Tasha flashed a triumphant smile at Karly. “You want me to take those out for you?” She nodded to Karly’s order. “Looks like Luke needs you more than the floor. Where the hell is Randy?”
“In the office with Jack, I think,” Karly said and nodded to the door where he’d disappeared a few minutes earlier.
Chapter 14
The atmosphere of the office was less crowded but no less intense than the dance floor. Randy found Jack seated behind the dinged-up metal desk, eyes glued to the computer screen and brows deeply furrowed. He nodded his head toward the door, indicating a need for privacy. With an ill sense of foreboding, Randy shut the door behind him. The shouts and rollicking music faded to a muffled murmur through the walls.
“I’ve seen that look on your face before, and it’s never a good thing,” Randy remarked.
Jack heaved a heavy sigh and kicked back in the chair, the springs groaning under the strain. Before he spoke, he scrubbed both hands through his dark hair, searching for the right words. “I don’t know, man. I got an email from David today. Says he’s getting out.”
“Out?” Randy’s mind struggled to encompass Jack’s statement. Strange how one tiny word shifted his entire future in the space of a second. It was his turn to scrub his hands through his hair. “What do you mean, out ? As in paroled or what?”
“Who knows what the fuck he means,” Jack said. His expression darkened as he powered down the computer and faced Randy. “We’re talking about David. All he says in the email is he’s getting out, and he’ll let us know the details when he gets here.” Jack gusted another heavy sigh, looking older and more tired than Randy had ever seen him. “I do not need this shit right now.”
Randy shoved his hands into his pockets and leaned his back against the door. “Okay, well, I guess we won’t know anything until he gets here. No use worrying about something that hasn’t happened yet.”
Jack snorted, his features relaxing into a humorous smirk. “But they will happen. You know how David is.”
“Yeah, I know alright. He’s like the devil.” Randy completed Jack’s thoughts for him. “Have you told Ally yet? She’s going to need to know the situation.”
“Naw, not yet. I mean, she knows he’s in prison, but I haven’t told her about the other shit.” Their eyes met across the desk with perfect understanding. “We need to have a plan for when he gets here. You know, keep a united front. Or before we know it, he’ll have us in trouble up to our necks. Especially you.”
Jack’s last sentence ignited Randy’s temper. His chest swelled at the affront. “What the fuck is that supposed to mean?”
“Don’t get your panties in a twist, big guy. It just means that David has a way of manipulating people into doing things they wouldn’t usually do. You know that. I’m as susceptible to him as anyone. So let’s get our shit together and be ready for him.”
A knock on the office door caused him to flinch. He moved aside to open it. Ally crossed the threshold, took one look at their faces, and raised an eyebrow in question.
“What’s wrong? Why do you guys look like you ate something bad?” Her eyes flitted from Jack to Randy and back again.
“Have a seat, baby doll.” Jack patted his knee in invitation and gave her a sheepish smile. “We need to talk.”
“I’m out,” Randy said, recognizing his cue to leave. “We can talk about this tomorrow, I guess.”
Outside the office, he paused to light up a cigarette in the dark hallway. The only illumination came from the strip of yellow light beneath the office door and the red glow of the exit light at the end of the hall. The nicotine surged through his blood but did nothing to calm his frayed nerves.
David was coming home. Like Jack, Randy had mixed emotions about seeing his longtime friend. The three of them had been thick as thieves once upon a time, in the days
“In the office with Jack, I think,” Karly said and nodded to the door where he’d disappeared a few minutes earlier.
Chapter 14
The atmosphere of the office was less crowded but no less intense than the dance floor. Randy found Jack seated behind the dinged-up metal desk, eyes glued to the computer screen and brows deeply furrowed. He nodded his head toward the door, indicating a need for privacy. With an ill sense of foreboding, Randy shut the door behind him. The shouts and rollicking music faded to a muffled murmur through the walls.
“I’ve seen that look on your face before, and it’s never a good thing,” Randy remarked.
Jack heaved a heavy sigh and kicked back in the chair, the springs groaning under the strain. Before he spoke, he scrubbed both hands through his dark hair, searching for the right words. “I don’t know, man. I got an email from David today. Says he’s getting out.”
“Out?” Randy’s mind struggled to encompass Jack’s statement. Strange how one tiny word shifted his entire future in the space of a second. It was his turn to scrub his hands through his hair. “What do you mean, out ? As in paroled or what?”
“Who knows what the fuck he means,” Jack said. His expression darkened as he powered down the computer and faced Randy. “We’re talking about David. All he says in the email is he’s getting out, and he’ll let us know the details when he gets here.” Jack gusted another heavy sigh, looking older and more tired than Randy had ever seen him. “I do not need this shit right now.”
Randy shoved his hands into his pockets and leaned his back against the door. “Okay, well, I guess we won’t know anything until he gets here. No use worrying about something that hasn’t happened yet.”
Jack snorted, his features relaxing into a humorous smirk. “But they will happen. You know how David is.”
“Yeah, I know alright. He’s like the devil.” Randy completed Jack’s thoughts for him. “Have you told Ally yet? She’s going to need to know the situation.”
“Naw, not yet. I mean, she knows he’s in prison, but I haven’t told her about the other shit.” Their eyes met across the desk with perfect understanding. “We need to have a plan for when he gets here. You know, keep a united front. Or before we know it, he’ll have us in trouble up to our necks. Especially you.”
Jack’s last sentence ignited Randy’s temper. His chest swelled at the affront. “What the fuck is that supposed to mean?”
“Don’t get your panties in a twist, big guy. It just means that David has a way of manipulating people into doing things they wouldn’t usually do. You know that. I’m as susceptible to him as anyone. So let’s get our shit together and be ready for him.”
A knock on the office door caused him to flinch. He moved aside to open it. Ally crossed the threshold, took one look at their faces, and raised an eyebrow in question.
“What’s wrong? Why do you guys look like you ate something bad?” Her eyes flitted from Jack to Randy and back again.
“Have a seat, baby doll.” Jack patted his knee in invitation and gave her a sheepish smile. “We need to talk.”
“I’m out,” Randy said, recognizing his cue to leave. “We can talk about this tomorrow, I guess.”
Outside the office, he paused to light up a cigarette in the dark hallway. The only illumination came from the strip of yellow light beneath the office door and the red glow of the exit light at the end of the hall. The nicotine surged through his blood but did nothing to calm his frayed nerves.
David was coming home. Like Jack, Randy had mixed emotions about seeing his longtime friend. The three of them had been thick as thieves once upon a time, in the days
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