Chapter Text
Sophie scoffed into her glass. She’d strayed from her usual bar, her usual drink and her usual cool, approachable self because this situation was far from the usual.
In love? She scoffed again and tossed the rest of the liquid back, welcoming the unfamiliar burn. She’d been sitting on this stool at a random bar she chose at random and has been replaying everything from the last few months. From her initial conversation with Jada, to Jada Jet’s question as she stormed out of her office only a few days ago.
Jada’s question was practically parkouring off every cell of her brain.
Do you love her?
She scoffed for the millionth time in two days and ordered another shot. She stared at the bar waiting for her order. Love? She couldn’t possibly be in love. She’s never loved anyone. Besides Jordan. But loving her sister was not the same as falling in love with Ryan. She nearly choked on her own laughter. She’s getting soft.
Sophie looked up to find a shot of tequila and a familiar look from a not so familiar bartender. “You wanna talk about it?”
Sophie picked up the shot glass and drained its contents. “No.” The glass hit the bartop with a thud.
“Then I could help you forget about her….”
The scoff of all scoffs came out without warning. As if this woman could ever even dream about being comparable to THE woman in question. She couldn’t believe she used to play into this kind of thing. A mere few weeks ago. The familiar lines were not having their desired effect anymore. Ryan Wilder was slowly but surely ruining her for any and every one night stand. She wouldn’t call that love.
She was spared the tedious task of rejecting the woman across the bar by her phone. Though she wasn"t even able to get a word out before the impatient person on the other end of the call spoke.
“Where is she?”
Jada. Sophie pulled the phone from her ear and whacked herself in the forehead. “What the fuck.” She muttered to herself. She took a breath before returning the phone to her ear, catching only a few unintelligible words coming through the line. “Hello, you’ve reached Sophie Mo-“
“Don’t play with me Moore. Where is she?” Between the question and the woman’s tone, she suddenly felt tense, but confused.
“Who are we talking about?” She questioned genuinely because she hadn’t a clue what this lady was going on about. She could hear Jada take a calming breath.
“Sophie. Where is Ryan?” Her words were clipped, almost panicked.
Sophie’s face scrunched though Jada couldn’t see her genuine confusion. “And how would I know?”
“Tell. Me. Where. She. Is.” She over-annunciated each syllable.
Sophie pinched the bridge of her nose, summoning the strength to hold back the “fuck off” that wanted to be released. “I don’t know where your target is. I quit, remember? Not my case, not my problem.” She hadn’t seen Ryan since,,, well since she kissed her. Two days ago. And she didn"t’ plan on seeing her anytime soon, if ever again.
“You do not want to make an enemy of me, Sophie.”
Sophie barked out uncontrolled laughter. “That threatening, big shot CEO, Queen of Gotham shit might work on your disciples and minions, but not me.” And then fixed her serious tone. “I’m not afraid of you.”
Jada said nothing for a moment. Sophie was pleased that she had shut her up even if just for a moment. Sophie: 1, Jada: 0. According to Sophie, anyway.
“So you’re not aware then.” It was spoken as a statement not a question.
“Aware of what?” Sophie sighed. She wasn’t in the mood for the back and forth. She was already drained from both trying to keep herself away from the bartender and stop thinking about her to no avail. At least, she’d be able to do the former.
“She’s missing.” Sophie processed the words for a beat before she rocketed up off the stool, startling the bartender and surrounding patrons.. Ryan was missing? Since when? She saw her two days ago. Kis-
“Ryan’s missing?” She repeated dumbly, because what the actual fuck. Why was this woman being targeted? And by more than one person.
“Exactly how drunk are you?” The older woman"s exasperation ignited Sophie’s internal protector. It was like a switch flipped; she was her former self again. The military trained operative, top of her unit. Class A Badass. Current occupation, completely forgotten. Her only mission now was to find Ryan.
“When? From where? By whom?” Her questions rattled off in quick succession. “And how do you know?”
