting a soft smile grace her lips as she relaxed her features and strode in Noah’s direction. The boy gazed back at them both, something cunning and dangerous shifting in his eyes as he got up from his seat and extended his hand in her direction,
“Afternoon Walker.” He said, his tone laced with amusement as Ray laced her hand with his and shook it once firmly. They all sat down, facing one another as Ray leaned back in her seat and sighed,
“Good Afternoon, Hassan.” She replied as soon as Ira settled beside her. Noah’s grin stretched as he leaned forward, his muscles flexing under his t-shirt as he made sure to keep his eyes trained on her,
“To what do I owe this pleasure?” he asked smoothly, and Ray’s head tipped downwards, smiling at the look in his eyes,
“Straight to business are we?” she said and was about to add something when Noah’s eyes cut behind her, widening by a fraction. That shit-eating grin only grew as he turned to face her again, all soft danger and wicked,
“You’ve got quite a shadow trailing you, Walker.” He started dangerously.
Ray didn’t dare mistake the grin on his face as anything butathreat.Still, she sweetly smiled back at him, her hands coming to rest on the table,
“I thought she might enjoy the show.”
Noah’s eyes flashed at her easy response, and he scoffed, leaning back in his seat and draping a hand around his chair as the grin on his lips died, “Well?” he asked, suddenly bored as his entire expression dropped to nonchalance, “What do you want?”
Ray chuckled softly but didn’t balk from the promise of murder in his eyes as her back straightened behind her, “I want you to work for the Lions.”
Better just get to the point.
Noah didn’t react for exactly a whole second. But Ray wasn’t the least bit surprised when he threw his head back and let out a loud laugh, his lips parting as he gulped fits of air and continued laughing.
