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“Or we can try it again.” He spoke a little louder, as if to hold her there. I curled my fingers into a fist. “Look, I’m really sorry you got caught in the crossfire between me and Beckett.”
“The crazy part is, Hill,” she emphasized his name, “we weren’t even dating, so you used an innocent person for your reindeer games.”
“And for that, I’m sorry.” I could see him work his jaw. I assumed Hill wasn’t used to a woman standing up to him. “You were important to him, though, so that’s why you were my target.”
“No one is important to Ty,” she said in a crisp tone, and though I knew it was an act, it still hit my gut hard. “He’s not interested in anyone. He has his eyes set on one thing, and that’s getting back to Afghanistan.”
That was the hook she needed. I saw his shoulders straighten as he pulled in his chin to stare right at her.
“Is he going back?”
“Yeah, the last I heard, he was.” She was good. “Why do you care?” She put her hands on her hips. “I’d think you’d want him as far away from you as possible.”
He eyed her for a moment, most likely trying to figure out what she knew.
“Why’d you say that?”
“Ty said you two weren’t meant to be in the same country. I just figured you were both type A assholes, and the struggle for power was just too much.”
“Hill.” Dustin appeared out of nowhere. “A word?”
“Did I say you could approach me?” Hill snapped, then backed off as he must have realized his true colors showed. His face rearranged into a friendly one as he backpedaled. “What’s up, buddy?”
Ivy stuck her hand out and introduced herself to him. “Ah, hi. I’m a friend of Hill’s.”
He wiped a hand over his chin. Just then, a big group came in singing football chants, and I lost my view of them. When the crowd cleared, Hill was gone, and Dustin walked away from Ivy. She approached the far end of the bar and ordered a drink without looking my way.
“I’ll give you ten minutes, that’s all.” The bartender leaned in then motioned for me to follow her out back. I tapped Ivy on the back to follow as we headed for the door.
“Not her.” The woman glared at Ivy as we stood in a low-lit kitchen area.
“Why?” I asked before Ivy could. “Because she was talking to Hill?”
“Exactly.”
“You misunderstand. I’m with Ty.” Ivy stepped forward. “We’re trying to find out information on Hill.” The bartender closed her eyes and chewed her bottom lip while she thought. “I’m a psychologist with the US military. You can look me up. I’m not someone you need to be concerned about, honest.” Ivy opened her purse and pulled out a business card and pressed it into her hand. “Please, we just have a few questions.”
“Fine.” She tucked the card in her back pocket then folded her arms. “What do you wanna know?”
“What happened to your husband?” I took over. “How was he killed?”
“Do you want the story they fed the public or the real one?”
“Real.”
“Hill shot my husband straight through the heart.” Her eyes watered. “All because one night they were having drinks here when Captain Flex came in with some girls. Hill was all over one of them, and I swear she wasn’t a day over sixteen. Phil tried to intervene at the end of the night. The girl wasn’t even into him. I saw the entire thing. She was tipsy, and it was obvious she couldn’t handle him. Anyway, one thing led to another, and Hill tried to take her home. Phil outright asked in front of everyone if she wanted him to drive her home. She said she did, and all the guys gave Hill shit for losing the girl to Phil after that. Didn’t matter we were friggin’ married at the time. My husband was a good guy. He had three sisters, and his mom raised him to look out for them. Look where that got him.” She sniffed.
“But how do you know Hill shot your husband?” I cut in. “Do you have any proof, witnesses, camera footage?”
“Do you want a reenactment? Shit.” The woman was on the verge of losing it. I looked at Ivy for help. I wasn’t good at being gentle with stuff like this.
Ivy came to my aid. “We’re sorry. The truth is Ty and Hill were in Afghanistan together, and Ty lost one of his men to Hill, and he’s trying to find a way to prove he killed him.”
“Really?” She looked up at me, and I saw her defenses lower. “Let me guess. He did it without any witnesses around?”
“No American witnesses, anyway.” I swallowed sharply. “There was an Afghan mother and her two daughters, so as far as the military goes, it’s my word against his, and now some of his friends have spoken up and backed up Hill’s story.”
“Same.” She nodded, but that just confused me. How was it the same? Ivy slowly shook her head and went on to dig more.
