Chasing His Kickass Luna Back Chapter 101

Karl

It’s almost midnight when I put my car in park in the dimly lit alleyway, and I can’t believe I’m here right now.

“Abby will see how much you care once you get these for her,” my wolf says, satisfied.

“Yeah,” I answer out loud as I cautiously get out of the car. “We’ll see about that.”

Two days ago, I finally found a lead on those truffles for Abby. I found the dealer through a sketchy website, but he seemed legitimate enough. I just hope that it goes well, and like my wolf said, that Abby sees how much I care after this.

My eyes dart around, taking in the cracked asphalt and graffiti-covered walls. The shady location couldn’t be further from what I expected when it comes to cooking ingredients, but desperate times call for desperate measures, I guess.

“You Karl?” A raspy voice pulls me from my thoughts. A tall, skinny man almost seems to materialize from the shadows, his eyes shifty, avoiding direct eye contact.

“That’s me,” I respond, my voice tight. “You said you had the truffles?”

“Real European truffles,” he stresses, pulling out a vacuum-sealed bag from the depths of his tattered coat. “Best you’ll find in the city.”

The package looks genuine enough, but something about this guy is setting off alarm bells in my head. “You mind if I inspect them first?”

The man hesitates, his eyes narrowing. “Erm, sure,” he finally says, handing me the package. “But they are genuine.”

I open the seal just enough to get a sense of the aroma and the texture; not that I really know what I’m doing, but I think I have a fairly good sense of what fancy mushrooms should look and smell like.

But the moment I do, it hits me. The smell is all wrong. They’re earthy, but there’s something off about the scent. It almost smells like chemicals. Frowning, I run my finger along one of the mushrooms, and make a face when it comes away black.

“What the hell is this?” I ask flatly, locking my eyes with his.

The man’s face seems to twitch uncomfortably. “They’re black truffles. Just like you asked for.”

“These aren’t even real mushrooms, let alone black truffles,” I growl, feeling a rush of anger. “You trying to scam me? Like I’m gonna pay ten grand for some mulch or whatever the hell this is?”

“Listen, I—”

But I’ve already lunged forward, grabbing the collar of his shirt and pulling him close, my other hand snatching back the money from his pocket. “Bad move,” I say through clenched teeth.

His eyes widen with what I finally recognize as fear. “Okay, okay, take it,” he stammers. “Just—just let me go.”

I shove him back, my eyes still locked onto his. “Don’t let me see your face again.”

My heart is pounding as I walk back to my car, the adrenaline gradually dissipating, leaving behind a surge of disappointment. All of this… over truffles? What kind of weird black market shit is this?

But most importantly, I can’t go back to Abby empty-handed. Not after everything. I promised that we’d get those truffles for her, and I’ll find them if it’s the last thing I do.

I lean against my car for a moment, taking deep breaths to steady myself. The failure stings, a harsh reminder of how much I’ve screwed up, not just tonight, but in so many ways, for so long. I have to set this right, not just for my sake, but for Abby’s.

And that’s when it hits me—Adam. From what I hear, his restaurant has been thriving ever since I helped him out with some… quality ingredients. Maybe, just maybe, he can point me in the right direction.

I take out my phone, my fingers hovering over the call button before I stop myself. No, this needs to be done in person. I put the car in gear, and swallow my pride before making my way toward the last place I thought I’d ever visit again.

…

I push open the glass door to Adam’s restaurant, and am immediately hit with a strange feeling in the pit of my stomach.

I haven’t been here in a while; not since I gave Adam those rare ingredients to convince him to leave Abby. Now, I’m the one in search of rare ingredients. Ironic, isn’t it?

“Karl?” Adam’s voice catches my attention, and I whip around to see him standing in the doorway of the kitchen. “What are you doing here?”

I swallow my pride and walk up to him, trying not to show my embarrassment. “You’ve got a minute? I need to ask you something.”

Adam nods and gestures for me to follow. “Of course I’ve got time.”

We find our way to a secluded corner, both keenly aware that this isn’t a casual catch-up between friends, but rather something more.

“Hey, I’ve been trying to get in touch with you,” Adam begins, his tone slightly lowered. “Have you gotten my emails?”

“Oh, I’ve been getting them,” I answer. “And actually, that’s why I’m here. But I have a favor to ask before I give you the name of my supplier.”

Adam raises an eyebrow, but doesn’t seem too surprised.. It’s clear that he expected that I would be making some sort of request. “I’m listening.”

“I need truffles. Rare, high-quality black truffles.” I lean in, my voice almost a whisper. “I’ve been to every supplier, Adam. No one’s got them. Not even mine.”

Adam’s eyes narrow, but there’s an understanding there, a mutual sort of recognition of what it’s like to be in the culinary game. He sighs, pinching the bridge of his nose, and thinks for a minute.

“I know a place,” he finally says.

“Good,” I answer, whipping out my phone and opening the notes app to take this down. “Spill.”

“But it’s risky, Karl,” he continues. “It’s basically the territory of a poaching ring. They dominate the market for extremely rare ingredients. Actually, it’s near here.”

My stomach tightens. I’m no stranger to taking risks, but something about the way that Adam is framing this makes it feel different. A poaching ring? This could be more dangerous than I thought. But then I think of Abby, and how much hangs in the balance.

“And for the record, those guys would probably charge you the cost of an entire house for a single truffle,” Adam adds, as if reading my thoughts. “Trust me, I doubt you wanna do business with them.”

“Listen,” I say, my voice steady. “Whatever it is, I can handle it. It’s for Abby.”

At the mention of Abby’s name, Adam’s face softens. “How is she, by the way?” he murmurs. “I hope she’s doing okay.”

I pause for a moment, then nod, offering Adam a tense smile. “She’s… good, actually. Really good.”

There’s a moment of silence between us. I can sense that there’s more that Adam wants to say, but he doesn’t.

“So, we have a deal?” I finally ask. “You tell me this location, and I’ll give you the name of my supplier.”

Adam’s gaze meets mine, the weight of the decision hanging heavily between us. Finally, he nods. “Deal.”

My heart soars as I scribble down my supplier’s information on a piece of paper, my hand barely able to keep up with the tsunami of relief flooding through me. “Here,” I say, handing it over.

He takes it, studies it for a moment, and then carefully folds it and slips it into his pocket. “I hope this is worth it.”

“It is,” I assure him, my confidence back in full force. “And the location?”

He leans in closer, drawing out a map of the location where the truffles might be found. I take it from him, knowing that now, I’m just one step closer to redemption in Abby’s eyes. Hopefully.

“I’m trusting you, Karl,” Adam says, stepping back and breaking the intensity of the moment. “Don’t make me regret giving you that information. And stay safe.”

“Don’t worry,” I promise. “Thanks, Adam.”

“Oh, and Karl?” Adam calls out as I turn to walk away.

I stop and glance over my shoulder. “What’s up?”

Adam smiles slightly, a soft, melancholic, but also genuine smile. “Tell Abby I say hi.”

I pause for a moment, weighing the options: tell Abby that I was here and that Adam helped me and deliver his message, or keep it all from her. For a moment, I almost decide on the former. But then, something comes over me, and I find myself nodding instead.

“Sure thing, Adam. I’ll let her know.”