Cadillac Payback: Rising Tide by AJ Elmore (the false prince .TXT) 📕

If my chin weren’t sitting on my knees, my jaw would drop. Hearing Freddy say he likes Izzy was not on my bingo card. Now I actually want to see him, to see this magical transformation. Now I know he would probably be a dick to me. It would be warranted.

I might as well be honest.

“I want to see him.”

Freddy lets the words ring into silence, during which I can hear the ratchet turning.

Then he says, “Why?”

I shrug, even though he’s not looking at me.

“I don’t know.”

More silence, more ratchet.

“Do you think he wants to see you?” he says.

At least I can say one thing for Frederick, he doesn’t sugarcoat shit, not even for me.

“No,” I say.

He pulls a part out of the car and examines it. I have no idea what it is, but he doesn’t look pleased about its condition.

“I can ask him,” he says without looking at me.

He really would do that for me. Of course, he’s made it pretty clear he would do most anything if I ask. I’ve never deserved him.

He says, “We have a meeting with them tomorrow. I suggested Couyon. You could come when we’re done.”

I consider it for a while. There are two trains of thought here. Is it pure stupidity to want to see Isaiah, or selfishness? And if Freddy is planning on attending this meeting, he won’t be leaving tonight.

“Yeah, ok,” I say.

“I’ll let you know what he says,” Freddy tells me.

Then he goes quiet. I knew it was coming. He’s already given me more conversation than I expected, more than he has in a long time. He’s in his element, grease on his hands, that brilliant mind focused on the machine. What an extraordinary person he is. I’m content to watch.

Chapter 31 A Brick to the Head

Isaiah

My nerves are a hot mess in my stomach. It’s not the meeting with Jorge, I’m pretty sure that’s in the bag. It’s the phone call that keeps playing on repeat in my head as I stare out the car window.

It was Freddy, telling me that Maria wants to see me. I had cussed into the plastic, and when I asked why, he said she didn’t give a reason. I agreed. I could’ve said no. Now I’m wondering why I didn’t say no.

It’s not that I don’t want to see her, I just don’t know what the hell to say. I don’t know what she could have to say to me. To top the whole fucking cake, we’re meeting at Couyon, a setting that’s painfully familiar.

We pull into the parking lot, and the memories start rolling: staying upstairs as we waited for retaliation from the Reaps, watching Freddy blow the hand off his old boss, getting high on the hood of the Caddy out back. My next breath is shaky. I want a cigarette, but I doubt even that will help.

I light one anyway as soon as I get out. Mona rolls her eyes, but I ignore her as I scan the parking lot. Freddy’s bike is nearby. No Caddy. Of course, she never parked up here. I almost walk around to the back to see if she’s here.

I drop the smoke half-spent and crush it out. I smooth the front of my pale blue button-up – the one that matches my eyes – in an attempt to soothe my nerves.

Lucas holds the door for Mona. What a gentleman. So I follow her up before he can. He definitely looks annoyed, but he doesn’t say anything. My eyes sweep the room, and I find Noah behind the bar right away.

He sees me, too, and a big smile breaks across his lips. He has his hair twisted up, and there are three pens sticking out of it. He’s wearing an Operation Ivy t-shirt, and baggy jeans. He’s heading our way.

“I’ll be damned, Iz, if I thought I’d never see you again,” he says with that smile of his.

He reaches out a hand. I accept, and we do that guy hug thing where we slap each other on the back.

“How’s it going, Noah?” I say, ignoring the way Mona’s expression has morphed into a curiosity that I’m sure she doesn’t mean to show.

“Life is good, man. Business is up. Haven’t been shot in a while,” Noah says with a laugh.

Mona’s eyebrows go up, and I hear her breath catch. This place isn’t her scene, and these guys aren’t her type, but I’ve never met a woman who wasn’t charmed by Noah.

He looks at her for a moment, then looks back to me.

“She’s a bit out of your league, isn’t she?” he says.

“Fuck you, Noah,” I say, but I punctuate it with a little laugh of my own. “She’s my ex anyway.”

I hear an aggravated huff from Lucas, but I ignore him. So does Mona. So does Noah. She’s busy staring at Noah like she’s never seen a boy covered in tattoos in a punk shirt. Maybe she’s just never seen one who didn’t repulse her.

“Does she have a name?” he asks in a fake Cajun accent that’s spot on.

He’s looking at her, but I can’t pass this one up.

I say, “I can think of a few.”

Her expression goes hard, and she puts her nose in the air.

“My name is Mona,” she says.

“Holy shit!” I hear from the direction of the kitchen. “Is that you, Izzy?”

Jack. I give him a small smile and a wave.

“Good to see you, brother!” Jack calls.

He goes behind the bar for a beer.

“Anyway, Freddy is already here. I put y’all in the back. Nothing but empty tables close,” Noah says, grabbing some menus and leading the way.

Again I catch Mona staring at him. Her face is kind of confused, and only a little bitchy. I’m sure she wants to find him disgusting and unrefined, but it doesn’t seem to be working.

I spot Jorge, and Freddy sitting next to him to the right. Their