request for a Maserati Gran Tourismo. Fox tells me boosting cars is your talent. I'll give you a cut of ten grand if you can secure one in prime condition."
"Twelve thousand, three hundred and sixty-four dollars," I demanded, the figure from JJ's bill burned into the inside of my skull.
"Fine," Luther agreed with a snort of amusement. "But only if you can get it today."
"Consider it done." I hung up on the leader of the Harlequin Crew like a bitch with a death wish then dialled my new, ultra-rich bestie.
"Hey, Rogue, what's up?" Tatum asked as she answered my call and a little bit of the pain roaming beneath my skin eased at her friendly tone.
"I was wondering if you're up for hanging out with a criminal tonight? I need to boost a car from your end of town and figured you might wanna come play with me?"
Tatum laughed as a deep, male voice said something on the other end of the line which I failed to catch.
"I've actually just finished up a dinner date at Andre's. Do you know it?" she asked. "I could come meet you-"
"That's just down the road from me. I'll come to you," I said decisively because pulling this job would be a whole lot easier without a Harlequin entourage tailing my ass so ditching my car here was the best move I could make.
"Okay. We'll meet you in the parking lot," Tatum agreed.
"I'll be twenty minutes tops," I promised, cutting the call and opening the office door.
JJ had fucked all the way off and I swallowed down the lump that rose in my throat at him just walking out on me like that. But he'd made his choice and the bill in my back pocket was proof enough of that. So if he wanted to go around making grand statements about our relationship or lack of one, then I was going to take him at his fucking word.
I slipped back downstairs but instead of heading into the club, I jogged along the corridor towards the dressing room where the dancers all got ready for their shows, easing the door open as I reached it and walking inside.
A couple of the guys were laughing loudly in the back corner of the room and I ducked low, grabbing a blonde wig and a pair of rollerblades from the rack of costumes to one side of the space.
I slipped out the back door and sat my ass on the sidewalk as I switched out my sneakers for the rollerblades then tucked my rainbow hair away into my wig and pushed myself upright with my sneakers gripped in my fist.
I didn't have long before my Harlequin escorts would come looking for me, so I had to hurry. After a few slightly wobbly attempts at taking off on the skates, I got into the swing of it and started picking up speed as I headed away from Afterlife in the direction of the burger bar Tatum had mentioned.
My heart felt a little lighter as I moved faster, letting the curve of the hill take me as I gave myself to the moment and forced a smile onto my lips. It didn't sit there as easily as it would have before JJ had dumped me like a chew toy he was bored of, but I kept it in place until I could almost believe it was real. I was pretty much a pro at that these days anyway.
I shot around the corner in record time, finding the burger joint easily and groaning at the scent of fries on the air. I skated round back to look for Tatum, my eyebrows going up as I spotted her leaning back on the hood of a classic white Cadillac with a dude's head buried beneath her long skirt.
I smirked to myself at the opportunity that gave me, switched the rollerblades for my sneakers then jogged back around into the crowded burger bar.
"Order for Karen!" a guy yelled as I made it to the end of the serving line and I swooped in like a hungry seagull to snatch the paper bag and drink he held at the ready. The guy gave me a look which said he questioned my Karenness, but I was already heading on out the door.
I jogged back around to the parking lot and checked out my haul, tossing the cheeseburger to an alley cat who looked half scandalised and half pleased before I grabbed the large portion of fries,