Page 164 of Tenderfoot

This gave us something to think about since it seemed Arthur could do just about anything, and for him not to be able to crack that was a little troubling.

Javi gave me further intel that they were holding Kev at a “safe house,” because they were concerned if they let him loose, he’d be as dead as Trev.

What he didn’t share was double-fold: what happened to the dudes they picked up outside Titus’s and if they’d learned anything more than we had.

Though, considering the bodyguard situation was continuing, we didn’t think so.

Last, Persia and Lotus, two of our ladies-of-the-evening crew, had cop clients, and they did their best. However, from their best we learned the extent of how far our reputation had reached in the Phoenix Police since both the gals only started to do some digging, and the cops shut them down immediately. They were more worried about what would happen if an Angels’ informant got info from them to pass on than they were about being officers of the law and paying for sex from a sex worker.

Though, it was super nice Persia and Lotus gave it a go.

It was appearing more and more like the guys could stop their bodyguarding duties because no one’d had their house tossed or been chased by a BMW in days.

Actually, it was appearing like this was going to be the first case we couldn’t crack.

I was upset about this.

I mean, first, I’d only met Trev briefly, and even if all evidence was suggesting he was a massive douche canoe, no murder should go unsolved.

And second, although I didn’t want the Hottie Squad to have to adjust their lives around keeping us safe for months on end, if everything went back to normal, then I didn’t get to ride to and from work with Javi. And I wouldn’t “have to” stay in his house anymore.

Make no mistake, I loved my apartment at the Oasis. I missed it. I’d had a blast making it just as I wanted it.

Though, it went without saying, I preferred making dinner, eating it, then going to bed with Javi, and waking up next to him too.

“Lolita,” Javi called.

I’d gotten into his truck, given him a quick kiss, and he’d set us on our way while I thought on all of that, so his calling my nickname took me out of my reverie.

“What?” I asked, turning to him.

“Got something on your mind?”

I narrowed it down to, “Our case is going nowhere.”

“Mm,” he hummed.

“Yours?”

“We don’t have a lot more than you,” he surprisingly admitted.

“Which means the cops don’t either,” I surmised.

He grunted.

I took that as a yes.

I sat to face forward and harrumphed.

“Sometimes, mysteries go unsolved, babe,” Javi shared his wisdom.

“I’m not sure the Angels are all fired up to have one of our cases go bust,” I told him. “I mean, we were helping innocent people on the others, and one could say Trev is far from innocent, but the dude got his throat slit.”

“Sorry, lil’ mama,” he murmured, and I felt a little better after he said it, though mostly because, at the same time he did, he ran his finger down my thigh.

He then changed the subject.

“Weekend’s nearly here. You in for us hauling all your shit back to your pad—” Oh God! He was moving me out already! “—and me hauling some of my shit too so we can give your pink bedroom a go for a while?”