by Denise Wells
“I think it was a warning,” David says, his face still pale.
“A warning for what? Something happen? I don’t think you’re giving me the full picture here, Tremblay. Why don’t you start from the beginning and tell me everything that happened, and don’t leave anything out this time.”
“Fine. I went to the bathroom. Someone in a ski mask snuck up behind me when I was at the urinal and tried to slit my throat. I must have moved or something because they were only able to cut my bow tie. Thank god I did, or I’d be dead now.”
“I’m sure your ninja like reflexes saved your life. Impressive,” I say drily, then turn to Andrews and say, “Will you radio out and see if anyone has seen a guy with a knife and a ski mask?”
Andrews raises a brow as though he can’t believe the request. I don’t blame him. “I know. Just do it.” I sigh. Andrews takes off down the hall, radio raised to his mouth as he goes.
Sometimes I hate this part of the job, where it feels like we are paying more attention to protecting the bad guy instead of the good. Not only has he interrupted my time with Daria, but he did it before she answered my question about a compromise.
And something doesn’t add up with his story. The main thing being that no killer with even a modicum of skill is going to miss the neck and cut the bowtie. It makes no sense, which causes me to wonder if it really happened at all. Maybe Tremblay just wants us to think someone is after him.
Though, someone did try to shoot us at the drop house. Or at least shoot near us. If they were warning shots, they were good ones. And if this was a warning, why warn him again? Wasn’t the first time enough? Unless he’s got more than one person trying to warn him because more than one person wants to kill him. Wouldn’t surprise me.
“What do we do now? Go on lockdown?” David asks, looking amped up.
“Lockdown?” I ask.
“Yeah, you know, like in the movies when they don’t want anyone to leave so they can catch the perp?”
“You want me to interrupt the wedding of the fucking year and put everyone on lockdown?”
“Well, I don’t want to be killed.”
“What really happened, Tremblay?”
“I told you what happened.”
“I’m not buying it.”
“I don’t know what to tell you.”
“Two attempts on your life, in almost as many days, both unsuccessful?”
He nods in response even though the question was more rhetorical in nature than anything else. Daria comes into the hall, I drink her in. Her dress is gold lace with a nude colored lining to cover the essentials. Long sleeves, high neck, short skirt, no back, sexy as fuck.
“She’s here too?” David asks.
I raise a brow at him.
“I saw Quinn already. She wasn’t invited, so what the fuck? Do you think this is a free for all?”
Daria comes to stand by me, and I put an arm around her waist, pulling her to me.
“My invitation included a plus one. So did Reed’s. Hence Daria and Quinn.”
“What, are Reed and Quinn seeing one another now?” Tremblay asks.
“You’d have to ask him,” I answer.
“Fucking ridiculous.”
“Darling, there you are.” Laurel joins us, taking Tremblay’s hand in hers. “I was looking all over for you. We’ll be cutting the cake soon.” She reaches up to straighten his bow tie, then realizes that it’s in pieces. “Oh my, what happened to your bow tie?”
“Uh, that’s my fault,” I say before I can think too much on it.
She looks at me curiously.
“I was showing him a magic trick that went a little wrong.”
“Who are you?” She studies me in earnest. “I don’t believe we’ve met. Laurel Tremblay.” She holds her hand out. I take it mine and shake gently.
“Mack Murphy, with security detail.”
“Oh, that explains it.” She waves a hand in the air. Her way of invalidating my existence as hired help instead of invited guest. She looks to Daria, her gaze going from the top of Daria’s head, down to her feet, and back again. “And the security guard invited a guest. How sweet.” Her tone, anything but.
“Honey, let’s go check on the cake, shall we?” David takes Laurel’s hand in his and leads her away.
“She’s a bitch,” Daria says.
“It’s only fitting.”
“Agreed.”
“Let me ask you a question.” I wait for her to look at me and nod before continuing. “You ever give someone you’re going to take out a warning shot?”
