by Jayne Blue
A tiny tremor in his temple raised every alarm bell in my head. But he didn’t blow. Instead, he slowly rose and walked around the table. He leaned over and got right in my face.
“If I want you to get rid of the guy, you’re going to get rid of him. Are we clear?”
My heart leaped into my throat but I kept my breathing even. This was a different, dangerous side of my uncle. Acid fear burned through me but I wouldn’t give into it. “Or?”
His eyes widened. He slammed his fist against the table again, making me jump. But I wouldn’t break his stare.
“Don’t test me, Devin. Not like this. Not ever.”
“Are you asking me to get rid of Jase Randall?”
He exhaled and straightened. A beat passed. Then another. Something shifted in the air. I wouldn’t call it a victory. At best a stalemate.
“Not yet,” he finally said. “But I’ll let you know if I change my mind.”
“Thank you.” It seemed the diplomatic thing to say, but fire raged behind Uncle Cy’s blue eyes and I think the next instant might have been the most perilous of all. He leaned down and put his hands on my shoulders, weighing me down so hard it felt like my spine would crack. Fear made my pulse hammer inside my chest.
“Be very, very careful, niece. Our arrangement is what I say it is. Never forget that.” His voice was a barbed hiss against my ear.
Would he hurt me? I’d heard every rumor about the way he did business, but until that moment, I’d never believed he’d turn that kind of wrath toward me. The realization that I’d been very, very wrong thundered through me and drove the air from my lungs. I didn’t love Uncle Cy the way I had my father. I knew that bothered him. I’d felt affection, respect, and gratitude. Today though, I felt nothing but stone-cold fear.
Chapter Ten
Jase
Something was different about Devin Monday night at The Dive. It wasn’t that she didn’t smile, she rarely did. Tonight though, she seemed to vibrate with nervous energy. Never standing in one place for more than a few seconds. I heard her ask Georgia and the rest of the wait staff the same questions over and over again. And she was avoiding me. When she poked her head through the kitchen door to check with Floyd about the specials she wanted to run, she didn’t come all the way in. It was as if she was using the steel door as some type of shield between us.
I didn’t like it. Not one damn bit.
Detective Gates’s flash drive burned a hole in my pocket. I’d been hanging on to the thing for three days waiting for the chance to do something with it. The knowledge of that something burned through me too.
I knew what I needed to do. This was the job. If I ever wanted to get my badge back, I had to deliver. Devin was a suspect. Of course she was. And yet, God, the thought of using the thing against her made my gut clench. The minute I did it, no matter what happened, I couldn’t take it back. I cared about her. I shouldn’t. But I did.
If I could just buy more time, maybe I could get something concrete on the real mover at The Dive. The best chance I had of doing that was to step things up with Kinney. He knew I was looking to carve out a bigger stake for myself. It was time to put even more pressure on him.
“Floyd, you good for a few minutes?” I yelled over the fryer.
He grumbled something back to me that I took as a yes. I threw my apron on the counter and went out to the bar. Kinney wasn’t back there and that was the first stroke of luck for the evening. I knew just where to find him.
Devin’s head popped up from behind the bar as she straightened and closed the ice bin. Heat shot straight through me as our eyes met. She hadn’t expected to see me and a blush colored her cheeks that made me feel like my heart had just started beating again.
I wanted her. Plain and simple. And it couldn’t go on like this. Just that fraction-of-second pause as I drank in the sight of her might have been too long. I could miss my chance to talk to Kinney. So I did the only thing I could. I stormed past her without saying a word, feeling her eyes boring into my back like fire.
I went out the front door and turned the corner to the alley. Kinney leaned against the wall lighting a cigarette. He waved the flame out of his match as he saw me approach.
“Hey,” I said, taking a place beside him. He offered me a smoke and I declined. This needed to be quick and to the point.
“Nice weather,” he said, his voice dripping with sarcasm.
“I’m done fucking around, Kinney. I need to meet your guy. Tonight.”
