A shrug. "You left the garage door open."
"Well? Turn around so I can close it."
He waves a hand. "Nah. Mrs. McCready will keep an eye out. That nosy old bat never sleeps."
I snort a laugh. "You're not wrong. Fine. Whatever."
He pokes me in the arm. "Something happened. Tell me."
"We…messed around."
He grins at me. "Are her tits as fucking magnificent as I want to believe they are?"
"However magnificent you're imagining they are, they're a billion times better."
"You lucky motherfucker." He glances at me. "So…why'd she leave? Pussy game is weak since you're a fucking monk?"
I growl. "Fuck you, no. My pussy game is not weak, you trashy shitbag." I shake my head. "I'm not a monk. We’ve talked about this already.”
"And you haven’t used it in how long?"
"We’ve talked about this already, too,” I say. "Also, I'm not talking about Ember anymore."
"Oh fuck off, Fee. She's got great tits—that's all I get? I coulda told you that."
"She's more than her tits, Rye."
"That ass, though, amiright?"
I give him a glare that promises bodily harm. "Riley Frederick Crowe. Donotfuck with me on this. I swear to fucking god I will break your goddamn jaw."
His eyes widen and he turns his head exaggeratedly slowly to stare at me as we come to a red light. "Okaaaaay, then. Message received. You have never once used my middle name." He slaps a hand on my shoulder. "I'm just fuckin' with you, Fee. I'm sure she's got agreatpersonality."
"RILEY!" I shout.
He leans against his window, covering his mouth with his hand, cackling like a mentally handicapped hyena. "Youareserious about this."
"Yes, I fucking am," I snap.
He gives me a long, sober look. "Like for real, for real?"
I close my eyes and stare at the ceiling of the cab. "Yes, for real.”
"Like, youcareabout her?"
"I…I don't know. Yes. Maybe. I think?" I shake my head. "It's complicated."
"It's never complicated."
"This is." I look around. "Where the fuck are we going, anyway?"
"We're meeting Cole and Nyx at The Borderline."
I groan. "Fuck me. Really? That skeezy-ass dive?"
The Borderline is a shitty, sticky, smelly dive bar that's on the county border some twenty-five or thirty minutes east of Three Rivers. It's a popular spot on the weekends because they always have a live band and great specials on domestic pitchers. It's where locals go when they want to get naked-wasted. Part of its draw, band and beer aside, is that they share a lot with the one taxi company in the whole county, and they've developed a deal with the taxi people that keeps drunk people from driving and the taxi company solvent.
Riley chuckles. "Yeah, it's Nyx's idea."
