He ground his teeth, frustrated. Somehow it felt like Sparks had made Roman the villain. The asshole.
The monster.
Fucking hell, maybe that’s why he let me live. He wants me to feel guilty. It was working. Eventually, the thought disturbed Roman enough that he had to talk about it. “Hey Tan,” he began slowly, not sure how to word what he wanted to say. “Are you angry at Sparks?”
“Not really.”
“Are you angry at me?”
Tan turned away, refusing to meet Roman’s eye. “Yeah, a little, I guess.”
“Why?”
“You mean besides you dragging me into this mess and almost getting me killed? Besides probably getting Ruby killed?”
Roman hung his head. “Yeah, besides all that.”
“Well, I think that… maybe…” Tan trailed off, scratching the back of his neck nervously. “You could have gone a little easier on Sparks. He didn’t deserve the way you treated him.”
Roman had half expected that answer, but that didn’t make it any easier to hear. “Thanks for being honest.”
“Being honest is probably the only thing I’m actually good at. That and stealing shit.”
They walked the rest of the journey in silence. An hour later, they entered the seventh district, which still had power. Even this far from the Haven the streets were mostly empty, the rain kept everyone inside except for a few drunks stumbling home, most still carrying drinks. The few that bothered to look at Roman and Tan retreated to the side of the road until they passed. The rain gradually lessened to a steady drizzle.
Roman let out a sigh of relief when the Mutt’s Tail came into view. The faint beams of light visible in the cracks of door beckoned him inside.
Tan pushed open the door and Roman followed him inside. Even the dimly-lit, smoke-filled room felt like paradise after being in the icy rain for so long. The pub was empty apart from Griff polishing glasses behind the bar and a trio of men sitting the corner, one of them collapsed over a table, snoring.
“Evenin’ Griff,” Tan said, shaking his head to dislodge a spray of water from what was left of his afro. “We’re gonna need drinks. Lots of them.”
Roman collapsed onto his seat at their usual booth. The hard wooden bench had never felt so comfortable. He leaned back, closed his eyes, and took a series of slow breaths. A part of him wanted to stand back up, pull out his gun, and go out searching for Candle. After all, he couldn’t be wasting time like this, not while Gavin had Ruby. But his exhaustion kept him locked in his chair, drained, wavering on edge of sleep.
“Eventful night, gentlemen?”
Roman opened his eyes to see Griff placing a pair of whiskeys on the table. His blue tie was as clean as ever — how the hell did he keep it so unspoiled? By now, it should be smoked-stained like everything else in the bar.
“Ah, you’re my saviour.” Tan grabbed the first glass and downed it in one gulp. “Have I ever told you that? Because I really mean it.” He poured the second glass down his throat. “Oh, and we’re going to need some drinks for Roman too.”
Griff nodded. If he was shocked at the state of the two them, he didn’t show it. “There’s someone here, waiting for you.” He shuffled off, disappearing behind the bar and into the back room.
Roman groaned, not as much anxious about who it could be as annoyed that it meant he couldn’t sleep yet. He leaned forward and rested his head on his forearms, closing his eyes again. He was dimly aware of footsteps. Heavy ones.
“We’ve got a problem.” Caleb’s voice. He sounded pissed.
“Damn right we do,” Roman muttered, not bothering to open his eyes.
“Sparks has gone rogue.”
“I know. We met him on our way here.”
“I imagine he wasn’t too happy with you.”
“You could say that.”
Caleb sat down opposite Roman. The bench groaned beneath his weight. “Well, I can’t say I didn’t warn you. But at least you’re still alive.”
“Alive is quite a generous term for it.”
Roman heard the clink of more glasses being laid on the table, followed swiftly by a satisfied sigh from Tan. He opened his eyes and grabbed a glass. Taking a large gulp, he felt it burn his throat and ignite a warm smouldering in his chest. He grabbed the last glass before Tan could and drank that too.
“So what the hell happened with Sparks?” Roman asked Caleb.
“It started off according to plan. We cut the power. Well, technically, Sparks brought down the whole station.”
“Of course he fucking did.”
“Afterwards, I had to deactivate him, as you instructed,” Caleb growled the last word. “He didn’t like that so much. He got mad, screamed about how you promised him his own needle. And I didn’t give him one. Again, as you instructed.”
“That might have been a mistake,” Roman admitted begrudgingly.
“Damn right it was.”
“How did the kid get away from you?”
“He got hold of a gun.”
“Damn.” Roman punched the table. “Well, we can’t do anything about Sparks. Not anymore. Now all that matters is getting Ruby back.”
Caleb’s brow furrowed. “What happened to her?”
“She’s…” Roman’s voice caught in his throat. He motioned to Griff for more drinks — he needed them. “Gavin is holding her hostage,” he finally managed to say. Saying it out loud made it so much worse.
“Shit.”
“You can say that again. So, Gavin wants Candle,” Roman continued. “He’ll return Ruby in exchange for him. Caleb, we need your help for this. I know you’re pissed at me. And I know we won’t get paid. But… please.”
“I’ll do it.”
“You will?”
Caleb pulled out a cigarette and lit it. “Ruby’s a friend, and friends are hard to come by in Legacy.”
A smile tugged on the corners of Roman’s mouth. “I underestimated you.”
“You always have.” Caleb blew out a smoke ring. “I respect you, Roman, I really do, but sometimes you can be a real dick, and you assume everyone else is as much of a dick as you are. Don’t get me wrong; I’m not a good man, not in the least. But I’m not the kind of man who would abandon his friend.”
“I…” Roman couldn’t find the right words. “Thank you.”
Caleb grunted. “I’m not doing it for your thanks. And I do have one condition.”
“Anything.”
“You have to promise me that if we ever see Sparks again, you won’t try to kill him.”
Roman frowned. “I might not have a choice.”
“He had the choice to kill you, didn’t he? That’s my condition, take it or leave it.”
“Why do you care about what happens to the kid? He’s rogue now. No longer your responsibility.”
Caleb extinguished his cigarette against the tabletop. “I made a deal with him, and I don’t back down from a deal.”
“That much I can understand,” Roman said. “I accept your condition.” He offered his hand, and Caleb shook it.
Griff arrived with another round. He lingered for a moment, watching the three of them from beneath his bushy eyebrows. At first, Roman thought he was waiting for payment, then he saw the concern in the old man’s face. “I can’t help but notice the state of you gentlemen,” Griff said, “and I assume something went wrong tonight?”
Roman nodded. “Things went to hell, that’s for sure.”
“Well, I don’t mean to sound bold, but should I be worried about having you in my bar? If you folks—”
“Don’t worry about that.” Roman waved him away. “You’re in no more danger here than anywhere else in this forsaken city.” Although, that means nothing. Since all of Legacy is now under the threat of an army of Adrenalites.