Read Online Marie Sexton - Coda 03 - The Letter Z by Marie Sexton - Free Book Online Page A
Authors: Marie Sexton
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back. I know we could.”
Zach started to protest, but Angelo didn’t give him a chance. “He’s with me !”
Jonathan looked at Angelo. The look of disdain on his face was painful to see, and the malice in his voice when he spoke again was even worse. “What do you have to offer him?” he asked. “Somebody to bag his groceries?” He stopped for a second, and I was thinking maybe we had dodged the bullet. But then he said what I knew he had been thinking all night. He flipped his hand dismissively at Angelo and said with a sneer, “You’re nothing but an easy lay.”
Nobody better ever say that Angelo is slow. I was only a step away from him, and he still got in one good punch before I managed to grab him. Bouncers were moving in on us from every direction, and Ang was fighting me hard. It was all I could do to hang on to him, and the string of profanity coming out of his mouth was enough to take the paint off the walls.
Jonathan looked triumphant, holding a cocktail napkin to his bleeding lip. Zach looked stunned. Jared just looked annoyed, and so did the bouncers.
“We’re leaving,” I said to them, before they could tell us they were kicking us out.
Angelo had turned his rage from Jonathan to me, and I barely managed to get him to the door. Jared was right behind me, pushing me, and Zach and Jonathan were somewhere behind him, still arguing. We spilled onto the sidewalk in a heap. As soon as I loosened my grip on Angelo, he pushed me away. But to my surprise, he didn’t take a swing at me, or make a move toward Jonathan. Instead, he turned his back and started walking down the sidewalk, away from us all.
“Angelo, wait,” Zach called, and started to go after him. I put my hand out and shoved him back, a little harder than I meant to. I heard Jared’s quiet voice saying, “Matt, don’t,” but I ignored him. “You’ve done enough,” I said to Zach.
“Don’t you see, Zach?” Jonathan said. “You can’t possibly believe—”
He stopped talking when I stepped up to him. I intentionally stepped in too close. He was smaller than me, and it was easy to bump into him enough that he had to take a step back. I glared down at him. “You better shut your fucking mouth, or I’ll shut it for you.” Maybe he wasn’t so stupid after all, because he did what I said. “You two,” I was still looking at Jonathan, but Zach and Jared knew I meant them, “go back to the hotel.” Zach started to protest, but I said simply, “I’ll find him.” Zach sighed, and Jared grabbed his arm, turned him around, and they started walking back toward the hotel. “You,” I hissed down at Jonathan, “better not follow.”
Jonathan hesitated for just a second, and I knew he was debating how far to push me. Luckily for him, he decided on “no further”. He ducked his head and took a step back, away from me. “Okay,” he said quietly. “I didn’t mean to cause trouble.”
“Bullshit. That’s exactly what you meant to do.”
He looked at me with wary eyes for a second, then without another word, he turned and walked back into the club.
Now I just had to find Angelo.
In Las Vegas.
Great.
I had an idea where he would go, and fortunately for me, it turned out to be right. He was standing in front of the Bellagio. The fountain wasn’t on, and he was leaning against the stone railing, staring out at the silent manmade lake. He didn’t even look at me.
“Go away, Matt.”
I had expected that, but I ignored him. I put my elbows on the railing next to him, and we both watched the lake, as intent upon it as if the fountains really had been running. I waited him out, and after a few minutes, he sighed in resignation.
“Not gonna leave me alone, are you?”
“No.”
“Don’t wanna talk ’bout it.”
“Okay.”
I knew Angelo well. Probably better than he knew himself. I waited. “I mean it, Matt!” he said, more forcefully this time.
“I didn’t say a word.”
I waited a little longer, trying not
Zach started to protest, but Angelo didn’t give him a chance. “He’s with me !”
Jonathan looked at Angelo. The look of disdain on his face was painful to see, and the malice in his voice when he spoke again was even worse. “What do you have to offer him?” he asked. “Somebody to bag his groceries?” He stopped for a second, and I was thinking maybe we had dodged the bullet. But then he said what I knew he had been thinking all night. He flipped his hand dismissively at Angelo and said with a sneer, “You’re nothing but an easy lay.”
Nobody better ever say that Angelo is slow. I was only a step away from him, and he still got in one good punch before I managed to grab him. Bouncers were moving in on us from every direction, and Ang was fighting me hard. It was all I could do to hang on to him, and the string of profanity coming out of his mouth was enough to take the paint off the walls.
Jonathan looked triumphant, holding a cocktail napkin to his bleeding lip. Zach looked stunned. Jared just looked annoyed, and so did the bouncers.
“We’re leaving,” I said to them, before they could tell us they were kicking us out.
Angelo had turned his rage from Jonathan to me, and I barely managed to get him to the door. Jared was right behind me, pushing me, and Zach and Jonathan were somewhere behind him, still arguing. We spilled onto the sidewalk in a heap. As soon as I loosened my grip on Angelo, he pushed me away. But to my surprise, he didn’t take a swing at me, or make a move toward Jonathan. Instead, he turned his back and started walking down the sidewalk, away from us all.
“Angelo, wait,” Zach called, and started to go after him. I put my hand out and shoved him back, a little harder than I meant to. I heard Jared’s quiet voice saying, “Matt, don’t,” but I ignored him. “You’ve done enough,” I said to Zach.
“Don’t you see, Zach?” Jonathan said. “You can’t possibly believe—”
He stopped talking when I stepped up to him. I intentionally stepped in too close. He was smaller than me, and it was easy to bump into him enough that he had to take a step back. I glared down at him. “You better shut your fucking mouth, or I’ll shut it for you.” Maybe he wasn’t so stupid after all, because he did what I said. “You two,” I was still looking at Jonathan, but Zach and Jared knew I meant them, “go back to the hotel.” Zach started to protest, but I said simply, “I’ll find him.” Zach sighed, and Jared grabbed his arm, turned him around, and they started walking back toward the hotel. “You,” I hissed down at Jonathan, “better not follow.”
Jonathan hesitated for just a second, and I knew he was debating how far to push me. Luckily for him, he decided on “no further”. He ducked his head and took a step back, away from me. “Okay,” he said quietly. “I didn’t mean to cause trouble.”
“Bullshit. That’s exactly what you meant to do.”
He looked at me with wary eyes for a second, then without another word, he turned and walked back into the club.
Now I just had to find Angelo.
In Las Vegas.
Great.
I had an idea where he would go, and fortunately for me, it turned out to be right. He was standing in front of the Bellagio. The fountain wasn’t on, and he was leaning against the stone railing, staring out at the silent manmade lake. He didn’t even look at me.
“Go away, Matt.”
I had expected that, but I ignored him. I put my elbows on the railing next to him, and we both watched the lake, as intent upon it as if the fountains really had been running. I waited him out, and after a few minutes, he sighed in resignation.
“Not gonna leave me alone, are you?”
“No.”
“Don’t wanna talk ’bout it.”
“Okay.”
I knew Angelo well. Probably better than he knew himself. I waited. “I mean it, Matt!” he said, more forcefully this time.
“I didn’t say a word.”
I waited a little longer, trying not
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