Page 54 of Heart Stopping
I chuckled. "Bonehead, that's a good one." Although, it fit him better than it fit me. Clearly he was projecting.
Jules smirked, then his expression changed as his brain caught up.
"You're being literal. About Granger Fairfield. You really think you can kill someone like him?"
I'm good at reading people, but I couldn't tell if he was hopeful, or still thought we were out of our minds. Under the circumstances, it might be safe to guess he was hovering right about the middle. He wanted the asshole dead as much as we did, but the average person didn't get together to plan a murder with other people. Not that I know of anyway.
Hey, if there's actually an Evening Murder Club, hook me up, because I'm there.
But I digress.
"We don't just think we can, we know we can," I said. "The question is, do you have the balls to help?" In my experience, casting aspersions on the size of a man's testicles was a very good way to get him to throw his hat into the proverbial ring. We all liked to prove we were blessed with nuts the size of the average-sized moon.
Of course, any bigger than that would be silly.
"He can help," Cass said. "Jules has skills."
I caught the expression on Harlow's face. She was torn between wanting to give Cass what he wanted and kicking Jules' ass out the door.
Totally relatable vibes. I was feeling them myself.
"What sort of skills?" Archer asked.
"Whoa, hold on a minute." Jules raised his hands in front of him, palms out. "Who says I want anything to do with this? You're talking about…" He lowered his voice and whispered, "Killing someone. This is insanity. I'm getting the fuck out of here. Following you to this city was insane enough, but this…"
He pushed himself to his feet and stalked over to the door. Placed his hand on the handle and tried to wrench it open.
The door, being locked, didn't move.
"I can break this fucking door down, or you can unlock it," Jules snarled.
"If we let him leave—" Harlow started.
"He won't say anything," Cass said, his eyes intent on his brother. Staring at him through one eye, since the other was covered with unruly hair.
I have to say, Titmus the Younger was starting to grow on me. That bossy tone was threatening to make my cock grow.
Harlow sighed and stood, pulling her keys out of her pocket and stepping over to unlock the door. "Cass better be right about you," she said darkly. "If you say anything about this to anyone…"
He leaned so his face was right up in hers. "You'll do what, sweetheart? You gonna kill me too?"
She didn't flinch. She met him angry gaze for angry gaze.
"Not at first," she said. "Maybe after a day or two. Maybe three or four. By the end, you'll regret every breath you ever took and every word you ever said."
He looked like he wanted to wrap his hands around her throat and strangle her. The tent in his pants spoke another story. One that was remarkably similar to mine.
She was so fucking hot when she was threatening people. I'd have to work a bit harder to piss her off now and again so she could threaten me like that. Right when she was riding me would be perfect. I'd come then and there.
"You're out of your fucking mind, sweetheart," Jules growled. "You need to get some help."
She stepped away from him and turned to smile at the rest of us, still sitting nicely around the table.
"I already have all the help I need," she said. "Now get the fuck out of my restaurant unless you have something useful to add." Like the meat for tomorrow's lasagna.
I had a feeling he'd be chewy as hell and probably bitter. Someone like him would leave a bad taste in anyone's mouth.
He gave her a last, long look before stepping out into the night and striding past the window and down the street. His footsteps hard on the sidewalk. Punctuating his departure.