“Sounds like your fucking problem.”
Rage made my blood simmer. I took a breath and bit back the urge to grab him by the neck and drive him into the wall.
“It’s about to be your fucking problem. You think I can’t find a dozen different connected assholes like you? Word gets out how much I move, I’ll make sure it gets out you blew me off. Now how’s that going to make you look?”
Kinney laughed but it wasn’t genuine. “Calm the fuck down, man. Nobody’s blowing you off. But you make people nervous.”
“What people?”
“You’ve been in this town a hot minute. What the fuck makes you think you’re so special?”
I envisioned driving a fist through the back of his skull. Instead, I pushed myself off the wall and started to walk away. I heard him take a breath to say something but turned back and cut him off before he could.
“Set it up, Kinney. Tonight. You feel me? I’m not asking again. You’re convenient. That’s all. But I’m thinking I might try my luck down at the college or the river. Last chance.”
His eyes went hard but he didn’t tell me to fuck off. Good boy, Kinney. He smiled and took his phone out of his pocket. That’s your first mistake, asshole. No matter what else happened tonight, I had a new target for Gates’s flashdrive and a ticking clock for getting my hands on it. I’d seen him stash it in a drawer behind the bar when he was working. Piece of cake. He held up a finger then cupped his hand over his mouth. A few hushed words to someone on the other end then Kinney nodded. He clicked off his phone and slid it back into his pocket.
“It’s your lucky night, Jase,” he said. “You know the rest stop off the Langdon Road exit?”
“I can figure it out.”
“Good; two a.m. An hour after the bar closes. And you’d better not be full of shit.”
“I was about to say the same fucking thing to you.”
He smiled again, nodded, then reached into his pocket for another smoke. My pulse throbbed between my ears. There was half a chance Kinney was bullshitting me or setting me up. But it was progress either way.
The phone was easy and I had Kate, the other bartender, to thank for that. She called in sick at the last minute leaving the bar short staffed.
“Jase.” Devin came into the kitchen breathless. Her skin flushed pink with exertion. She’d been running her ass into the ground all night. “I hate to do this to you but the girls need some help out front. Floyd, can you spare him for twenty minutes or so?”
She put a hand on my forearm, her long fingers sliding over my skin. She was keyed up, flustered, not thinking. But the instant she touched me I saw something flare behind her eyes. I think she saw something similar in mine because she moved her hand away as if it burned.
“Fifteen,” Floyd yelled out from the side of his mouth. He kept an unlit cigar on the other side of it tonight, a sure sign he was feeling the stress of his workload. “A second longer and I’m gonna get too backed up here. I’ll have to start sending things out on paper plates, Devin.”
“You do you, Floyd,” she shot back. He grumbled something under his breath that made her lips curl up in a half-smile.
I dried my hands on a towel and threw my apron on a hook as we walked out to the main floor.
“You ever bartended?” she yelled over the crowd.
“Yep,” I said.
“Great. Kinney’s out on the floor helping the girls. Just cover him for a few minutes until the band comes back for another set. Everyone’ll mo
ve off when they do.”
My throat went dry. “Same band from the other night?” I could hide in the kitchen pretty well. If that damn lead singer from The Malcontents was here, and saw me, it could be a problem.
Devin shook her head. “Afraid not. Unfortunately, I’ve got The HolyRocks booked this weekend and next yet. I’m negotiating with the other band for a more permanent arrangement.” Good. With any luck, I’d have this shit wrapped up and it wouldn’t matter what happened with the other band.
I gave Devin a nod and put a hand on the small of her back. The crowd grew thick closer to the bar. I moved in front of Devin, putting my body between hers and the densest part of the crowd, not wanting them to crush her. Her skin burned hot beneath the thin white tee shirt she wore. A tiny vein pulsed near her throat. If her skin jumped from just that slight touch from me, I couldn’t help wondering what another kiss might do.
