She tore her gaze away from Eddie’s and looked at me. “I can’t. Lee called. It’s time.”
Saved by the call from the badass boy.
“Great,” I said, “let’s go.”
Indy kept glaring at them both deciding to include Hank in her unhappiness. I grabbed her arm deciding not to go the way of the glare; I’d already been rude enough. I dragged her to the door.
We were in Hazel and on our way to the Nightingale Investigations offices before I asked about Hector.
“Lee, Eddie and Darius were all best friends for as long as I can remember. As kids they were wild, serious wild, crazy wild,” she told me, then stopped.
“Yeah?” I prompted. I kept my eyes on the road but I heard and felt her move in her seat to turn to me.
“It isn’t my place to say, but we all loved Darius, we all still do,” she said, shocking me.
I didn’t respond.
“He was a great guy. I think he still is that guy, somewhere deep. When he was in his late teens, his Dad was murdered. Long story, sad and ugly. Darius had a rough time, fell in with a bad man, lost his way and never found it back.”
I nodded. Some people were born bad; some people were forced into it. It was interesting to know which sort of person Darius was.
“Lee and Eddie had different reactions to this. Lee straightened up and went into the Army. Eddie straightened up and went into the Academy. Regardless, they’re all close to this day.”
“And Hector?” I asked.
“Hector’s a wildcard. No one knows what he’s into and he’s gone off the radar. Eddie and Lee are trying to get a lock on him but they’re getting nothing. I told you about Lee, Eddie and Darius because they could get into some big trouble, hotwiring cars, bar fights, shit like that. Rumor has it Hector’s giving them a run for their money. We’re talking bad shit far beyond hotwiring cars and bar fights.”
I pulled in my lips, catching her meaning. I didn’t respond and simply drove.
Indy went silent until we got close to Lee’s offices and she directed me into an underground parking area. I parked next to Vance’s Harley.
The sight of it made my heart skip a beat.
“Vance has a great bike,” Indy breathed, staring at it.
“You can say that again,” I told her.
She smiled at me. “You ride on it yet?”
I nodded.
“Is it hot?” she asked.
I nodded again, this time on a grin.
“Lee has a Ducati.”
“Nice,” I said slow.
She started to giggle and for some reason so did I.
After we finished giggling, we got out, went into the building and walked up some flights of stairs. Outside the door that had a plaque that said “Nightingale Investigations” on it, I stopped and turned to her.
“I hear anything about Hector, I’ll let you know. You can do with it whatever you want.”
“I’d appreciate that,” she said then she went on, “so would Eddie.”
I figured I could use a favor from Eddie, especially since he intended to “take me down”.
We walked into the offices. All the lights were on and I was surprised at the reception area, it screamed money. The place was decorated richly, cowboy chic, gleaming wood, leather couches and a bronze bucking bronco on a column in the corner. Behind the huge reception desk sat a blonde woman who was so gorgeous, she looked cut out of the pages of a fashion magazine. The woman looked up, her brows drew together and she stared at us with undisguised dislike as we approached the desk.
Yikes.
“Hi Dawn,” Indy said, smiling sweetly but supremely fake. I was impressed.
“Hi Indy,” Dawn returned the favor and her gaze moved to me. “Who’s this? Is it The Law?” she asked sarcastically.
Oh my God.
What a bitch!
“My name is Juliet Lawler,” I told her, my voice cold.
“Yeah, I know,” she said back, her voice arctic.
Wow. She was a bitch.
I wondered if it was just us or if this woman was mean to everyone who walked through the doors. If so, Lee needed a new receptionist.
Indy leaned into her and said with false concern for Dawn’s welfare, “You do know there are cameras and bugs in here?”
Dawn didn’t bother to respond, got up and walked around the desk.
“I’ll tell Lee you’re here,” she said.
“I’m sure he already knows,” Indy replied.
Dawn disappeared behind a door.
“What a bitch,” I said my thoughts aloud to Indy.
“She had a thing for Lee,” Indy informed me.
I made a face. “You’re kidding? Did he know?”
She nodded her head. “Yeah, he didn’t care, not interested. Then she had a thing for Vance.”
This information coupled with the knowledge that everyone (as in everyone) kept telling me Vance was a player made my stomach clench in a very unhappy way.
I couldn’t help myself, I blurted out in a whisper, “Oh my God. Did he do her?”
This time she shook her head. “No way.”
“Thank God,” I breathed. If Vance touched Dawn, well… one word: ick.
“Then she had a thing for Luke. No go. Then Mace, then Hank. They all think she’s a bitch.”
“Why does Lee keep her?”
“Says she’s efficient and…” she hesitated, “cordial.”
After she said this, in unison we both widened our eyes at each other and then burst out laughing. In fact, at the idea of Dawn being cordial, we laughed so hard, we bent double with it.
“Having fun?” Lee asked, moving toward Indy, having entered from the doorway.
Vance was coming at me and Dawn was walking behind the desk. I straightened, wiped a tear of laughter from my eye and watched Lee approach Indy, which gave me the opportunity to ignore Vance.
Lee put his hands to either side of Indy’s neck and kissed her right on the lips. After he was done, Indy smiled up at him, his eyes crinkled and watching them my heart spasmed.
What in the hell was that all about?
A heart spasm at the sight of true love?
What kind of head-crackin’ mamma jamma was I?
“Law,” Vance said beside me.
I turned to him. “Crowe,” I returned the greeting.
I held my body stiff, my emotional Rottweiler had woken up and was on guard. Vance watched me closely and I got the impression he saw my Rottweiler and decided he was a cuddly puppy. I got this impression because his sexual tractor beam switched on, his eyes got soft and his arm curled around my waist, pulling me around and into his body.