Canary by Tijan
Ash
We didn’t fly, but drove.
I was assuming the large arsenal of weapons in our two trucks were the main reason. Just a guess. Raize drove. I kept him company. Every six hours, we’d switch.
Jake liked gossiping. He mentioned once it was the romantic side in him. I wasn’t sure if I agreed, but okay then. I got him to open up about his woman.
She was named Tracy.
She was a hairstylist.
She was funny.
A romantic.
She would snort when he’d tickle her.
She was also a reformed biker woman, but I didn’t know what that meant.
I wasn’t sure if Jake knew either.
She had big hair, and he missed her.
He didn’t tell me that last part, but it was easy to figure out. Once he started talking about her, he wouldn’t stop. When it got to Cavers, he was more quiet, but I found out that he was not into women.
“Really?” I sat almost facing him. “I had no idea.”
He kept facing forward, only glancing at me with the faintest of grins. He tightened his hold on the steering wheel. “Why’s that surprising?” He shrugged his big massive shoulder. “I’m strictly dickly.” That got a full smile from him.
I smiled back. “Do the guys know?”
His head folded down on that, just a bit. “Raize does. He gives no fucks about who I fuck, which is cool because that’s not always the case. Especially in this world.”
He hadn’t mentioned Jake.
I did then. “And Jake?”
He was quiet, still not commenting.
But, another shrug and his jaw tightened. “He made a ‘gay’ comment the other day, but I can’t tell if he’ll care. He might’ve just said it, not thinking. Some guys are like that, but… no. He doesn’t know.”
That sucked. A lot.
“Are you seeing anyone?”
He shook his head. “No. Not for a while. This life, it’s too hard. I mean, it’s not hard. There’s apps, but I don’t know. We’ve been locked down for so long and before that, I didn’t know if I was going to live after I got sent to work for Raize. Bronski’s a fucking dick. You worked for him?”
My gut tightened. So did my jaw. “For a few days.”
“That’s good.” He glanced over, giving me a sad smile. “That it was only for a few days.”
“I shot him.”
He nodded, that smile turning grave. “I heard.”
“Yeah.”
We drove in silence after that. Somehow the need to fill the space wasn’t there anymore and it was another two hours before I spoke up.
“Are you the boyfriend kind of guy or having fun type of guy?”
Cavers started laughing, the sound ripping through the cab. The entire mood lifted and once his laughter faded, he said, “I’m both, and when I start seeing someone serious, you’re the first one I want him to meet.”
“Good.” Then, “Raize knew?”
He nodded. “He saw a guy checking me out at a gas station. The only thing he said was that if I fuck someone, to keep my mouth shut about all of us and no relationships. Jake broke that rule.”
Yeah. Jake was the one to break that rule.
“He really likes her, you know.”
“Who?” The words were out before I caught myself. I knew who he was talking about the second I asked. I flushed. “I know.”
“That’s going to be a problem.”
Another nod from me, and this one felt heavier than the last. “I know.”
“Raize finds out, he’ll go back and kill her.”
I looked at him.
He was watching me, but turned back to the road ahead. “She ain’t you. Don’t know a lot of females who could get where you are. Jake either has to disappear or she will.”
Yeah...
“Jake doesn’t love her, but he likes her and that’s the problem. His situation is an all or nothing sort of situation, but he ain’t treating it like that. He’s not thinking right. He doesn’t believe Raize will go back and kill her. He thinks she’s in the clear, but it takes one time, one moment when she gets curious.”
Each word he said was making me shrink into my seat. Further and further until I felt so small.
“I know, Cave.”
“He got mad at me for almost shooting Raize and I got it. I understood it. This world, Raize is keeping us alive. We go anywhere else and we’re disposable. Just another guard with a gun. Raize treats us differently and Jake and I both know it’s because of you. You changed the game. You and him. I don’t want Jake fucking that up.”
“We’ll handle it. Somehow.”
He glanced over, holding my gaze, and I knew he was thinking we wouldn’t.
We rode in silence after that.
