Total pages in book: 135
Estimated words: 135955 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 680(@200wpm)___ 544(@250wpm)___ 453(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 135955 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 680(@200wpm)___ 544(@250wpm)___ 453(@300wpm)
Rowan and Ginger come our way, and I almost join Talon in his low whistle. Ginger has always been comfortable in herself, but Rowan’s more reserved. Tonight, though, you’d never know it. Eyes widen and necks crane as they pass.
“I couldn’t be more proud if I dressed you myself.” Jewls hands them the same red drinks.
Conversation between the ladies ensues, jumping from subject to subject. I hear bits and pieces, keeping my eyes glued to Jewls bouncing around the bar. More than once, she points to her shirt and back to her mom.
“The boys from Hayes Security just walked in,” Tom announces, cruising by.
I browse through the crowd. Robbie and Finn stay close to Ember and Presley as they make their way over.
“Do me a favor, put their drinks on my tab tonight,” I tell Harley.
“Split it between us,” Ford instructs.
Harley gives us a soft smile. “You guys are all softies.”
“Baby, I want a part of that.” Ace throws her a fifty-dollar bill. “Start with that.”
Her smile grows, and she winks at him, blowing a kiss.
“Fuck, man, this place is a madhouse.” Finn takes one of the IPA’s Harley lined up on the bar.
“They outdid themselves again.” Pride seeps into Rich’s tone. “Harley takes this night seriously.”
“Declan is bringing Raven, and who knows how that will go? My guess is with all these women, he’ll be recognized.”
“Tell them to come in through the back. We’ll get them without alerting anyone.”
Robbie jerks his chin and scowls as Ember waves her drink in front of his face.
“Taste this. It’s incredible.”
He looks at it as if it’s poison. “You like it, I like it, no need to taste.”
“You’re such a drink snob.”
He bends and says something in her ear that has a flush spreading up her neck. She beams at her husband and turns back to the women.
My phone vibrates with an incoming text from an unknown number.
We need to talk.
Agitation travels up my spine at the possibility of who’s on the other end of this message. I ignore it.
Unknown—Major, we need to talk. I have information you’ll want.
Fuck, does she believe this will work?
“Man, what’s happening?” Talon steps closer, scanning my phone. “Is that?”
“I’m assuming it’s her.”
“You gonna reply?”
“Not taking her bait. There is nothing she has that I want to know.”
Another text comes in.
Blondie is cute in a girl-next-door sort of way. The bedazzled shirt is a little much.
Every cell in my body freezes and my eyes recon the room.
Now that I have your attention, meet me in the parking lot.
“I’m coming with.”
“No, I’m good. Cover for me.” I don’t wait for Talon to argue, making my way through the crowd and out to the parking lot.
Darla’s leaning against her red BMW, the lights shining down on her.
“What do you want?”
She makes a move toward me, but I step back. “Don’t touch me.”
“Major, I was a young girl in love who was scared to death to lose you to the military. I made mistakes.”
“Not here to relive history. Why are you at my girlfriend’s bar? Better yet, why are you in Nashville at all?”
“I came for you.”
“Clue in, lady, I want nothing to do with you.”
“The day you left me, I realized I’d gone about things the wrong way.”
“You think?”
“I’ve spent the last decade becoming a better woman. A woman you can love again.”
“I never loved you. I loved having sex, and you were easy.”
She visibly rocks back. “Are you calling me a slut?”
I shrug, adding fuel to an already blazing fire.
“When did you become such a raging dick?”
I stare at her, mentally counting to ten before I walk away.
“I know who killed JaKoby,” she seethes, spitting out the words. “Spent the last five years at a hellhole firm in Chicago, working through gang crimes until one day my luck changed.”
The information hits me like a blow to the gut.
“I see that gets your attention.” She laughs cynically in a way that makes my hair stand on end. “You want to know more about your friend’s death? You know exactly where to find me.”
She climbs in her car and is gone before my brain can form words.
“Goddammit!” I curse into the night air, kicking a rock that barely misses hitting a car across the lot.
There is only one thing in this universe that would put me anywhere near Darla Strauss.
Finding the person responsible for my best friend’s death.
And the bitch knows it.
“Major?” Jewls’ rough voice cuts through the silence right before her bedside lamp illuminates the room. Her sleepy eyes focus on me. “Are you leaving?”
“Yeah, babe, go back to sleep.”
“What time is it?”
“Early.”
“How early?”
“Five-thirty.”
Her face goes on alert. “Is everything okay?”
She scoots over to allow room for me to sit on the edge of her bed. I run my hand over her cheek, hating the confusion shining in her gaze. “Everything is fine. I got word on a potential breakthrough in a case and need to follow up on a lead.”