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Mikayla watched as Jarvis turned, stalked across the room, then threw himself into a threadbare recliner, slouched back, and cupped himself between the thighs as he stared back at Mikayla.
"I was at a nightclub, man," he drawled with a yawn. "I was with friends, though I bet my friends were really there. Can Maddix Nelson say the same?"
"This isn't about Nelson; it's about you, Jarvis." Nik's voice became dark, dangerous, on the edge of deadly.
Like an animal sensing its death just around the corner, Jarvis sat up straighter, his small brown eyes staring back at Nik warily.
"How's it about me?" Jarvis swallowed, giving Nik his full attention now.
"Why were you at the job site the day Eddie was killed?" Nik stood tall, firm, his feet planted slightly apart, his arms relaxed at his sides, as he questioned Jarvis again. The intimidation value was ratcheting. The way Nik stood, Jarvis could catch just the slightest glimpse of the Glock Nik carried at his side, beneath the light leather jacket he'd pulled on before he and Mikayla left the house.
"Look, I just needed my job back." Jarvis's gaze was trained on the area where the gun rested. "I wasn't there for no trouble and I didn't start none. I wanted my job back, we argued, and I left. No biggie."
"Why were you fired, Jarvis? What made Eddie let you go?" Nik's voice lowered, became darker.
"Because he was an ass," Jarvis breathed out roughly. "Some materials were missing and he had to blame someone. I didn't steal nothin'. I had no reason to. But he had to blame someone, so he fired me. If I'd stole 'em, then I wouldna come back like that."
"You were pissed at him then," Nik pressed.
"Hell, yeah, I was pissed." Jarvis's gaze flicked to Nik's face. "But I didn't kill him, man. I had no reason to kill him."
Fear was beginning to glitter in Jarvis's dark brown eyes and bead on his forehead as perspiration dampened it. He looked like a man facing a firing squad, and Mikayla couldn't blame him. If Nik had turned that look on her, then she would have probably gone running home to her parents.
"Did you see anything strange or unusual while you were there? Anything out of the ordinary?" Nik finally asked.
"Not that day." Jarvis shook his head. "That last week, though. I was there after work. Eddie was talkin' to some guy. Big guy. He looked familiar, but I couldn't get a good enough look. Dark curly hair, maybe a goatee, I'm not sure." He shook his head.
"That's all I know, man. Ask Maddix Nelson if you need anything else. Everyone knows Mikayla don't lie for no one. If she says he shot Eddie, then you better fucking believe he 147
shot Eddie." Jarvis nodded to Mikayla with a plea in his eyes, as though he were begging her to get Nik out of the apartment.
She almost rolled her eyes. Yeah, he was going to listen to her for sure. She didn't think so.
"Eddie, I find out you're lying to me and I'll be back," Nik promised, and there was no doubt in Mikayla's or
Jarvis's mind that he meant every word of it. Jarvis was still nodding as Nik turned, gripped Mikayla's arm, and they left the apartment.
"The bar won't be open until later," she told him as they walked back to the truck.
"You intend to check out his alibi, right?"
She glanced up as Nik leveled a hard stare down at her.
"I'm not Jarvis," she informed him, irritation creeping into her voice. "That look doesn't scare me." Yet.
He grunted. As they crossed the yard he pointed the remote to the truck, and a second later it started with a smooth hum. It didn't take him long to walk around the truck, check it out, then open the door and lift her inside.
Mikayla buckled her seat belt and waited as he came around, got in the truck, and reversed out of the parking spot.
"Gina Foreman," he growled. "I called her this morning. She agreed to meet with us if we showed up before she went to work."
Mikayla's lips parted in surprise. "Gina? She wouldn't talk to me at all."
"I had some help," he informed her. "Her boss called her and gave her the goahead to talk to us."
"And you pulled this off how?" Mikayla asked sweetly, anger churning inside her now.
"My charming personality." His voice was dark and rough, the smile he shot her all teeth.
