Low Sided A.J. Downey (ebook reader macos TXT) 📖

hand back through her short, iron-gray hair. “Your turn. Fill in the blanks.” She looked at Tanis.

“I work the bar at Shoreman’s a few blocks over. Mace was having some drinks. Quiet, minding his own business, when these four frat assholes came in and started harassing me. Mace told them to knock it off and leave me alone. He never left his bar stool, just kept telling them to stop. One of them broke a pool cue over him and all four of them jumped him. It was four on one… um…” This is the part where she embellished the story. “Our cook came out of the kitchen as Mace tried to get away from them, going outside. Our cook is a big guy. I threatened to call the cops and they split. I did my best to take care of Mace for standing up for me.”

“Uh-huh,” Kim was typing into her computer and she looked back at me. “I’m not putting any of this in. No need to jam you up for doing the right thing here.” She sighed. “I’m putting you down as having been late due to some honest car trouble and that you did make it, and everything is good – like it has been every visit since you got out.” She leaned back. “Still working the goat farm?”

“Yes, ma’am.”

“How many days you been here in White Center.”

“Three. My employer absolutely knows about it. You can call them. I have the sick leave.”

Kim nodded. “We’re all good here,” she said and she turned her attention to Raven.

“Thanks for bringing him in, Ms. McGowan. I’m sorry that happened to you. I know all about Max.” Kim shook her head. “You guys go on and get out of here. I’ll see you in two weeks.”

“Yes, ma’am.” She scribbled a date and time on a reminder card and handed it to me.

“Stay out of trouble, Mr. Anderson.”

“Absolutely.”

“Sure you shouldn’t be telling me that?” Raven joked, but it held the flavor of self-deprecation.

“This kind of trouble isn’t the kind of trouble we can avoid,” Kim said in a moment of what was clearly women’s solidarity.

The mystery deepens, I thought, looking at Raven beside me who wouldn’t look at me. She got up and helped me up.

“Until next time,” Kim said with a nod. She was a hard lady. Tough, but fair. I could appreciate that about her.

“Yes, ma’am,” I said and let Raven help me out.

The walk back to her place was slower and silent. She was somewhere else. Pensive, a million miles away.

“I have to go to work,” she said when she helped me to settle on her couch.

“We going to talk about it?” I asked.

She still wouldn’t look at me, and she shook her head.

“Okay,” I said gently, and I let her do her thing – shower, get dressed, get ready.

She made me a couple of sandwiches before she went out the door.

“I’ll see you when I get home,” she said softly before leaving. She locked the line of dead bolts and the knob lock behind her.

I had a feeling when I found out whoever Max was, we were going to have a come to Jesus meeting.

6

Raven…

Caleb Anderson… He didn’t look like a Caleb or a Mr. Anderson. I mean, he just didn’t. I guess I expected him to have a last name that was like Mason or something.

Just where did the nickname Mace come from, anyway?

“Yo, Raven. You good?”

I pulled myself out of my reverie and looked down the bar at one of my barfly regulars, a retired old longshoreman by the name of Whitey.

“Yeah, Whitey. I’m good. Need a refill?” I asked.

“If you don’t mind, honey.”

“That’s my job, babes,” I shot back and came down the bar to pull him a fresh beer, taking his old glass and putting it in the washer.

I did a lot of daydreaming on that shift, and it went by surprisingly fast. Still, I was bursting with questions for Mace, but at the same time, cringing inwardly, knowing that he had so many to ask in return. Imagine my surprise when I stepped out of the bar and Sauley, their club’s prospect was standing there.

“Oh, hi. Is Mace okay?” I asked.

“Yeah, yeah! He’s good. He just sent me to walk you home,” he said nervously.

I kind of froze. “Um, what?”

“Uh, I’m here to walk you home?”

I laughed a bit unevenly, not really sure what to make of this.

“You came all the way over here at three in the morning just to walk me two-and-a-half blocks because Mace told you to?” I asked. It was more than a little far out to even consider it.

Sauley grinned. “I’m the club’s prospect, which means I’m pretty much their errand boy to utilize however they see fit until I prove myself.” His chest puffed out in a bit of pride and I nodded slowly.

“So that’s how it works,” I said, and he nodded.

“Don’t tell anyone I told you so, but it’s a pain in the fucking ass.”

He laughed and I nodded and said, “Hazing usually is.”

“So, let a lowly prospect walk you home?” He stuck out his arm with a cheeky grin and I couldn’t help but smile a little more.

“Mace really sent you?” I asked.

“Wanna see the text?” he asked.

“Actually, I kinda do,” I answered, blushing.

“K, but don’t rat me out.”

“Wouldn’t dream of it,” I said honestly.

He pulled up the text exchange on his phone and I read it.

Mace: Hey, Sauley. Get on over to Shoreman’s before last call and wait on Raven. Walk her home.

Sauley: Everything okay?

Mace: Just do what I fuckin’ tell you and yeah, everything’s fine. I just worry about her.

I felt a warm glow at the words on the screen and I smiled and handed the phone back.

“Thanks,” I murmured, and he shrugged one shoulder.

“I live to serve, plus, it isn’t exactly a hardship walking a pretty girl a few blocks.”

I laughed and asked, “Laying it on a bit thick, aren’t you?”

He shook his head, his look stone-cold