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I wave my gloved hand, pulling the baggie out of my pocket and discreetly slipping it into his awaiting palm. “Don’t worry about it. Call it a favor from an old friend.”
He claps me on the shoulder, grinning. “You’re the best, man. Text me sometime. We’ll party like the good ole days.”
Oh, Austin. Your party days are over. Along with the rest of them.
The laced coke will be lethal. His body won’t be discovered until tomorrow morning at the earliest.
But Briar will know Austin’s death for what it really is: my gift to her.
No other man will touch her. She’s mine. And I will eliminate anyone who comes between us.
CHAPTER NINE
BRIAR
Cookie is meowingand scratching to go outside. When I open the door for her, I spot something glinting on the porch.
I crouch and scoop it up. The gold trim surrounding the oval clock is somehow familiar.
Austin’s watch. It must’ve fallen off after he left last night.
I dial his number, knowing it’s stupid to call a man I fully plan on ghosting, but the least I can do is return his watch. Especially so he doesn’t come back looking for it.
“Hello?” a husky female voice answers.
Shit. Does he have a girlfriend? A wife?Fuck me.I cannot be the other woman. We only went on one shitty date, for god’s sake. I shouldn’t have to get roped into this shit. “Um. Hi! Sorry. I was just looking for Austin.”
The woman sniffs, and my spine goes rigid. “This is his sister, April.”
Sister. Thank god. “Oh, okay. I was calling because Austin left his watch, and I was just?—“
“Actually.” Her voice catches. “He won’t need it. He...passed away this morning.”
My hand flies to my mouth. Austin isdead? I was just inviting him back to my place last night, and sometime between leaving with blue balls and now, he died? How the hell does that even happen? This is my actual nightmare. “Oh my god. I’m so sorry. Can I...can I ask what happened?”
“We don’t know for sure yet.” Her voice is on the edge of a sob now. “But the police suspect an”—She swallows, the last word shaky—“overdose.”
Jesus. What the hell am I supposed to say to that? I didn’t even know Austin took drugs. I literally talked to the guy for two hours. Of course my first date in over a year would wind up dead the next day. “I’m...so sorry. Um...do you...want his watch?”
“His . . . watch?” April’s tone shifts from despair to dubious.
My heart thunders. This was a mistake. “If you give me an address, I can send it.”
“Who are you?”
“Um.” I fight the overwhelming urge to hang up, block her number, and pretend I never met Austin. “Briar.”
“Austin never mentioned a Briar.” April’s tone is biting, and even though she’s a grieving sister, part of me wants to smack her.
“We only met last night. First date.” Horrifyingly, a manic giggle escapes. I bite my lip. “But if you give me an address, I’ll just send you the watch.”
“I’m not comfortable giving out my personal address to a stranger. You can drop it off at the funeral home during the service.” Without another word, the line goes dead.
Fuck. I stare at the dark screen in disbelief. Not only is Austin dead, but now his sister is obviously suspicious of me.
This date literally couldn’t have gone any worse. I need a long, hot shower to scrub off the ghostly feel of Austin’s hands on me.
My phone buzzes with a text from Mack.
