Page 28 of Justified Lies

“I mean, you are on your fifth set of max weight. Trust me, you’re going to rip your bicep long before you work off whatever’s eating you.”

Gabe should have never allowed himself to indulge in the painful memories last night. Nothing positive came from remembering—today was evidence of that. Dan didn’t know the entire truth about Jacob’s mom and why Gabe had good reason to fear the boy could be taken away from him. Few people did. Gabe intended to keep it that way. But as his closest friend, he had confided in Dan that the woman struggled with substances and had given up Jacob as a baby.

“This about the homicide near your house?

“No, well, yeah, that’s unsettling as hell.”

Gabe had called Lianna immediately after hearing the news that Justine Starks’s body had been found. Their conversation had been formal and to the point. She thanked him for the information and then uttered an excuse to end the call. The timing couldn’t be worse for her to pull away from him. Notonly was she the target of someone’s wrath, there was now a murderer wandering free in their neighborhood.

Leaning his aching arms on his knees, Gabe sighed. “Jacob’s mom called yesterday.”

“Shit, what did she want?”

“I didn’t call back. Part of me doesn’t want to know. It could be anything from money to Jacob.”

“You think she’s gonna try to get custody of Jake?”

“She can try, but I’ll do everything in my damn power to stop her.”

“You know I’ve got your back if you need me.”

“I do.”

Dan’s gunmetal blue eyes regarded him warily, as if deciding whether to push the subject. Gabe, opting to have mercy on his upper body, walked sluggishly over to the squat rack. Dan followed, loading the bar with three plates on each side before pausing to swallow a gulp of water. A thick forearm mopped the excess from his lips, and Gabe shook his head. The man was a slob, spilling half the water he had just drank down the front of his t-shirt.

Built like a tank, Dan was a few inches shorter than Gabe, but probably outweighed him by ten pounds of muscle. They made a formidable team, both on and off the clock. When they were partners, they never lacked female attention. Gabe rarely was interested enough to act but Dan should have his picture displayed in the dictionary beside the wordbachelor.

“How’s your girl? She handling the news on Starks okay?

“Lianna. And she’s a handful.”

Dan barked a laugh, smacking the bear paw he called a hand across Gabe’s upper back.

“Got it that bad, huh?”

Gabe didn’t bother lying. He did have it bad. Lianna tested his carefully constructed emotional walls daily. Yesterday she decimated his physical barrier, obliterated it to dust.

Gabe was determined that he and Lianna would talk about that kiss. And if he had any say, they would most certainly finish it. He just wasn’t positive what order those things would occur in. He had zero confidence that he could see Lianna again without touching her and that scared him because when he touched her all bets were off.

“So, when do I meet her?”

A laugh burst out of Gabe. Not until she knows she’s mine.

“Have you banged her yet?”

“Fuck off, Dan.”

“Did you?”

“No, I didn’t bang her, and I’m not planning to.”

“I’m sorry, I didn’t realize we were being proper here. Did you make love yet?” Dan asked in a mock British accent, as if it made the question more appropriate.

Gabe leveled Dan with his most lethal stare, which got a deep belly laugh out of his best friend. Perhaps his time would be better spent taking the pent-up energy out on Dan.

“It’s complicated,” Gabe said, sliding under the squat rack and pushing up to stand. The heavy burn in his legs was therapeutic.

“It always is when she’s worth it.” Dan looked serious for the first time since they entered the gym.

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