“You quit. Remember ?” The CEO spat the words back at her.
“Very mature.” She snarked back. “Now who’s playing games?”
Jada sucked her teeth. “I hired someone else because of your complete unprofessional incompetence to finish your mission. And that someone else hasn’t been able to locate her in the past forty-eight hours.”
The younger woman took a relaxing breath. Ryan could very much just be away for a few days or taking a few days off from work. Then, her stomach twisted up again because surely Jada’s elite tech and security team would have had the resources and the sense to check her bank records and travel information and her place of residence. Fuck. Would this have happened if she wasn’t trying to keep her feelings in check? If she’d just gone to the bar to see her like she normally does. No. This is Jada’s fault in the first place. Her and her stupid rules. She would have slept with Ryan already and been over her. She swallowed and chased that lie with another shot.
A quick glance to her watch and a fifty dollar bill left on the bar. “Jada, I swear if this is some sort of ploy or game that you’re playing...”
“The only person who’s playing games is whoever kidnapped my dau-target.” The woman coughed and cleared her throat. “The t-target.” The Jada Jet stammering? This bartender chick must be someone of value or importance other than her looks and abilities to make a drink..
The familiar vehicle screeched to a stop as she exited the bar, the large man from the passenger seat already holding the rear passenger door open.
Sophie pulled the phone away from her ear, realizing she’d been disconnected from the call. She rolled her eyes and pocketed her phone before ducking into the backseat of the Rolls.
“Sophie.” Jada nodded toward her. She wasn’t nearly as poised as she usually was. The woman who oozed grace and power appeared to have an unusual, yet slight slouch and dark circles under her eyes even through the most flawless of makeup.
“Jada.” She accepted a glass of bourbon. “You could have just said you wanted to join me for a drink. I would have stayed at the bar.”
“How can you joke?” Her dark, familiar glare was piercing. “Perhaps, I was wrong in my assumption of your feelings for her.” Jada was right in her assumptions, which only seemed to piss Sophie off more. Of course she cared about Ryan. She wouldn’t say it was love. But it was…something. It wasn’t in the plan but it was real, it was a thing. She would not admit it to this woman, if at all. She still didn’t trust her or know the woman’s intentions. She’d be able to find Ryan all on her own before the Queen of Gotham got her perfectly pristine claws on her.
Sophie drained the glass and shivered. Mixing liquors was definitely not going to feel great tomorrow, but tonight, right now, she didn’t know how else to cope with Ryan’s disappearance and this infernal woman who insisted on pushing her buttons. “Isn’t there a saying about assuming…”
The involuntary tick of the older woman’s jaw was not missed this time. “If you want to continue this little charade, fine. Please return to the random bar instead of the bar she manages so you don’t have to be confronted with your feelings.”
“Feelings?” Sophie repeated, incredulous. “Listen, Dr. Phil-“ Sophie gritted the words through her teeth only to be cut off.
“No, you listen.” Jada’s intensity was permeating through the vehicle. Even the two large men in the front seats tensed. “If you’re not going to help me find her… “ She appeared to steel her expression and the emotion rising in her voice. She cleared her throat. She wasn’t a stupid woman. But her patience was wearing thin. Time was of the essence and as much as she thought her chances of finding Ryan were higher with the willing assistance of an ex-military trained operative, she knew that if the stubborn woman sitting beside her was not invested, it would only hinder her own efforts. “If you do not wish to assist me, feel free to get the hell out of my car.”
Sophie glanced at the door handle. It wasn’t locked. She could leave.. Jada Jet was giving her the out. But with the Queen of Gotham’s resources and influence, she’d surely have a better chance at finding Ryan. Right?
If Sophie Moore was going to willingly partner with Jada Jet, she’d need more liquor. She turned her attention back toward the woman feigning disinterest and shook the empty glass towards her signaling a refill, adding a thick layer of sarcasm to her voice. “What’s your plan, Madam Jet ?”