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He flashed a playful smirk. “If you can.”
Oh, I would refuse when the time came. “You have three months, Calvin Ashby. Use them wisely.”
“I will.” There was a promise in his tone that I wanted to believe, but people didn’t change so easily. Cal was mired in grief so thick; I was starting to think he liked feeling like shit.
Ava Rose’s cries sounded from the monitor attached to his pocket, and he pointed to it. “Can you? I got some shit I need to do.”
“That’s properly vague, but sure. I’ll go up to her in a sec.” I cast one last, longing look at all the shiny new apartments for rent before closing the laptop with a sigh.
I’d find my new home soon. Three months was all I could take.
CHAPTER THIRTY
Jameson
“Smells damn good in here.” I stood inside the kitchen at my childhood home, watching Ma stirring and tasting three pots bubbling on the stove. “What’s for dinner?”
She flashed a smile at me over her shoulder. “Jameson! I haven’t seen you in forever. Get over here and give your mom a kiss.”
My feet were on the move, and I wrapped her in a tight hug. “Hey, Ma. How are you?”
“Good. Better now that my boys are here for dinner.” She patted my cheek and gave me a long, studious look, checking to make sure that all was right in my world. “How are you, Jameson? Settling into the job?”
I let out a long sigh and nodded. “As much as I can, sure. The FBI task force is a lot, but I’m also learning a lot.”
Agent Beck was pushing the limits of my patience and this damn investigation felt like it was going nowhere, but that was the job.
“Need some help with dinner?”
“Not at the moment. Your dad is still at the clubhouse, and your brother is in the attic, digging out one of the serving platters I misplaced. Go check on Savannah?”
The question was hesitant, as if she thought there was some tension between us.
“Sure, Ma. No problem.”
I found Savannah in the middle of the backyard, looking at the stars as they popped out in the sky. “Penny for your thoughts?”
She sent me a half-smile and half a laugh. “Is that the going rate for thoughts these days?”
“It is for a rookie cop with a shit salary.” I grinned.
Savannah laughed and turned to me, curiosity burning in her blue eyes. “What’s wrong?”
“Wrong?”
“Yeah. You’re out here with me when we both know I’m not your favorite person.”
“Correction, you used to be not my favorite person. I can see now that you and Charlie are perfect for each other, and I’m happy for you. I have no issues with you, Savannah.”
“Thanks for that, Jameson.”
I shrugged. “It’s true. I’m sure you’ll be part of the family soon and that makes you family to me.” I was happy to find her out here. Alone. “But I do have something to tell you and here is as good as any place, I guess.”
Her eyes widened. “Bad news?”
I nodded and told her about finding Tits’ body. “She had an Ace of spades carved into her back while she was still alive. Charlie mentioned you were with her when you two met, so I figured you’d want to know.”
“Polina’s dead?”
I pulled my lips into a grim line and nodded, and her shoulders fell. Savannah had been through too much, was too fucking strong to shed a tear, but I could see how the news devastated her. “I owe her my life.”
I suspected as much. Tits had gone against her boyfriend and her own best interest to help Savannah, which is probably why she was rotting in a morgue.
“Other than the carving, we have no leads. No forensics.”
She nodded as understanding dawned. “I’ll make sure the world does right by Polina, Jameson. I swear.” Savannah flashed a sad smile and took a step closer. “Thank you for telling me.” She wrapped her arms around me and squeezed.
“Get your hands off my woman,” Charlie growled from the porch, but I heard the smile in his voice.
“She’s got her hands all over me, bro. She knows I’m irresistible.”
“Riiiight. Dinner’s ready.”
We sat at the table, the extra setting a glaring reminder that I still needed to fix things with Maddie. She hadn’t answered my texts or calls since Friday, not that I blamed her, but the table setting mocked me. I focused instead on all the food scattered around the table.
“Are we expecting an army, Ma?”
She laughed. “No, but I know my guys have big appetites. Have a seat.”
Charlie and Savannah took one side of the table, leaving me to sit beside the empty place setting. “Are we missing someone?” Savannah asked innocently.
Her question ate at me, sending acid bubbling in my gut.
Ma frowned. “Where’s Madison? I thought she’d be here with you tonight.”