No time for that now. Devin wasn’t kidding. The bar was swamped to the point of danger if these customers didn’t get their drink orders filled. I looked toward the doors. Boomer had his back to me. She had two other bouncers and I spotted them quickly. They each stood with their arms crossed in front of them and with wide, ready stances on either side of the room. Good. They were paying attention. The last thing we needed was a damn brawl.
I got behind the bar and turned to say something to Devin, but she’d already scooted around me and started working the other end. She gave her customers a tight smile and became all business, mixing drinks and taking orders. I did the same.
My moment came quickly. Devin had her back turned to me and one of the customers ordered a strawberry margarita. The mix we used sat just above the drawer where I hoped to find Kinney’s phone. A quick slight of hand and I’d have what I needed. I got lucky. Extremely fucking lucky. I blocked the drawer with my body. The top of the bar shielded the rest from any prying eyes in front of me. The drive worked just as easy and fast as Gates promised. Kinney’s phone was the only one in the drawer along with his wallet. Dipshit. The progress bar took less than thirty seconds while I mixed one drink and started on another. When the bar flashed green, I reached in, grabbed the flash drive and slipped it back in my pocket. I said a silent prayer that nothing on that phone dump would come back to hurt Devin. Every instinct I had told me it wouldn’t.
I shut the drawer and felt a hand on my back. My body went rigid then Devin stepped around me. “We’re good, Jase. Thanks. You’d better head back before Floyd comes out looking for you.”
I laughed. “Does Floyd even know how to find his way out of the kitchen? I don’t think I’ve ever seen him out from behind that grille.”
She laughed. The first genuine one I’d heard from her in days. “Oh, he finds his way out fast enough when it’s payday.”
“Good to know.” I gave her a salute and turned to leave. This earned Devin a round of boos from a group of women waiting to place their orders. They were part of a bachelorette party and apparently weren’t done looking at me. I shot Devin a wink. “You sure you got this handled?”
“Oh, pipe down,” Devin said to the women. “You’re not his type.”
I gave the girls a little bow and flexed my pecs. Devin threw a chip of ice at me. I gave her a look and I think she knew exactly what crossed my mind. Everything in me wanted to reach out and give her a playful swat on the ass. But I know how to mind my manners when I have to. A look of pure sin passed over her and heat shot straight to my dick. Yeah. Maybe letting her keep her distance was the wisest course of action. The air felt hotter out here than it did in the kitchen so I knew I better get back to it.
My step lightened as I turned and walked away. Tonight was a breakthrough. I had Kinney’s cell phone data and the promise of a meeting later. Finally, I thought maybe there was a light at the end of this particular tunnel.
Of course, I should have known that just meant I was about to get hit by a train.
Chapter Eleven
Devin
I got the last of the bartenders cashed out. Even with The HolyRocks, I knew receipts were going to break records tonight. One step closer, I told myself. I could pay off Uncle Cy’s loan and hopefully get his talons off the bar for good.
“Goodnight, Devin,” Leslie called out. “Tonight was great.”
I nodded as I kept up the mental count of bills as I reconciled the drawer. I made all those Hamiltons face the same direction then slid them into the zippered bank sleeve. “Hey, Les, is Kinney still in the back?”
She yawned and slid her purse over her shoulder. “I don’t think so. He asked Roy to do his count. I think he’s got a date yet tonight or something. You want me to call him?”
I let out a grumble and shook my head. “No. I’ll deal with him tomorrow.” Kinney could be a problem in that regard. Letting Roy close for him was not okay with me and he knew it. Luckily, everyone’s count was square. Leslie shut the main lights as she headed out the front door. Boomer went with her to make sure she got to her car okay. Well, I think it was mostly that. He also had a massive crush on her.
“We all set?” Roy said as he came from the back room.
“We are good, my friend. We are more than good. Thanks for everything. You guys were on fire tonight.”
“All right then. I’ll see you tomorrow night.” He was halfway out the door before he turned and smacked his head. “Oh shit, Devin. I completely forgot. The CO2 needs to be switched. You want me to get it before I leave?”
