Gearbound: Cyberpunk 2077-Chapter 121

Leo picked up one of the stacks of bills first, slipping it away without even glancing at the amount.

"No need. I trust you, Susie, and there's no point in trying to cheat us anyway."

The other three did the same, collecting their money.

"Straight to the point. If you ever need help with anything, just come by. The Mox owe you a favor, and if we can help, we will." Susie smiled. "I've also told Mateo—the bartender at Lizzie's—that from now on, whenever you visit, you'll get twenty percent off everything."

Jackie's eyes lit up.

"Twenty percent off? Nice!"

He didn't really care about cheaper drinks. His mom ran the El Coyote Cojo, and it wasn't like Lizzie's would ever beat his family bar's prices. But Lizzie's had more than just booze. They had the best braindance editors in Night City, and that meant top-quality BDs. Who didn't love a fully immersive, high-sensory braindance? Sure, Jackie had a girlfriend, but a ring on your finger didn't mean you stopped watching spicy vids—plenty of married folks indulged, too.

...

After they got their pay and drank their fill, Leo and the others finally said their goodbyes and left Lizzie's. But as they stepped out of the bar, heading for their Delamain cab, a sultry female voice called out from behind.

"Mr. Leo, wait a moment."

A woman approached, poised and confident. She had short blue hair and wore a glimmering silver coat over a tight, hip-hugging skirt, with red thigh-high boots completing the ensemble. She stopped in front of them, her gaze settling on Leo without even glancing at the others. Extending her hand, she gave a seductive smile.

"Allow me to introduce myself. I'm Evelyn Parker."

Out of courtesy, Leo shook her hand.

"So, you clearly know who we are. Are you with the Mox?"

"No. I left the Mox a while back but still drop by Lizzie's occasionally."

Leo nodded.

"Alright, Ms. Parker. What do you want from me?"

Evelyn's red lips curved in an almost hypnotic smile, the color so vivid it seemed ready to drip like blood.

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"Call me Evelyn, please."

Leo's expression didn't change. He'd been around Night City long enough to know something was up whenever someone sidled up out of nowhere, acting chummy. He wasn't the type to fall head over heels just because a pretty face batted her lashes. Besides, Evelyn wasn't really any more attractive than V or Lucy—both of whom could snap a Scav's neck or melt a corp netrunner's brain on a whim, which, lately, he found hotter than any pair of perky tits... He hadn't gone insane, had he?

Ridiculous. He was a model citizen—he even got a medal from the NCPD!

"Ms. Parker, if you've got business, go ahead and spit it out. Let's not waste each other's time."

Evelyn's smile froze for a moment. She hadn't expected her usual charm to fail so spectacularly—Leo didn't show the slightest hint of interest, which was unlike all the men she'd dealt with before. Still, she rallied quickly.

"How about we talk in private?" She nearly purred, the subtle provocation in her tone leaving little to guesswork—just shy of whispering "for one night."

Leo waved her off with disinterest.

"Sorry, I'm busy. Not happening."

He pivoted and walked away without another word. Lucy and V both shot Evelyn an icy glare, as though warning her to stay in her lane. Jackie looked at Evelyn, apparently guessing her real motive, but he said nothing. Evelyn stood rooted in place, staring after them in surprise. Only when the four had climbed into their cab and sped off did she snap out of it.

Truthfully, she hadn't come to offer Leo some well-paying gig. The talk-in-private routine was a ploy: using her charm to latch onto someone young and talented like Leo, so that if a high-risk, high-reward opportunity cropped up later, he might do the dirty work for her. She figured someone Leo's age would be easily enthralled. Evelyn was good at making men feel like they could soar—she'd had plenty of success that way.

But this time, her tried-and-true technique fell flat, and she couldn't fathom why.

...

Inside the taxi, Leo and Jackie sat in the back, with Lucy and V in the front. Delamain's AI driver handled the entire journey. Jackie glanced at Leo's calm expression and couldn't help but look curious.

"Leo, it seemed like that Evelyn lady was pretty into you. If you'd tried, maybe you could've had a fun night."

He gave Leo a brotherly pat on the shoulder.

"If you don't know how to get the ball rolling, I can show you the ropes, you know? I've got a girlfriend, so—"

Before he could finish, sparks flickered around the neural port on the back of his neck. Jackie yelped as though he'd been electrocuted, head slamming against the roof with a dull thud before dropping back into his seat. Dazed, he clutched the back of his neck, staring at Lucy and V in the front.

"What the hell was that for?!"

In answer, the two women flipped him the finger. Leo snorted a laugh, explaining matter-of-factly, "She's not my type."

He'd seen how Evelyn dressed. He was well aware of her line of work—legal in Night City, sure, but definitely not something he found personally appealing. He didn't look down on it; it was a job like any other. Just not his thing. If Leo had to describe his type, it wouldn't be someone who lived for attention or played at being irresistible—it'd be someone he knew he could trust his back to. A ride or die type of girl, as some would say.

Leo eyed Jackie, who was still rubbing his neck in bewilderment.

"You're not thinking of getting together with her, are you? You already have Misty."

"Me? Hell no. My Misty's way prettier," Jackie replied with conviction. "Besides, I'm not some kind of sleaze who'd ditch my girl the moment I see a new flame."

"Honestly? You should be thanking your lucky stars Misty's with you at all...especially with that hairline creeping back every day." Lucy cut in dryly from the front seat.

"Hey, I resent that! I'm just...uh...maturing gracefully."

They bantered back and forth, enjoying the easy vibe that came from good friends shooting the breeze. The ride flew by, and soon they arrived at the Megabuilding in The Glen. They got out of the cab and headed up to Leo's apartment—the best place to tally up their spoils without being disturbed.

Once safely inside, Leo shut the blinds on every floor-to-ceiling window and switched on the overhead lights. He then took out all the money for a full count.

From the Tyger Claw's Glitter transport truck alone, they'd found 150,000 eurodollars hidden in the tires. On top of that, they'd nabbed a cool one million from Phoenix Casino's safe—Leo had spotted it on his tactical display. He'd stuck around last on the way out, pocketing the money without anyone noticing.

Not even V, Lucy, or Jackie had known about that until now.

Finally, there was the payment from Susie: 300,000 total for the four of them. Originally, she'd promised 200,000, but because they had done such stellar work, she threw in another 100,000.

Susie didn't consider it a loss, either. Spending that extra money earned her goodwill from Leo—a worthwhile investment in Night City's "favor economy," as people often called it. When you had valuable allies who remembered your kindness, things usually worked out in your favor.

When the Mox needed help again in the future, getting in touch with Leo would be no problem.