AllFreeNovel
Share Us
He glanced at Jason. A flicker of the stormy, crashing waves swirls in his variegated green irises, then the calm resumes. “Don’t give him your savings.”
Ah, he is assuming I am emptying out my savings to appease Jason. That’s a good sign that he has no idea how or where I get my funds. Relief shoves through to my brain and flops down in a recliner with a sigh. I shake my head, bringing me back to the situation at hand. Jason. I turn and look at my ex-fiancé with a whole different outlook.
I see him as a skinny, hungry feline searching for a handout. Blaze is right. Jason says he’ll never come back, but he will. My ability to win money is an easy solution for him. He doesn’t care that it could mean I lose my grip on sanity and put a gun in my mouth if I lose. All he is thinking is that he let go of his golden goose.
“Jason.” I swallow hard. “Blaze is right. I’m not going to give you a single dime. You have everything of mine. I came here with nothing. If that is all gone, that’s on you. It’s not my responsibility to fill your coffers again and again. Do me a favor.”
Jason eyes widened. There was a twinkle of hope. What an idiot!
“Go home. This is my town, not yours. You belong in Denver. I belong in Deadwood.” I grit my teeth. “And don’t ever come here again!”
Jason’s eyes dart to Blaze’s. “This is your doing!” He screams, lunging past me, his arms flailing like an out-of-balance propeller. He connects one wild fist to Blaze’s cheek. Blaze steps back, blocking the next out-of-control swing. In the blink of an eye, Blaze has Jason in a thumb lock, with his arm behind his back. Jason is leaning forward, on his tiptoes, and crying out in pain.
Nice move. I suppress my smile.
“Blaze. Be careful.” I say, just because it seems like I should. His eyes lift to mine. He, too, is suppressing his mirth.
“Let go!” Jason squeals like a startled pig. “Please! I promise to leave! I promise!”
Blaze eases up, and Jason comes down off his tippy toes. “If I see you or your car in town again, I’ll have you arrested.”
Jason, now standing without the physical restraint has regained his smug attitude. He lifts his chin slightly as he faces Blaze. “You cannot arrest me for no good reason.”
Blaze leans into Jason as if he were going to press noses. “Trust me, I can always find a reason.”
Jason’s confidence fades. “I’ll just be going,” he mutters. Flitting his gaze back to me he smiles. “Maribeth, it was good to see you’re doing alright.”
I tilt my head in disbelief at his continued audacity. “Yeah, whatever.”
Blaze opens my front door and steps back to let Jason out.
Jason slinks past him and trots down the stairs. I hear his motor rev to live and he peals out of my drive, slinging loose gravel as he backs away. His tires squeal and leave black streaks on the asphalt as he tears down my street. I turn to Blaze. “How did you know?”
Blaze shrugs. “I am a detective.”
“Yeah. Thanks.”
I consider him, standing there so tall and handsome. My libido closes her eyes and inhales the scent of him, strong and masculine. His pheromones oozing into my atmosphere from the altercation with Jason. If only he wasn’t a detective. The detective who is assigned to find out where the underground poker games were taking place. If only that wasn’t his assignment.
Then I’d jump his bones. Right here, right now. Save a horse, sort of thing. We would have a very different morning from how it actually began or how it was about to end.
“You’re welcome,” He says in a gravelly, lust filled voice. Was he fighting the same bad angel on his left shoulder that I was?
“Well,” I say for lack of anything else while shoving my elbow into the face of my libido who is trying to rush past me and grab Blaze by the ears for a round of tonsil hockey. “See ya.” I hold the door for him.
He hesitates, then dips his head and walks out.
I shut the door and rush to a cold shower.
Chapter Ten?
“U available 4 lunch?” I text Michelle, knowing she is at work.
“Yes, if we can meet @ 1?” She answers.
“Sure. Buffalo’s?” I reply.
“Yes.”
