Iced
Page 109
I groan and roll my eyes, realizing I cant make her quit tonight because I cant tell her hes dead. I cant tell nobody hes dead. Only me, Christian, and whoever moved their bodiesassuming it wasnt Christianknow they got killed. Its only been three days. Folks might not decide hes dead for a while yet. Knowing her, shell stick around for weeks, hoping he comes back!
I feel a little perturbed. I been gone almost a month and she doesnt look sad at all. Didnt she miss me? Worry about me?
I shove that thought away and look up at the ceiling, eyeing the girders, wondering what kind of metal was used in the construction of Chesters. If this place is as old as it seems, Id think itd have to be iron because I dont think the method of making steel was figured out till recent times. Well, recent in terms of how old this place is. Then I wonder how old iron is. Then I wonder if Ryodan and his dudes just spelled the whole mess together. Or maybe they created their own kind of metal or brought it with them from whatever planet they were born on.
I wonder whos in charge now that I killed Barrons and Ryodan. Lor?
As if my thoughts conjured him, I hear him say behind me, real close to my ear: Aw, honey, you got some nerve coming here.
I turn around to say suspiciously, What do you mean by that? but hes not there by the time I complete my rotation. I wonder if I imagined him, a product of my guilty conscience. Then I decide if I really did hear him say what I thought he said, he was only referring to how Ryodans been looking for me for a month and now I waltz in like I never been gone, and he thinks Ryodans going to toast my ass for missing work so long. Because, like, he doesnt know Ryodans dead either.
This is exactly why I hate lies. The second you tell one, you know something everybody else doesnt know and you have to constantly keep reminding yourself to behave like you dont know it, so they dont decide youre acting weird and figure out you know something they dont. If they do, theyll back you against a wall and demand to know why youre acting weird and youll say something stupid and theyll use it to trip you up with. Then everything comes spilling out and youre in ten kinds of trouble! Its so much easier not to tell any lies to begin with.
This is going to be a tough pretending gig. Reminders of Ryodan are everywhere in here. Heck, Ryodan is Chesters! Its, hands-down, the hardest place to pretend hes not dead that I could possibly be. But I need those samples. The HFK is icing something practically every day, and Dancer thinks things are going to get worse.
I spot a sifter down in the Tuxedo Club and grin. The Gray Bitch. This is one Im going to love laying the flat of my sword against and ordering around. Mac promisednot to hunt her but I never took no such stupid oath, and besides, Im not hunting her, Im just going to threaten her into doing something for me. Hand hovering over the hilt of my sword, I map out the grid as best I can, considering most things on it are movingnot that I mind jabbing all these idiots with my elbowsand freeze-frame down the stairs. At the last minute I detour from the Tuxedo Club and head for Jo. I want to see her face when she sees me. See how glad she gets to know Im alive. She must have been as worried about me as Dancer and its only right to put her mind at ease.
Dani! What are you doing here? Jo goes white as a sheet when I whiz to a stop in front of her. Are you crazy?
Not the reaction I expected. Wheres the look of relief, the big hug, the excitement to see me alive and back here again? What are you talking about?
Ryodans been looking for you for a month! You broke your contract with him!
And according to that, I say irritably, you should be dead. But youre not. Fact is, you look pretty darn good to me. Guess boinking him kept you alive, huh? You been doing it all this time? Didnt he get tired of you?
She flushes. He said it wasnt fair to take out his displeasure at you on me. Ryodans a smart man. He makes good decisions. Hes not impulsive like some people. She gives me a pointed stare.
Im disgusted. Oh, he was just a uh, is a fecking saint, now, huh?
Hes a fine man. You should give him a chance.
Hes a dead man, is what he is! I blurt, because I cant fecking stand to hear her defending him.
Would you quit making threats about him every time you turn around? Its getting old. She lowers her voice. You need to get out of here before he catches you. Ive never seen him like hes been since he hasnt been able to find you.
I aint scared of Ryodan. Gah, I wish I could just tell her!
You should be. You pushed him too far this time, Dani. I dont know what hes going to do when he sees you, and Im not sure I can stop him. I dont think hell listen to even me about you.
Hes never going to find out because hes dead, but thats not what I fixate on. What do you mean even you, like youre some kind of special to him?