“Not often, but sometimes.”
“How many times?”
“What do you mean?”
“Like, one on Wednesday then another on Thursday? Just one only. Five on Wednesday, what?”
“One time, one day. And not always. Why?”
“Tremblay thinks tonight was another warning to him. Like the shots the other day.” I pause as a couple walks out into the hallway, the woman giggling and clutching at the arm of the man she’s with. Immediately wondering what it will take to have Daria giggling next to me and holding onto my arm. Not that Daria is a much of a giggler. Or an arm holder. “Something about his story doesn’t match up. He claims the guy snuck up behind him, wearing a ski mask, and attempted to slit his throat, but cut his bow tie instead.”
“His bow tie?” She gestures to her neck.
I nod to clarify. “Right in half.”
“Someone who wanted to kill him wouldn’t make that kind of mistake.”
“That’s what I said.” I pause, then ask her what I really want to. “What do you think the chances are that he did it to himself to throw us off?”
“Throw you off what?”
“Mislead us or just take the focus off him as a scumbag for a minute while we focus on him as a poor victim in fear for his life.”
“He’s always struck me as a weasel, it would make sense if he faked it.”
Quinn comes rushing out of the ballroom, frantically looking right and then left, sees us and runs in our direction. “Mack, you gotta come quick. It’s Reed, I think he’s in trouble.”
Stay tuned for more Dirty Darlings in book two - Dirty Darlings: Pursue coming March 9, 2021. Pre-order your copy here.
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About the Author
Denise Wells has been reading since before she could talk. And to this day, escaping into a book is her go-to activity before anything else.
She likes to write about sassy women and semi-flawed alpha-esque men. Denise’s female characters always have strong friendships, potty mouths, and like to drink—a lot.
Denise is loyal to a fault, a bit too sarcastic, blindingly optimistic, and pretty freakin’ happy with life overall. As a diehard fan of the band The Replacements, Denise would be a rock star in the band if she couldn’t be a writer. She’s even kissed the lead singer, Paul Westerberg, to prove her loyalty.
Home is in the Pacific Northwest where she lives with four special needs dogs, one cat (who’s busy plotting the demise of the dogs), and a husband (BW) who has the patience and tolerance of a saint. And, lest she forget, Denise also lives with too many to count characters inside her head, who will eventually have their stories told.
For more about Denise visit her website at: www.DeniseWells.com
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Also by Denise Wells
DIRTY DARLINGS TRILOGY
Dirty Darlings: Identify
Dirty Darlings: Pursue - March 9, 2021 Pre-order here
Dirty Darlings: Capture - April 13, 2021 Pre-order here
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/> THE LADIES OF SAN SOLOMAN
Keeping Kat - May 11, 2021
Romancing Remi - June 8, 2021
Loving Lexie - July 13, 2021
Seducing Sadie - August 10, 2021
Trusting Tenley - September 14, 2021
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STANDALONES
Pour Decisions, a romantic comedy novella in the Girl Power Collection
How to Ruin Your Ex’s Wedding, a romantic comedy
I Heart Mason Cartwright, a romantic comedy
Rebel without a Claus, a M/M romance novella
Breaking Dylan, a dark high school “romance”
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ANTHOLOGIES
STORYBOOK PUB CHRISTMAS WISHES - Mistle Oh-No, a romantic comedy holiday short
LOCKED AND LOVED: An Isolated Romance Collection - Rocks, but no Rolls, a romantic comedy short story
STORYBOOK PUB - Breezy Like Sunday Morning, a romantic comedy short
SUMMER WITH YOU: Summer Shorts - Limited Release
JUST A LICK - Limited Release
LOVE LETTERS - Limited Release
STOCKING STUFFERS - Limited Release
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AUTHOR WORLDS
Overdrive - A KB Worlds Driven novella - coming 2021
Untitled - A Samantha Cole Suspenseful Seduction World novella - coming 2022