Page 11 of Fast & Dirty
“Are you at the bar?” I don’t have time to fuck around. The blonde twig is watching me and I’m pretty sure she’s trying to listen in on the conversation.
“Yeah I got here-” she starts to say, but I cut her off. At this point I can tell I’m not going to be able to stop the damn tears from coming and I just need to get the hell out of here.
“I’m down the street, a few blocks toward the train station. Can you meet me at the corner?”
“Yeah. Are you okay?” The hysteria has gone down a notch and she’s obviously concerned. The tears well and I take a deep breath.
“Yeah, just come get me please.”
Blake
I head to the back room where the meetings take place, leaving Marie upstairs. I can’t wait to get in that ass tonight. I’ll get her off first. At least once. I smile and lick my lower lip. I can still taste her on my tongue. Fucking delicious. She’ll be fine while I talk to Pinch. She’s safe here. And she fits right in.
Damn, I wish I’d just asked her if she wanted me to walk her home, so we could’ve started this off without any lying. But then again, I never would’ve let them think she was my girl. No way in hell I’d ever have brought her in here. My smile vanishes. She’s only safe while I’m safe. Shit, things are a little more fucked than I’d like them to be at this point. But I’ll be damned if I’m not keeping her. I want her more than anything. Every protective instinct in me is on high alert. I don’t know what it is about her, but my body is begging me to claim her. And I’m hard-pressed not to listen.
I barge into the meeting room without knocking. No need to, since I knew they’d be in here waiting for me. And now that I’m back here, I’m all pissed off again. That fucker messed with my hellcat. I meet Maddox with a hard glare.
“Calm down, Blake.” He stares me down as I lean against the desk. “You can’t go shooting her ex-boyfriend. He’s a cop.”
“I’m not going to shoot him.” Not to kill, anyway. Pinch closes the door so it’s just the three of us.
“Blake,” he starts as though he’s warning me, asking me to back off, but he won’t make me. Maddox will let me have this if I want it. And God, do I want it. No one’s going to hurt my hellcat and get away with it.
“You telling me you’re not just as pissed as I am that her ex got away with … ” I can’t finish. Fuck! I don’t even know what the hell he did exactly, but I’m going to find out. I’m going to find out tonight. After I get her under me.
“Already a step ahead of you,” Pinch chimes in and holds up her ID. He goes over to the computer and starts plugging in her info.
“You swiped her ID?” Pinch never fails to surprise me. A pickpocket and hacker, he’s a thief in every sense of the word.
He turns in his chair and looks back at me like he doesn’t see a problem with it. “Well, yeah. It’s not like you’d know her last name.” No I don’t, but he didn’t know that. I glare at him and he shakes his head. “Okay then, what’s her last name?” Fucking asshole.
I let out a small growl and say, “Just do what you have to do.”
“So, how are you planning to handle this?” Maddox’s starting in on me again.
“You remember that prick who hit your sister?” I stare straight back at him, meeting his hard glower. “You didn’t have a problem knocking his teeth in.”
“He wasn’t a cop.”
“Since when does that matter?” I shouldn’t be talking back, but I’m furious. I’m so fucking pissed that someone put their hands on Marie. And even angrier that no one helped her. No one was there for her. But I’m here now.
An uncomfortable moment passes before he lets out a loud exhale. “You want help?” he asks like I’m a huge pain in his ass. I pat him on the back in thanks, but shake my head.
“Naw, just get me his address.”
“Got it. You’re gonna want to give his name to Linc though, so he can ask his contacts at the PD for his schedule.” I nod my head calmly, but my gut churns at his words. When I first found out they were paying people off at the PD, I freaked the fuck out. Roger told me he knew all of Linc’s contacts and I was safe. I can’t fucking take doing this anymore. I could be their contact. But it’s too late for that now. I fucking wish it wasn’t. They’re the only family I have. Pinch prints something off and then hands me a piece of paper with the prick’s information.
“Don’t worry,” I say and look at Maddox, “I’ll be discreet.” I turn to leave them while folding the paper, but Maddox’s hand comes down hard on my shoulder. I look back, waiting for him to say something, but he just stares at me.
“Yeah?” The question leaves my mouth after a moment of silence.
He’s holding something back, so I turn to fully face him. “What’s on your mind, brother?” Something’s wrong and I don’t fucking like it. I glance at Pinch. He’s grinning like he always does. My gaze falls back on Maddox. His jaw’s tense; he’s working too hard not to say whatever’s on his mind. “Just let it out.”
He hesitates before asking, “Were you two really just playing around?”
My blood runs cold at the question. I square my shoulders as I feel something shift between us. I stare back at him and keep eye contact while I shake my head. “No.” I can’t fucking lie to him. I’m exhausted from the lies. I just want to get everything off my chest. All of it.
“You lied to me.” It’s a statement, not a question.
