Peyton managed a weak grin. “He thinks I’m a freshman tomb raider who wanted to jump your claim. I made him think you were going after an artifact underneath a Walmart.”
Shay let out a hearty laugh. “That proves you do listen to me. Still, keep your face out of the public. He might come after you again.”
“Yeah. Hey, thanks for the assist with the doc and not dumping me in a ditch somewhere.”
“You’re an asset, a valuable one. Get some rest.”
Peyton closed his eyes and let out a puff of air as his body finally relaxed.
Loyalty. That’s what Peyton’s actions proved. It would have been simple to sell her out while she was out of the country. He could have even appealed to the other tomb raider to take him on or Peyton could have tried his own hand at disappearing.
He was out working for the business.
Shay sighed as she left the room. Friends and loyalty. It will all take a little time to fit it into some kind of idea of new normal.
She still wasn’t ready to tell Peyton that she’d disabled his dead man’s switch.
Keep that piece of information close for now.
Chapter Sixteen
Shay stepped into the sprawling indoor Grand Central Market. People choked the narrow paths between the stands. The bright neon of the signs announcing each vendor in the wide-open warehouse of a space brought a smile to Shay’s face, even if the large crowd size and bright lights all presented tactical threats.
Too many potential killers. Too many potential places to hide cameras and guns.
That didn’t stop her stomach from rumbling.
“I think I’m feeling in a barbecue mood.” She craned her neck looking around at the different places.
Damn it. Did I just say that? Please don’t ask why, Peyton. Please don’t ask.
Peyton eyed her. “Barbecue? Not pizza?”
Of course you noticed. Bastard.
“I eat other things. Like I said, I’m just in a barbecue mood.”
“But I thought this was supposed to be our big post-job meal. We always have pizza, and I don’t think I’ve seen you eat barbecue since you rescued me.”
Shay covered the slip up with a smile. “The only way to grow is to always try and vary your experiences, right? I don’t have a special reason. It just sounds good to me right now.”
Peyton shrugged. “Whatevah…”
Even as she offered her excuse, Brownstone’s face popped into her mind. He’d asked her about barbecue. It was one of the few truly personal moments they shared when they’d worked together.
I’m trying to get into Brownstone’s head by eating some barbecue. She rolled her eyes and cleared her throat. Not like my pizza choices tell you much.
Time to change the course of the conversation. “What do you want?”
“I think some tacos from Ana Maria’s.”
“Okay, grab some tacos, and I’ll meet you at the front. We can eat at one of the outside tables.”
The pair split apart, and Shay maneuvered through the crowds to grab some ribs to-go. She made a mental note of everyone she passed. Their clothes, the way they walked, any suspicious bulges, or if they seemed to be looking for someone or nervous.
She was in full blend mode with her Erdrem sheath dress and flats. The best way to not stand out in L.A. was to dress well. That would get you unnoticed in ninety percent of most situations.
Shay kept a small touch on every outfit to reflect her personality. A subtle but dark twist here and there, whether it was a glitter skull on her workout shirt or the small silver dagger pin decorating her dress.
Shay almost laughed as Peyton easily disappeared into the crowd. there is more than one way to hide.
He didn’t do high end, not really, even with his current outfit of seersucker shorts with matching t-shirt by Desiigner. The ensemble worked in a casual California kind of way. Eclectic and functional.
Ten minutes later, Shay and Peyton found each other at the front of the market. She nodded to him as they headed out to one of the large red metal tables lining the street in front of the market.
They ate a few bites of their meals in silence. Shay continued to watch the flow of traffic, both people and cars. Eating outdoors in the line of sight of so many windows violated every decent principle of defensive seating, but it was still good practice. She couldn’t always control her situation.
Peyton gestured to a tall apartment building around the corner. “Grand Central Square Apartments. I should get a place there. Great access to this place and a bunch of other cool amenities. Pool, dry cleaners, women. I could get a dog.”
Shay shook her head. “It’s not defensible. Way too much traffic. Too hard to see who might be watching. I could take someone out in one of those apartments a variety of ways without even going inside.”
Peyton furrowed his brow and continued to stare at the apartments. She could tell that he was trying to figure out a way to make it work.
Shay finished polishing off a rib and wiped her hands on a napkin. “Not gonna happen. I’m impressed you didn’t end up dead when I was gone, but you still have to prove you’re learning something about this business and know the smart moves. I’m not convinced of that, not by a long shot.”
As much as she respected him going the extra mile to verify he’d fooled Weiss, he’d been sloppy about it. He made it too easy for the other tomb raider to catch him, and he ended up poisoned. If Shay had been a few hours later, Peyton would be already buried.
Shay would have verified Weiss’ presence from miles away or using a drone. Peyton was still eager, too green, and if he were going to survive, he needed to learn that bravery and loyalty weren’t enough, not by themselves at least.
Peyton didn’t say anything until he finished off his tacos. “There was another place I’ve been looking at. We can check