She blushes and gets this soft-eyed look on her face like a sap in love. Were a couple, Dani. Its been over a month and were exclusive. All the waitresses are talking about it. They never thought anybody would you know, get a man like him to settle down.
I feel a little perturbed. I been gone almost a month and she doesnt look sad at all. Didnt she miss me? Worry about me?
I shove that thought away and look up at the ceiling, eyeing the girders, wondering what kind of metal was used in the construction of Chesters. If this place is as old as it seems, Id think itd have to be iron because I dont think the method of making steel was figured out till recent times. Well, recent in terms of how old this place is. Then I wonder how old iron is. Then I wonder if Ryodan and his dudes just spelled the whole mess together. Or maybe they created their own kind of metal or brought it with them from whatever planet they were born on.
I wonder whos in charge now that I killed Barrons and Ryodan. Lor?
As if my thoughts conjured him, I hear him say behind me, real close to my ear: Aw, honey, you got some nerve coming here.
I turn around to say suspiciously, What do you mean by that? but hes not there by the time I complete my rotation. I wonder if I imagined him, a product of my guilty conscience. Then I decide if I really did hear him say what I thought he said, he was only referring to how Ryodans been looking for me for a month and now I waltz in like I never been gone, and he thinks Ryodans going to toast my ass for missing work so long. Because, like, he doesnt know Ryodans dead either.
This is exactly why I hate lies. The second you tell one, you know something everybody else doesnt know and you have to constantly keep reminding yourself to behave like you dont know it, so they dont decide youre acting weird and figure out you know something they dont. If they do, theyll back you against a wall and demand to know why youre acting weird and youll say something stupid and theyll use it to trip you up with. Then everything comes spilling out and youre in ten kinds of trouble! Its so much easier not to tell any lies to begin with.
This is going to be a tough pretending gig. Reminders of Ryodan are everywhere in here. Heck, Ryodan is Chesters! Its, hands-down, the hardest place to pretend hes not dead that I could possibly be. But I need those samples. The HFK is icing something practically every day, and Dancer thinks things are going to get worse.
I spot a sifter down in the Tuxedo Club and grin. The Gray Bitch. This is one Im going to love laying the flat of my sword against and ordering around. Mac promisednot to hunt her but I never took no such stupid oath, and besides, Im not hunting her, Im just going to threaten her into doing something for me. Hand hovering over the hilt of my sword, I map out the grid as best I can, considering most things on it are movingnot that I mind jabbing all these idiots with my elbowsand freeze-frame down the stairs. At the last minute I detour from the Tuxedo Club and head for Jo. I want to see her face when she sees me. See how glad she gets to know Im alive. She must have been as worried about me as Dancer and its only right to put her mind at ease.
Dani! What are you doing here? Jo goes white as a sheet when I whiz to a stop in front of her. Are you crazy?
Not the reaction I expected. Wheres the look of relief, the big hug, the excitement to see me alive and back here again? What are you talking about?
Ryodans been looking for you for a month! You broke your contract with him!
And according to that, I say irritably, you should be dead. But youre not. Fact is, you look pretty darn good to me. Guess boinking him kept you alive, huh? You been doing it all this time? Didnt he get tired of you?
She flushes. He said it wasnt fair to take out his displeasure at you on me. Ryodans a smart man. He makes good decisions. Hes not impulsive like some people. She gives me a pointed stare.
Im disgusted. Oh, he was just a uh, is a fecking saint, now, huh?
Hes a fine man. You should give him a chance.
Hes a dead man, is what he is! I blurt, because I cant fecking stand to hear her defending him.
Would you quit making threats about him every time you turn around? Its getting old. She lowers her voice. You need to get out of here before he catches you. Ive never seen him like hes been since he hasnt been able to find you.
I aint scared of Ryodan. Gah, I wish I could just tell her!
You should be. You pushed him too far this time, Dani. I dont know what hes going to do when he sees you, and Im not sure I can stop him. I dont think hell listen to even me about you.
Hes never going to find out because hes dead, but thats not what I fixate on. What do you mean even you, like youre some kind of special to him?
She blushes and gets this soft-eyed look on her face like a sap in love. Were a couple, Dani. Its been over a month and were exclusive. All the waitresses are talking about it. They never thought anybody would you know, get a man like him to settle down.
