Page 44 of Shade
Two again. The number of days it takes me to go find Gage.
You didn’t think I’d let it go with him, did you?
Didn’t think so. You’re getting to know me so well. I take Auden with me and go searching for him. Why’d I take Auden?
Let me tell you some fun facts about Auden. He’s not blood, but he might as well be. Met him when I was six racing BMX bikes in Palmdale. Now he’s a mechanic, one of the best I’ve ever seen, a poster child for adult attention deficit disorder and lung cancer. Dude smokes like a fucking chimney. Nervous habit.
What does that translate to?
He’s always down for a game of fuck you.
Gage Neeley—Jaime’s younger brother—isn’t hard to find. Look in any bar around Los Angeles, and you’re bound to find the guy somewhere, or know where’s he’s been.
I’ve known Gage about as long as I’ve known Jaime. Ten years. I raced with both of them in the 125 class when I was eleven. I knew Gage before he was dealing, before he was using, back when he was a wide-eyed kid following his older brother around with mystification.
When he turned sixteen, something happened to him, and now at twenty-six, he’s made a name for himself in southern California for his connections and what he can get for you.
“Where do you think he’s at?” Auden asks, his attention on side streets, glancing down every alley.
“We’ll find him,” I mumble, lost in thought.
I’m surprised it’s taken me this long to go to him. I should have gone to him when I found the cocaine the first time knowing damn well Rhya wasn’t going to stop unless the temptation was gone. But I didn’t.
I know enough about Gage to know he’s not someone you want to have any encounters with.
Auden and I find him at Brennan’s. I usually stay far away from Brennan’s though Tiller loves this place. You’re curious as to why now, huh?
They have Thursday night turtle races. That’s not the disturbing part of it. The only people who can place the turtles at the starting gate are girls. But get this. . . they can’t bend their knees or do it too quickly, or they’ll be forced to do it again.
Ordinarily, I would love to see a woman bent over like that, but at a bar? No. I’m not into public humiliation of women.
Back to Gage. He’s outside the bar dealing drugs.
“Are you sure about this?” Auden asks, knowingweshouldn’t be here, a smoldering cigarette dangling precariously from his downturned lips, its tip flaring red.
I scrub my hands over my face, contemplating my decision, or maybe rethinking it. I glare, my attention moving from the windshield to over my right shoulder. I inhale a breath, then let it out. “I’m sure.”
I’m not. My mind is racing again and I’m not thinking clearly. I don’t know how long it’s been since I’ve slept. Two. . . three days? I know I haven’t slept since the event in Florida where I lost.
Auden locks his truck with a chirp. “We’re either headed to jail or the ER.” He tosses his cigarette to the pavement and steps on it with his shoe, exhaling the remaining smoke from his lungs through his nose.
He’s right.
Guys like meshouldn’tgo looking for trouble, but I do, constantly, because of her. You’d think now that she’s been gone a few months, I wouldn’t, but sometimes we pay for the mistakes we’ve made. Maybe this is my way of doing something I should have done back when I had the chance, back when it might have made a fucking difference in her life.
I couldn’t even tell you why I waited so long to go see Gage. Maybe because I didn’t think it’d make a difference? But why now?
I don’t know.
When I take the first step outside Auden’s truck, I notice Gage’s buddies eyeing me. They’re skinny as fuck and strung out. My eyes sweep to them, and then back to Gage leaning against a wall.
Do you see him there? He’s the guy with dark scraggly hair tucked under a beanie cap. He’s in all black. Black jeans, shirt, shoes and all too black eyes with the devil’s soul in their depth. His eyes are blue, but he’s high enough all you see are the darkness of his pupils.
Even sober, Gage is an intimidating presence. Even Tiller steers clear of him and Tiller’s about as approachable as a motherfucking honey badger.
Have I mentioned yet Gage knows martial arts? Toss in some meth and you have a man who would scare the crap out of even the most hardened drug dealer.
You’re thinking I should turn around now, aren’t you?
