Page 155 of Liar City
He reached for her, but she was faster, jumping down from the lift and wrapping him up in a hug so tight his ribs protested. His eyes felt hot again as he pressed his face to her shoulder. “Are you okay?” he asked.
“Yes.” Not a lie. “You?”
He blinked hard and nodded, then hugged her as tight as he could before pulling back.
Then her eyes darted to someone behind him. He glanced over his shoulder and saw Liam standing apart from the crowd. He was watching the two of them and shifting from foot to foot, hands jammed in his pockets.
Reece opened his mouth to say something, maybethere’s another heroor maybe justthanks. But then Liam said,“Jamey,”and Jamey was past Reece in a blur of motion, throwing her arms around Liam’s neck. He hugged her back, so tight he lifted her off the ground.
And maybe Liam didn’t know yet that Jamey could have liftedhim, along with some of the officers, without breaking a sweat. But based on the way they were so clearly trying not to make out in front of half of Seattle’s police force, Jamey was going to tell him soon, and Liam was going to handle it just fine.
Reece turned, thinking he’d go back to Grayson—
But the black truck was gone.
Reece’s smile disappeared. The reserved space looked too big now, too empty. He found himself walking to it anyway.
He reached theReservedsign, leaned against it, and sighed. That was it, then. Grayson was only coming back if his team decided there was danger, and Reece didn’t want danger, so no more Grayson.
And that should have been fine. Good, even. Grayson was the Dead Man; Reece should want him to stay gone.
He looked at the too-empty parking space, and sighed again.
He’d call the number on the card Grayson had given him, but he would need a new phone first. And to get that, he’d have to beg a ride from someone, figure out how to scrounge up for it—
“Reece Davies?” A man in a courier uniform was coming his way down the sidewalk.
Reece scratched his head. “Yeah?”
The courier held out a padded envelope. “For you.”
Reece furrowed his brow but took the envelope and tore it open. He reached inside, and his hand closed around something soft. He withdrew a new pair of gloves, not stiff like his old ones but flexible and nice to the touch, and pinned to one of them was a note in neat handwriting.
New model. Needs beta testing.
Interesting. But there was something else still in the envelope. The hoodie sleeve slid down over his hand as Reece reached in and pulled out—
His cell phone?
On the screen was a text, not from an unknown number but from an area code he didn’t recognize. He opened the message.
THIS is my number
Reece let out a surprised laugh. The phone in his hand beeped again.
If you need me, call me
Reece bit his lip, still smiling as he texted back.
Any reason?
Any reason
He still had Grayson. Reece’s heart felt lighter as he sent another text.
What I need is for you to stop texting while driving
Should have seen that coming. Never change, Care Bear
Reece’s fingers tightened on the phone.
Above his head, the clouds had cleared for once. He took in the morning sun, bright in the sky, and exhaled.
