Page 5 of Conor
“No funny business.” Rory holds up his hands. “Just dinner. Our treat.”
I offer him a weak nod. It’s not like I can refuse a free meal. Not when I’ve been existing on one a day if I’m lucky. “Okay, I guess dinner would be alright, as long as it’s just dinner.”
He holds up two fingers. “Scout’s honor.”
I follow him to the front of the club where Conor is sitting at the bar. His head is bowed forward, attention on the counter when he senses us approaching him. When he turns to find Rory beside me, his eyes darken and the muscle in his neck twitches. “What’s the deal with Twiggy?”
“Ivy,” I correct him with a glare.
Rory smirks. “Ivy here is coming to dinner with us. Isn’t that nice?”
Conor doesn’t seem at all pleased with the idea. His eyes are fixated on me, and he looks like he wishes I would just disappear. I don’t know what his problem is, but he’s got it out for me. I know I should look away and just let it go, but I can’t. There is something about those damning green eyes that render me immobile. I’ve never felt this kind of tension with anyone else. It’s so raw and intense it makes me feel weird all over.
The edgy silence persists until Rory clears his throat and I’m on the verge of telling them both I’ve changed my mind when Conor grunts. “Let’s get after it then.”
They take me to a place just down the street, an all-night diner that serves round the clock breakfast, and it’s exactly what I need. It has two of my favorite things—food and warmth. But just a few minutes after we arrive, I learn there’s something else on the menu.
The waitress seems to know the guys by name, and she offers them a flirtatious smile before her eyes drift over Conor in a not so subtle fashion. Her attention doesn’t leave him the entire time we order, and I find myself wondering if there’s some history there, and then I wonder why I even care. To my amusement, Conor doesn’t return her warmth. In fact, he never takes his eyes off me, and when the waitress finally does look my way, she can’t hide her displeasure.
When she disappears to put in our order, Rory chuckles under his breath. “Ye have to give the woman credit. She’s persistent.”
Conor doesn’t laugh or even bother with a reply. There seems to be some tension blooming between the two men, and the conversation remains sparse while we wait for our food. Meanwhile, Conor makes it his objective to toss accusatory glances between Rory and me, but it makes little difference. All I’m concerned with is shoveling the mile-high stack of pancakes I ordered into my mouth when it finally arrives.
When I set down my fork a few minutes later and wipe my mouth with a napkin, Rory laughs and Conor glares. A flush creeps over my face when it occurs to me how crude that must have been. I didn’t even stop to think. I just ate until there was nothing left on my plate.
“Must have been hungry,” Rory muses.
“I was,” I admit sheepishly.
“Drugs will do that to you,” Conor growls as he slides out of the booth and yanks out his wallet. “I guess it’s my treat tonight.”
I curl into myself as he retreats, and Rory finishes up his plate. “Don’t worry about him. Kid can be a grouchy motherfucker sometimes.”
I glance down at my worn-out Chucks and nod. “I don’t do drugs, just so you know.”
Rory bobs his head like it wasn’t even a question, and then we sit in awkward silence while I try to figure out what to do next. It’s freezing outside, and I’m tempted to use some of my shiny new cash to pay for a hotel room for the night. But I don’t want to dip into any of it. Not when I think of what’s at stake.
“Conor and I were thinking about playing some cards tonight.” Rory peers at me over the rim of his coffee cup. “Fancy joining us?”
My fingers tangle together in my lap as I consider his offer. I don’t know these guys from Adam. The smart choice would be to decline. But logic isn’t as desperate as basic human needs, and the thought of hunkering down behind a garbage can in the freezing cold for the rest of the night has me thinking it might be alright. Even just a few hours off the street would do me some good. Between the cold temperatures and the Locos scouring the city for me, I’m not really in a position to turn it down.
My eyes drift over to Conor, who is still talking to the waitress up at the register. He catches me staring, and I swallow down the weirdness I feel. He offers her a smile like he’s trying to goad me and I turn my attention back to Rory. I only just met them, but I guess I should feel secure in the fact that neither of them seems to want anything from me.
“Sure. I guess I could play some cards.”
Fecking Rory.
He pulls this shite just to get his jollies off. The guy can get any chick he wants, but there’s only ever been one he’s head over heels for. Since she’s not around right now, I guess he’s got nothing better to do with his time than fuck with me.
He makes small talk the entire drive back to his place, laying it on real thick with Ivy. He asks her what sort of music she fancies and tells her jokes and does all the things that makes him irresistible to women, and I can’t be arsed to participate when he tries to involve me in the conversation.
I don’t want them getting buddy buddy, but I can’t come right out and open my gob about what’s going on either. Crow asked me to do this quietly for a reason, and I won’t betray that. But I can’t say it doesn’t bother the hell out of me to watch Rory turning on his charm and making Ivy laugh. Once we’re inside the house, I last about ten minutes before I can’t stomach another second of it.
“I’ve got a phone call to make,” I announce.
Rory arches his eyebrow at me in challenge. He wants me to come right out and say it, like I’ve caught feelings for this bird or something. He best not be holding his breath.
I walk outside and stare at my phone, but the whole excuse was bollocks. There is no call. I just don’t have it in me to be hanging around with a girl who’ll probably be dead before the week’s end. And I’m not in the sort of mood to stay and watch Rory win her over either. I don’t even really know what I’m doing when I get into my car and drive away, but for now the further I can get from her the better.
