One Last Play by E.B. Neal

Author:E.B. Neal [Neal, E.B.]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Published: 2023-11-27T16:00:00+00:00

Miguel pulled to a stop in front of the massive silver gates and rolled down his window. The foreboding little intercom stared back at him and he took out his phone, double-checking the code before keying it in.

Then, to his relief, the gate rolled open.

Well, he thought as he pulled into the streamlined parking structure, it looks like Claude doesn’t hate me for the time being.

His stomach jumped into his throat — Miguel tried to ignore it, as well as his sweaty palms. He parked near the elevator, and when he climbed out of his car, he could see that this building was even nicer than he’d expected. The elevator bay had glass walls and a water feature. And standing just inside the door was a scowling but familiar figure.

Miguel’s palms turned into slip-and-slides. He tried to smile as he approached Claude, walking into the bay. “Hello, Claude. How are you?”

“I’ll be peachy once this nonsense is over with.” Claude looked him up and down, impassive. They were impeccably dressed and not showing an ounce of discomfort. “Ana’s lucky I owed her a favor.”

He tried to swallow. “Thank you, uh. Again. For doing this for me—”

Claude turned towards the elevators. “I don’t usually make a habit of meddling in my friend’s lives. Especially not Alex’s life. It’s not something I plan on doing again.”

Jesus. “Understood.”

The elevator was pure glass and metal, and it had only a dozen buttons. Once they stepped inside, Claude held out a blank key card. “This is your pass. Keep it on you at all times. If you leave the building, swipe it at the call box outside to get in. To get upstairs, you tap—” they tapped the card against a little black square— “and press the button for ten.”

A soft whirr as the elevator lifted into the air. Miguel took the card and was about to say something when the glass walls around him erupted into orange.

In spite of himself, he gaped.

“Yeah.” Claude glanced over their shoulder. “Hell of a view.”

That was an understatement. Now that they were above-ground, the hollow surroundings had fallen away, replaced by a vast, blazing view of the city. In the distance were the mountains, ruddy and purple in the approaching sunset. Alex’s condo was near downtown, surrounded by palm trees and a massive pool, a small oasis in the hubbub of the city. Miguel stared, entranced, until the elevator pulled to a stop.

Claude strode out, and when Miguel followed, he realized that he wasn’t in a hallway or standing outside a front door — he’d just walked straight into Alex’s condo.

He froze, his pulse throbbing in his hands, his shoulders. Claude didn’t notice.

“Kitchen’s around the corner. I got everything you asked for. Bathroom’s down the hall in front of you.” They stepped into the living area, where a plush pit of couches faced a monolithic TV. The far wall was all windows, showing city and desert. Claude switched on the TV, which was already turned to the sports network — pre-game coverage.

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