I shook my head. “I’ll do it. I’ll forget if I wait until tomorrow. You go on and enjoy whatever’s left of your night.”
Roy laughed. “Who do you think I am? It’s one in the morning, Dev. I’m going to sleep.”
I raised a brow. “Sure you are, playuh. I’ll make sure to tell your mama that when she calls.”
Roy gave me a sheepish smile and a thumbs-up as he pushed his way out the front door. I closed out the drawer and went back to my office to put the drawer in the safe. I’d do the deposits first thing in the morning. I was about to grab my purse to head out when I remembered the CO2. Shit. It could wait until morning, but I was just OCD enough not to let it. Except with Roy gone, that was likely the last of the muscle.
“Dev?”
Jase’s deep voice made me freeze. We had a moment earlier. I hadn’t seen him since. The door to my office popped open and Jase stuck his head in. Those dark brown eyes of his glinted and a sultry smile lit his face.
“Uh. Hey. Thanks again, Jase. You really helped me out in a crunch.”
“Anytime, Devin. You should know that by now. All you have to do is ask.”
I was about to tell him goodnight, then I remembered. “Oh. Hey. Can I ask one last thing before you go? I want to switch out the lines downstairs before I leave or I’ll forget in the morning. I could use a little muscle. You got a minute?”
He gave me an odd look and for a second I thought he was going to say no.
“Oh. It’s okay. If you need to be someplace.”
Jase shook his head and smiled. “I’ve got time. Like I said, all you have to do is ask.”
I put my purse back on the desk and smoothed my hair where it had sprung free from my ponytail holder. I brushed past Jase as I walked through the door and every nerve in my body seemed to sizzle. I almost regretted asking him to stay. Almost.
I fumbled for the light switch leading down into the basement. Jase held the door for me then followed close behind. We made it halfway down the stairs before the door creaked behind us. My blood turned to ice. I turned on my heel and tried to push past Jase to get back up the stairs before the door slammed shut.
Too late.
“Oh fuck!” I said, sagging against the railing.
“What?” Jase stood two steps above me; the fluorescent light behind me flickered and buzzed.
I smacked my palm to my forehead. “The fucking latch is broken. Shit. I forgot to say something. We’ve been propping it open with a wedge at the top of the stairs.”
“Ok
ay?” He turned and put his hand on the knob. It took him a beat before the situation fully dawned on him. By then, I’d sunk down and sat on the step. “Devin?”
“Please tell me you have your cell phone on you.”
Jase’s eyes widened. “Uh. No. It’s in my jacket hanging on a hook in the kitchen.”
I rested my head on my forearm. “God. I’m so sorry. Jase, we’re locked in.”
Color drained from his face. He started to mouth something. Before I could make it out, the fluorescent light flickered one last time, flashed bright, then blew out, pitching us in total darkness.
“This is not happening.” I planted my hands wide on the stair where I sat. Blinking hard, I waited for my eyes to adjust to the light. There was none. Just inky blackness as if we were at the bottom of a mine shaft, not the basement steps.
“Sit tight.” Jase’s voice boomed above me and the stairs creaked as he walked back up them. He pounded on the door loud enough to shake the staircase. I pressed my back against the cold cement wall. “Hey! You still up there, Floyd?”
I knew he wasn’t. Other than Jase, Roy had been the last one out the door. I heard metal scrape as Jase tried to force the latch and knew that was also no use.
“Jase, stop. You’re going to hurt yourself.”
“You’ve got to be fucking kidding me,” he said, more to himself than to me. The stairs bounced as he bounded back down them. I put a hand up and stopped him before he stepped on me. My fingers closed around the hard muscles of his thigh. He felt solid and warm.
“You don’t have your phone on you either?”
“Nope. It’s in my purse up in my office.”
He slammed something, probably a fist against the railing hard, making me jump.
“What’s down here?”