“I know.”
“Say it.”
She peeks up at me from over her shoulder. “I’m yours, Gray. Only yours.”
“Come home with me.”
Her painted lips lift with a wide grin. “Well, yeah.”
“Now.” My demand is a boom across the noisy space.
She gasps. “Now?”
“Did I stutter?”
“But I’m having fun.” Sutton pouts, peeking up at me from under lowered lashes. “Thirty more minutes?”
I’m weak for this woman. She knows that indisputable fact, probably too well. I press a branding kiss to her mouth. “Fine. I’m gonna take a piss and step outside for some air. You’ve wound me tighter than a fist. I’ll be back in five. Don’t steal any hearts while I’m gone.”
She shoots me a wink. “I’ll only break them.”
“That’s my girl.” I fuse our lips together once more for good measure. She smiles into me and I grab a handful of her ass. When we split, I’m a tad breathless. Damn.
I stride backward through the crowd, keeping her locked in my sight until the swarm swallows her. The bathroom reeks like an outhouse. My boots stick to the rank floor as I rush to do my business. I don’t want to spend longer than a minute in this pit. After I’m drained, I zip up and rinse my hands. The lack of soap and paper towels doesn’t surprise me.
I shove through the backdoor into the alley, metal hitting brick with a resounding bang. The sound reminds me of when I dragged Sutton out here to get away from Deputy Dipshit. A chuckle rises off my chest. How much has changed. A quick glance in both directions shows I’m alone. I could suggest a quickie up against the wall. Her skimpy clothes would come in handy.
The evening air is crisp and biting. Normal functioning returns to my brain. Half hour. I can wait that long. The fire in my veins has cooled slightly. I’m about to head inside when a figure appears at the alley entrance. Lance Fucking Morris. Did my earlier thoughts summon him? I caught him hovering on the opposite side of the bar earlier. He’s been here with Molly, but was smart enough to keep his distance. That break I was granted is apparently over.
The air shifts, sending rotten waves around us. Lance isn’t in uniform. Off-duty is easier to deal with when it comes to this asshole. I straighten and widen my stance, staring at him straight on. He smiles at me, but I see right through it.
“Hey, Grady. Didn’t expect to find you out here.”
I grunt at his blatant bullshit. “No? Who are you looking for?”
He rocks on his heels. “A moment alone. Kinda loud in there.”
“Well, I’ll leave you to it.” I take a step toward the door.
His question halts my retreat. “How’s Sutton?”
I squint at him, getting a good look. “Great, as always.”
“Isn’t that nice for you.”
“Sure is.” Pinpricks creep along my neck. I belatedly realize that he’s no longer smiling. At some point in our conversion, that grin collapsed into a sneer. His usually aloof mannerisms are absent. “You okay, Morris?”
Lance’s tone is more of a snarl. “No, Grady. I’m not fucking all right.”
And I couldn’t care less. Something prods at the back of my brain. I should get out of this creepy alley. But this guy clearly sought me out for a reason. “Is there something I can do for you?”
“Get out of my way.”
“What?” I glance over my shoulder. This dude has to be on something.
He cracks his neck. “I figured you’d skip town once that dumpster diving piece of trailer trash died. But no. You stuck around for Sutton.”
I narrow my eyes into deadly thin slits. “My mother wasn’t award-winning, but don’t talk about her that way.”
