WEST
“You’ve gotta be shitting me. You’re fucking high?”
Ricky spots it right off the bat, the second I walk up on his car wearing a dark hoodie and sweats. No doubt, my red, dilated eyes gave me away.
“Listen, some shit went down,” I say, ignoring his question.
He lowers the driver’s side window a little more, glancing around before he speaks. “You’re gonna get us caught. You know that? Sooner or later, someone’s gonna spot us out here.”
“I played it safe,” I explain. “Left my car in a parking structure a few blocks away, then walked here.”
One of his brows shoots up, then he looks me over from head to toe. “Your dumb ass thought walking a few blocks through the hood in three-hundred-dollar sneakers was playing it safe?” He shakes his head at me, then laughs.
After he points all that out, my comic book name comes to mind again. The one I keep living up to tonight.
“You’re lucky this is about Blue,” he adds, still smiling at my expense. “What happened?”
“I overheard my parents arguing tonight,” I explain. “Something about a ledger. Apparently, it’s got all kinds of names in it, and dollar amounts.”
His brow tenses. “You get a good look at it?”
“I didn’t see it at all. Just heard them fighting about it. From what I gathered, my mom must’ve hidden it. My dad was apparently searching everywhere, tearing his study apart before he realized what actually happened. At least that’s how things seemed to play out.”
He’s quiet while he thinks, and I shrug deeper into my hoodie when the wind whips past.
“I figured you were the one to talk to because of something I understand you’ve brought up before.”
Ricky peers up from his thought. “What’s that?”
“Cargo,” I say with a sigh.
He doesn’t seem surprised I know, but he does seem troubled.
“Hear anything else?”
My first thought is that I’ve told him everything, but then something comes to mind.
“She mentioned that she knew getting involved with his family would be trouble. You seen anyone else hanging around? Anyone you’re not familiar with?”
Ricky shrugs. “There’ve been a few new names popping up across the city. I can look into it.”
I’m still just as lost about that part as I was before, so I’ll take that answer for now.
“Any chance you’ve seen a ledger of some kind lying around at Paul’s place? Something like what I described?” I ask, to which he responds with a short laugh.
“Yeah, right,” he scoffs. “Leaving sensitive shit lying around like that is reckless, a mistake only someone who’s in over their head would make. Unlike your daddy, Paul’s too smart to be that sloppy.”
I don’t argue with him because he’s probably right. About all of it.
“Whatever, just keep your eyes and ears open.”
He peers up and stares, letting me know he doesn’t need my instruction, then starts rolling up his window.
“Go home, rich boy. Before I call my boys and tell them where they can get some crisp new shoes,” he jokes, eyeing my sneakers again.
I start toward the structure where I left my car, staring at Ricky’s taillights when he passes me. I make it maybe a few yards before he stops, then backs up.
“I’m probably gonna regret this shit, but Blue would kill me if something happened to your stupid ass and I was the last one to lay eyes on you,” he explains. “Get in. I’ll take you to your ride.”
As far as invitations go, that was about the shittiest I’ve ever gotten in my life, but it’s too fucking cold to turn it down.
I hop in on the passenger side and shut the door. Ricky eyes me, probably finding it hard to believe he even offered, but then he shakes his head and throws the car into drive.
“Tell anyone about this shit, and I’ll deny it. Then, I’ll kill you.”
I laugh to myself, knowing no one would ever believe it anyway. Both of us being irrevocably in love with the same girl means we have to at least tolerate each other.
For now, that’s about as much as either of us can promise.
I guess it’s enough.
