Author's Note of Changes:
Hi everyone! I did a revision of the first ten chapters of this book and wanted to give a summary so you don't need to reread NR (you can if you like, I just don't want anyone to feel obliged!)
Some characterization tweaks: Zef is more buttoned-up and has a set of rules he abides by (Stay out of trouble, don't take risks, don't trust anyone you wouldn't take home.) The rules get broken as he's forced to make difficult choices. He doesn't drink and reacts more negatively to Gray's sketchy side. He's extremely uncomfortable in the strip club. Gray is a little more closed off, but otherwise his characterization is largely the same.
Zef no longer gets the info on Gray's tech from him by chapter 4; he fails outright.
In chapter 5.3, when Zef goes back to the bayou to see his family, Gray follows him and rescues him from an attempted mugging. They then have an awkward conversation about Zef's childhood crush on Leo, Matthias's broken implants, and Gray offers to help.
Gray's attitude problem at Dee's pawn shop is revealed to be caused by his implants paining him. He gives Zef the schematics for his tech in the hopes Zef can help disable them.
Zef gets top surgery at the end of chapter 7. He receives the texts from Gray offering to meet and explain the murder right before succumbing to the anaesthesia. He wakes up having missed the meeting. He goes to dinner to celebrate surgery with his dad and gives Matthias the credit chip Rylan gave him, instructing him to use it for train tickets and some tech Zef needs but doesn't want traced.
The conversation about what Zef does for fun is moved from Dee's pawn shop to Prancer's Palace. Zef tells Gray about the single computer server that controls his tech and could be used to shut it down. Gray refuses to tell Zef who his handler is in order to make the search easier. He insists it's to keep Zef safe. Zef reveals he got top surgery and Gray is initially happy for him but has a panic attack when he hears Zef got it as a benefit from his job.
Everything else is largely the same aside from line editing for more flow. It should (hopefully!) read more smoothly!
I'll delete this author's note when some time has passed and most of you have caught up with the new chapters and changes!