Page 26 of Dirty Reads

“He ready now?”

“As ready as he’s gonna get.”

I looked at Jess and did my best to apologize without apologizing. “We’ll go out this weekend.”

She returned a shitty glare.

I shifted my eyes to Drake. “Grab the keys. And when did you get a ‘Vette?”

“Same time I got this package. Two days ago,” he said. “Be right back.”

He sauntered to the door and went inside the house, leaving Jess and me alone in the garage. The fact he had the package for two days and had yet to deliver it made the little job much less appealing.

“I’ve got to stay here with the hotdog guy? And what was that entire running from the cops shit about? Entrepreneur, my ass,” she hissed.

I raised my hands in an effort to calm her. “I’ve just got to drop something off for him and bring something back. It’s just how Drake is. When I get back, we’ll take the ‘Vette and be gone. Just hang here with him for an hour. I’ll be in and out. You can play slot machines. It’ll be fun.”

“Slot machines?”

I pulled out my wallet and grabbed five $100 bills and handed them to her. “Yeah. He’s got a little casino in there. You’ll have fun.”

She counted the money. “You’ll be back in an hour?”

“One hour. Maybe less.”

“And then you’ll take me to my car?”

“As soon as I get back.”

She let out a sigh. “You owe me. Big time.”

After the way she handled the little run-in with the law, I didn’t disagree.