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“She’s sitting right there?” I could always count on the Honorable Darrell Darnell.
“Yes, sir.”
“Give her the phone, and I’ll clear all this right up.”
Holding out the receiver, she jerked it away, smacking it to the side of her head and barking her answer, “Detective Hall.”
I pretended not to enjoy this too much, but it was hard to bite back the grin. Especially when her voice rose on her goodbye to the judge, and she handed the phone back.
I took the receiver like it was made of glass, but it was going to take an act of God to wipe this satisfaction from my face. “Thank you, Your Honor.”
He laughed. “You bet.” Then he hung up, and I set the phone back in its cradle next to my computer.
When I looked up, Hall had her hands braced on my desk and she was leaning over. “Innocent men don’t hide.”
I smiled because I was arrogant enough to be smug. “Detective Hall, I have a business to run. My customers come here because I run it discreetly, and I allow them their indulgences without fear of judgment.” I made it sound so tawdry as if Club Hades was something other than what it was—a place to drink and dance and bet on the illegal fights that occurred in the basement.
She stared at me for a minute, nostrils flaring, eyes dark, before she pushed off the desk and turned to slam out of the room. Her anger made me think of Riley, and once again, I couldn’t resist opening the file on my computer, the one that would put Riley away for the rest of her life and me along with her.
I studied her, noting every detail as she’d stepped into the room, then again when she’d fired the gun and Lars’s head fell forward. Fuck. It wouldn’t have shamed me to jerk off for a second time today. Between the detective and Riley, I was lucky my dick hadn’t exploded already.
I gave it a test stroke through my slacks. It just wasn’t as good if Riley wasn’t watching me and pretending she wasn’t. I rewound the video, zoomed in on her face as she raised the gun, then hit pause. She had such ecstasy written in her expression, in her eyes, visible even through the grainy footage. I could even see the pulse point in her throat ticking with every rapid beat of her heart.
I should’ve deleted the video. I couldn’t go to the Darnell well too many times before it caused trouble for both of us, but I also couldn’t delete such an exquisite video. Instead, I pulled out my keys, the thumb drive on my keyring and transferred the video to it. Then I deleted it from the computer’s memory and ran the scrub program.
It was almost seven when I walked in the house and into the study. I kissed my mother’s cheek, nodded to my father, then my brother. And then my ass slammed shut. Sitting beside my brother in a dress that showed everything but nipple and pussy, Detective Katherine Hall crossed her ankles, held up her crystal tumbler of what was undoubtedly thirty-year-old Scotch, and smiled like she’d just overthrown Hitler.
“Detective. I wasn’t aware there was such a warrant that entitles you to drink the family alcohol.” There was a bite to my tone that resulted from the surprise of her unexpected appearance. Another second for the day.
“I’m an invited guest.” Her smug smile wasn’t any more endearing to me than mine had probably been to her.
I glanced at my brother whose leg her hand landed on. Her thumb stroked with a familiarity I wasn’t a fan of, but I bit back my growl. I poured myself a drink, drank it, then poured another as she stood and walked toward me. “Ash thought it might be a fun way to distract from the darkness of my job.” There was a giggle in her voice yet to escape, but she was having fun at my expense, and I didn’t fucking like it. Plus, now I had to kill my brother. Not that I hadn’t thought of it before, but now it was real.
“Well, to Asher then.” I held up my glass before I took a sip of a third drink. I was calm now. No need to overindulge.
She leaned in close enough, I had a view of her cleavage and a whiff of her perfume. Neither thrilled me. “The joke is on your little brother, Mr. Hawthorne. There isn’t anything he can do that’s going to shift my focus on the real reason I’m here.” She peered at him over her shoulder, and he smiled like he might have known what she was saying. “Although, I might spend the night and let him take his best shot.”
I let her have her play because Riley walked in and up to me. She smiled at Hall. “Detective.” Then she pulled me down for a kiss that should’ve melted the paint in this room. When we parted, Hall was once again sitting beside Asher, her hand back on his leg.
Riley poured herself a tequila from Mom’s stash and shot it like it was water. “What’sshedoing here?”
“Jealous?” I was teasing of course.
She moved between me and the drink cart, then pulled me down for a whisper. Her breath warmed my ear. “Just wondering if you’re going to let me kill the detective tonight.”
Oh, there’s my girl.And my dick stood up for a hello. “Not yet.” The thought of watching that scene play out was almost as intoxicating as the Scotch.
Had my mother not cleared her throat, I might have dragged Riley upstairs. But when Margaret Hawthorne “Ahem-ed,” for whatever reason, the show became hers, and we all filed into the dining room.
I pulled out the chair for Riley, while Ash did the same for Hall, and Pop helped Mom. Then we sat like this was all some choreographed fucking dance. I had the ridiculous urge to toe off my loafers and kick my feet up onto the table. If for no other reason than because it was unexpected and different. But I kept my shoes on and unfolded the napkin, placing it on my lap.
As the first course was served—we were doing fancy dinner that didn’t come from a place with a drive-thru for once—Riley glanced at the server. “I already ate, thank you. I’m here for the company.”
There was a glimmer on her face. A smile like I hadn’t seen before. Part danger, part smug. I had a bad feeling. “Detective, have you made any progress in the investigation into Moni’s death?”
Asher swiveled his gaze to Riley. “I’m sure Katt doesn’t want to spend dinner discussing her work.”
Oh, he’s calling her “Katt” now?
