Page 101 of A Dirty Business
“And when he asks me why?”
“I’m betting that he’ll know exactly the reason when you ask, but when you have that conversation, can you please hold off judgment before hearing me out?”
There was a moment of silence before she asked, her tone dropping as she did. “Why are you asking for that now?”
“Because when you ask him, he’s going to turn the tables and ask what my relationship with Trace West is.”
“And why would he ask that?” Her pitch went up a notch.
“Because he’s an itch that I’ve not been able to fully scratch and get him out from under my skin.”
“Oh, no.Jess.”
I hit my turn signal and headed for the interstate. “You know I work at Katya on two of my nights off.”
“Yeah, for extra cash. What does that have to do with Trace West?”
“He’s one of the owners.”
She sucked in a harsh breath. “Who’s the other owner?”
“Ashton Walden.”
“Are you kidding me?! Walden? You know that family owns cops, like a lot of them.”
“I know. If it means anything, I didn’t know who the owners were until a couple months ago.”
“You’ve been there for three years. How did you not know?”
“Because the owners came up as a standard LLC.”
“That place has always been a little shady.”
“What nightclub isn’t?”
“Yeah. That’s true.” She groaned. “I’m going to bypass the awkward conversation with my cousin because knowing him, he’ll just wait and corner me at our next family holiday anyways. He likes the live-and-in-person interrogation. I’m texting him.”
“You’re going to send off his radar.”
“You’re not saying anything we don’t already know. You don’t have to narrate the stupidity of this to me, but I’m still doing it. You’re going to be my daughter’s godmother one day.”
I almost hit the brakes, almost. “You’re keeping her? Andher?”
“I don’t know if it’s a her or him, but I’m envisioning a her, and you knew I was keeping her the day I missed work and sent Reyo instead.”
I did. I knew my partner. “You’ll make a great mother.”
“Yeah, yeah.” We both heard her phone beep, and she let out a sigh. “She’s in Katya right now, and apparently she’s been on the phone with a burner number they’re trying to trace fast. So my guess is that big brother Trace found her. You’re off to the races to get her first.”
I had what I needed, and I hit the turn signal because this was my exit. “Thank you, Val.”
“Hey.”
“Yeah?”
“You rough her up, how will they retaliate?”
“You’re asking the wrong question. They should be hoping that Ionlyrough her up.”
