Rafe X Barry Novels & Stories

he looks around, confused, at all of the empty greasy boxes, “a pizza party? What the hell, man?” I sip my water calmly, pleased to see Rafe take his medicine a bit. He deserves far worse than a scolding. “I was mourning!” Rafe groans, putting his head back on the floor, clearly a little angry to be called out and embarrassed to be found like this. “Don’t tell me how to mourn – you left me alone in this world –“

He blinks, eyes narrowing at me, then back to Rafe. “Why the hell are you touching me?” Rafe pulls back, visibly swallowing something down. “Sorry. I just . . . it’s good to see you up. Alive.” Well I suppose everyone’s allowed to miss their best friends who now can’t even remember them. I force a laugh. It sounds like a dying frog.“Rafe’s dramatic. He works ER with me sometimes. Saw you comatose for months. Guess he got . . . attached.” Beta Rafe eyes me. It’s as though he wants to strangle me and hug me at the same time. I kick him under the table before we even sit down. He barely flinches.

he said, “we keep.” Bootsteps approached, brisk. Rafe skidded around the corner with the grin he wore when chaos obeyed him. “Showtime. The cousin’s parade is already tripping over its shoelaces. Also, the dog is following me and if he becomes my dog I’m naming him Bacon.” “Approved,” the Don said. Rafe’s gaze flitted between them, softened by something like pride. “Look at you two. Terrifying. Beautiful. In focus.” He tapped his earpiece. “All right, saints and sinners. Places. We turn the city.”

The chains of loyalty were gone. Rafe listened, his head tilted. He didn’t look surprised; he looked satisfied, as if Jay had finally passed a crucial test. He stepped closer, erasing the last of the personal space between them. He was so close Jay could see the faint stubble along his jaw, could feel the whisper of his breath. “That is a valuable offer,” Rafe conceded, his voice dropping to an intimate, almost conversational low. “But it is not enough.” Jay’s confidence faltered for a second. “What more could you possibly want?”