The chipped ceramic mug warmed my hands, the Earl Grey a pale imitation of comfort. Rain lashed against the windows of the tiny diner, blurring the neon sign outside into a smeared, flickering pink. It was a Tuesday, which meant old man Hemlock would be in his usual booth, muttering about the price of gas and the decline of decency. I didn’t mind Hemlock; he was predictable, a grumpy baseline in the chaos of my life.
I was halfway through a second, lukewarm sip when the bell above the door jingled, announcing a visitor. Not Hemlock. Too early, and Hemlock always smelled of stale cigarettes and regret. This was… different. The rain seemed to cling to the newcomer, dripping from a battered leather jacket and soaking dark curls that framed a face I hadn't seen in… God, how long?
Lena.
Lena hadn’t been a name I’d spoken aloud in years. It felt like a splinter lodged under my skin, a phantom ache in my chest. She hadn't changed much, though the edges of her eyes looked tired, the defiant spark dimmed to a flicker. She still wore that infuriatingly casual smirk, the one that implied she knew something I didn’t, the one that had always gotten under my skin.
“Well, well, look what the cat dragged in,” I said, my voice rough around the edges. It wasn’t meant to be welcoming. It wasn’t meant to be anything, really, except a reflex.
Lena didn’t flinch. She just slid into the booth opposite me, ignoring the chipped vinyl that groaned under her weight. “Long time no see, Cass.” Her voice was just as I remembered – a low, smoky rasp that felt like a dare.
“Five years, two months, and seventeen days,” I supplied, because, of course, I kept track. I was good at keeping track of things I wanted to forget.
Her smirk widened. “You always were meticulous.”
“Someone has to remember the details,” I muttered, stirring my tea. The steam clouded my vision, blurring her face for a moment. I didn't want to look at her too closely. Didn’t want to see what she was thinking, what she wanted.
“I need a favor,” she said, cutting through my internal monologue. Just like that. No hello, no explanation, just a demand wrapped in a silk glove.
I raised an eyebrow. “A favor? From *me*? Last time you needed something, you were trying to sell me to a Russian oligarch.”
Lena’s smirk faltered for a fraction of a second, then smoothed over. “That was… a misunderstanding. This is different.”
“Oh, I’m sure it is,” I said, dripping with sarcasm. “Let me guess. You need me to steal a diamond the size of my fist from a heavily guarded museum?”
“Don’t be dramatic,” she sighed, running a hand through her damp hair. “It’s just a… package. A delivery.”
“A package?” I repeated, my voice laced with suspicion. “What kind of package requires *my* particular set of skills?”
Lena leaned closer, her voice dropping to a whisper. “It’s a little bird told me you were the best at getting into places you shouldn’t. And out of them too.”
I chuckled, a harsh, brittle sound. “Flattery will get you nowhere.”
“It’s not flattery. It’s desperation.” She looked away, her jaw tight. “And it involves someone I care about.”
That stopped me cold. Lena didn’t *care* about people. She used them, discarded them like empty casings. If she was worried about someone, it had to be serious.
“Who?” I asked, the question tumbling out before I could stop it.
Lena hesitated, her gaze flicking around the diner. “That’s… complicated.”
“Complicated is your specialty,” I said, leaning forward. “So, what’s the catch? Because there’s always a catch with you.”
“The catch is,” she said, her voice barely a breath, “if I don’t get this package delivered, the world will get a lot more complicated.”
I stared at her, my mug half-forgotten in my hands. Rain hammered against the windows, mirroring the storm brewing inside me. Lena was back, and with her came a mess of trouble I wasn’t sure I could handle. But looking at her, seeing the desperation in her eyes, I knew I wasn’t going to say no. I hadn’t said no to Lena before, and something told me I wasn’t going to start now.
“Tell me about this package,” I said, bracing myself for the fallout. "And this time, don't leave out the details."