Read Online A New Day (StrikeForce #1) by Colleen Vanderlinden - Free Book Online Page A
Authors: Colleen Vanderlinden
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Everyone had a price. If someone ever named his, he’d spill faster than you could whisper “traitor.” The same was true of Luther.
I could not believe she’d given him my name.
“I’m not sure,” I finally said. “I don’t know you.”
“Yeah.”
“And it would be so easy for you to double-cross me, or mess with me.”
“You don’t trust so easy,” he said, and I shook my head. “That makes two of us.”
“So maybe it would be better for each of us to do our own thing, and just stay out of each other’s way. And I’ll promise not to hit your house again.”
He let out a short laugh. “You wouldn’t get inside again.”
“Is that a challenge, Richie Rich?” I glanced over at him, and caught a smile, a glint in his eyes.
“My name’s Damian Rutherford. It’s not something I share with many people.“ I didn’t answer. “So we’re even, Jolene Faraday. You want to turn that name over to somebody, tell them I’m a thief, you have the power to do it. You know where I live. It wouldn’t even be hard to make my life hell.”
“So why say anything?” I stopped, and he stopped with me. I’m not exactly a tiny thing, but even so, he stood a good few inches taller than me. Thin, though. The kind of person my Mama would try to fatten up immediately.
“Because I believe in taking risks sometimes, if the payoff seems worthwhile. You’re a risk I’m willing to take.” He backed up a step, eyes on mine. “You know where to find me if you change your mind. Until then, we’ll just keep doing our things, separately.”
“Take care,” I said.
“You too. Try not to knock down any more shitty motels.”
“That was fun, though,” I said, and he laughed. He turned, walked away, giving me a quick wave over his shoulder as he did. I stood there and watched him walk away until I couldn’t see him anymore.
“I am going to kill Luther,” I said, to no one in particular as I shoved my shaking hands into my pockets.
Chapter Five
“You gave him my name? My real, actual, legal freaking name?” I said to Luther as she waved me into her living room. “I knew I should have kept that to myself.” I sat down on the uncomfortable sofa near the windows, and tried to pretend I hadn’t seen Luther roll her eyes to the heavens, as if she was hoping God would deliver her from hysterical children, as she’d called me more than once. “Really, Luther?”
“Settle down. I wouldn’t give that to just anyone, kotka .”
Kotka . “Cat” in Polish. Cat burglar. Luther was just too damn cute sometimes, but I wasn’t in the mood.
“Why him, Luther?” I asked more quietly. She sat down with a bit of a wince.
“Because many hands make lighter work,” she said, speaking in her own weird code again. In other words, more profit to be made, by her, if Damian and I teamed up.
“I can’t believe you told him that.”
“He would have found it out anyway. He told you what he can do, yeah?” I nodded, still glaring at the floor. “He figured out enough to know that you come over and help me out from time to time. It probably wasn’t too hard from there. All I did was confirm it. Smart, that one.” She paused. “And he wouldn’t betray you. I know that, too.”
“How can you know that?” I asked.
“You’re around as long as me, live the kind of life I’ve lived, you get a good sense of people. I’m not wrong.”
I stood up and strolled over to the mantle, which was lined with little statues of cats. Cats, everywhere, in Luther’s place. Both the real and decorative variety. “I told him no.”
“Which is your choice. And he’ll honor it,” she said with a shrug. “I think it’s foolish, but what do I know? I’ve only lived three times as long as you have.”
“Don’t.”
“What?”
“Don’t pull the old lady thing on me, all right?”
She shrugged and lit a cigarette.
“If you’re wrong…”
“I’m not. I’ve known that one almost twenty
I could not believe she’d given him my name.
“I’m not sure,” I finally said. “I don’t know you.”
“Yeah.”
“And it would be so easy for you to double-cross me, or mess with me.”
“You don’t trust so easy,” he said, and I shook my head. “That makes two of us.”
“So maybe it would be better for each of us to do our own thing, and just stay out of each other’s way. And I’ll promise not to hit your house again.”
He let out a short laugh. “You wouldn’t get inside again.”
“Is that a challenge, Richie Rich?” I glanced over at him, and caught a smile, a glint in his eyes.
“My name’s Damian Rutherford. It’s not something I share with many people.“ I didn’t answer. “So we’re even, Jolene Faraday. You want to turn that name over to somebody, tell them I’m a thief, you have the power to do it. You know where I live. It wouldn’t even be hard to make my life hell.”
“So why say anything?” I stopped, and he stopped with me. I’m not exactly a tiny thing, but even so, he stood a good few inches taller than me. Thin, though. The kind of person my Mama would try to fatten up immediately.
“Because I believe in taking risks sometimes, if the payoff seems worthwhile. You’re a risk I’m willing to take.” He backed up a step, eyes on mine. “You know where to find me if you change your mind. Until then, we’ll just keep doing our things, separately.”
“Take care,” I said.
“You too. Try not to knock down any more shitty motels.”
“That was fun, though,” I said, and he laughed. He turned, walked away, giving me a quick wave over his shoulder as he did. I stood there and watched him walk away until I couldn’t see him anymore.
“I am going to kill Luther,” I said, to no one in particular as I shoved my shaking hands into my pockets.
Chapter Five
“You gave him my name? My real, actual, legal freaking name?” I said to Luther as she waved me into her living room. “I knew I should have kept that to myself.” I sat down on the uncomfortable sofa near the windows, and tried to pretend I hadn’t seen Luther roll her eyes to the heavens, as if she was hoping God would deliver her from hysterical children, as she’d called me more than once. “Really, Luther?”
“Settle down. I wouldn’t give that to just anyone, kotka .”
Kotka . “Cat” in Polish. Cat burglar. Luther was just too damn cute sometimes, but I wasn’t in the mood.
“Why him, Luther?” I asked more quietly. She sat down with a bit of a wince.
“Because many hands make lighter work,” she said, speaking in her own weird code again. In other words, more profit to be made, by her, if Damian and I teamed up.
“I can’t believe you told him that.”
“He would have found it out anyway. He told you what he can do, yeah?” I nodded, still glaring at the floor. “He figured out enough to know that you come over and help me out from time to time. It probably wasn’t too hard from there. All I did was confirm it. Smart, that one.” She paused. “And he wouldn’t betray you. I know that, too.”
“How can you know that?” I asked.
“You’re around as long as me, live the kind of life I’ve lived, you get a good sense of people. I’m not wrong.”
I stood up and strolled over to the mantle, which was lined with little statues of cats. Cats, everywhere, in Luther’s place. Both the real and decorative variety. “I told him no.”
“Which is your choice. And he’ll honor it,” she said with a shrug. “I think it’s foolish, but what do I know? I’ve only lived three times as long as you have.”
“Don’t.”
“What?”
“Don’t pull the old lady thing on me, all right?”
She shrugged and lit a cigarette.
“If you’re wrong…”
“I’m not. I’ve known that one almost twenty
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