7. Alisha “Kitty” Quinn #3
“I say we find the one with the lessor charges, release him then follow.” Yang suggested, biting into a piece of marinated pork.
“And if that doesn’t work?” Squirrel wanted to know.
“Then we’re fucked.” Exodus groaned.
He was barely finish speaking when Bambam’s face appeared on the big screen, scaring us half to death.
Yang accidentally dropped his fork.
Yin swore.
Squirrel and Sam merely rolled their eyes.
I was busy staring at Exodus.
“Yang!” She cheered. “Hey Daddy!”
Yang laughed—a hearty, boom of baritone like Exodus.
“Behave.” He chided her. “We have guests.”
Bambam giggled.
“Only because you asked nicely.” She told him after a wink. “I come with news. Kitty, look at his picture.”
It was grainy.
I rose from my seat to get closer to the screen, tilted my head and squinted.
“It looks like my father,” I said slowly, squinting more and pushing to my tiptoes. “But I can’t be sure—where’s this from?”
“A little known racetrack.” Bambam replied.
“The Red Circle?” Yang asked.
“Yeah.” Bambam replied. “But it is about two years old.”
“What’s the Red Circle.” I walked back to the table and retook my seat.
Though there was still food on my plate and Sam had done a great job cooking, I didn’t go back to my food. I allowed myself a drink but eased my plate out of the way.
“An illegal racetrack.” Exodus responded.
“Horses?” I questioned.
“Cars.” Bambam replied. “Never in the same place twice. “It pops up on some highway they close for “construction” and disappears just as fast.”
I nodded.
“So—how does this help us?” I pushed.
“We have to go in and look around.” Yang was the first to speak.
As I looked around the table, the others were nodding in agreement.
“You can’t be serious.” I leaned my elbow on the table. “Forget that this is an illegal operation and very dangerous. We don’t even know where this Red Circle thing is going to pop up next.”
I looked around the table then up at Bambam.
“You can’t be encouraging this!” I pointed at her.
“What can I say?” She merely shrugged. “I always encourage bad behaviour,”
“Exo—” I sighed.
The look on his face told me I wasn’t going to talk him out of it. Yang had the same look as well as Sam and Squirrel.
“Why do I bother?” I muttered.
Soon, Yang was digging through the internet with Bambam, his fingers flying over the keys. Exodus was on the phone with a connection while Sam and I cleaned up. Squirrel had received a call from his wife and dipped out to take it.
I couldn’t help feeling jealous of him.
After the dishes were done, I noticed that Exodus had stepped out onto the balcony and I followed.
In silence, I watched his broad back, the way it sloped down into the perfect ass that fit just right in a pair of jeans.
“Are you going to say something?”
He didn’t face me.
“Um.” I dragged my palms against my thighs. “You’re identical twins.”
“Double your pleasure, as Yang always says.” Exodus sat on one of the balcony chairs and stretched his legs out in front of him.
“Eww.”
“That’s how you feel.” He chuckled. “I know I’m not your type, but damn, girl.”
“What’s my type?” I moved to sit beside him.
“Sam, I guess.” He lifted his eyes to the sky, a long breath leaving his lips. “I get it.”
I shook my head and while I said nothing, I kept staring at him.
“Listen, we all like what we like.” He told me. “It’s nothing against you.”
Those words slammed into my chest leaving me speechless.
He glanced at me.
“What?” Exodus asked. “If I’m wrong then I’m wrong. I can’t be right all the time.”
He offered me a small smile that didn’t quite reach his eyes.
Damn, he is fine.
Before I could over-think things, I kissed him.
It wasn’t a deep kiss by any meaning of the word—just a press of my lips to his.
His eyes widened.
I did it again—a bit longer.
Reality kicked in and I turned, struggling to stand without falling over myself. Exodus gripped one of my wrists and tugged.
Falling off balance, I landed in his lap.
“I don’t want to assume what you’re trying to tell me, Kitty.” Exodus’ voice was low, hot like honey. “But I know you’re trying to say something.”
“I’m not a hundred percent sure.” I managed.
He used the tip of a calloused finger to lift my chin.
“Mama Tan always tells us to share, Kitty.” Exodus exhaled. “But in cases like this, I never listen to what she says. I’m a selfish son-of-a-bitch. So, we’re going to pretend this never happened.”
“Share? You mean with Sam?”
He said nothing but his eyes shimmered something that should scare me.
“We’re just friends, Exodus.”
“I don’t want?—”
“I meant Sam and I.” I interrupted what he was saying. “Just friends.”
“I’m sure you believe that.” He helped me to my feet. “And that’s fine. I just?—”
“Exodus, Sam and I are just friends.”
But everything about the way he looked at me said he didn’t believe.
Hanging my head, I cleared my throat.
“I’ll let you know when Kirby gets back to me.” He changed the subject. “It might take a few days. He tends to go underground a lot and when he does, we just have to wait until he resurfaces.”
“I—uh—right.”
He left me alone then and I wanted to cry.