If Phelan had genuine info, then of course I wanted to know what it was. But another part of me just wanted to go back to Main Street with Keira. Have our dinner out, an actual date, as if I had nothing else to worry about except making her smile.
Lately, I’d been wishing for an alternate reality more and more. A different version of our lives where Keira and I could be together without any complications. Where I’d never leftHart County at all, and she’d never been shot, and I wasn’t…me.
“I want to meet with him,” Keira said. “I want to know what Phelan is up to. Every other lead has dried up.”
“Then we’ll stay.”
“But I’m going in armed.” She reached over to her glovebox and pulled out her concealed holster and service weapon.
“You brought a gun on our date?”
Keira smirked. “Like it’s that strange. I’m still a cop. You’re just annoyed we didn’t take your truck. I know you keep your SIG Sauer in there all the time now. And a knife or two as well.”
I shrugged. She wasn’t wrong. “Might be hard to keep a Glock concealed in that dress.”
Neither of us had changed out of our new clothes. There hadn’t been much chance. And I did have a small hope of getting dinner with her after our chat with Phelan.
Keira dug in the back seat and produced a cardigan. After putting on her concealed holster, she pushed her arms into the light sweater. It was just loose enough to obscure the weapon. “See? I’ve got all kinds of stuff in here. Betty’s a very good car. I missed her when I couldn’t drive.”
“Betty? You named your car Betty? How is this the first I’m hearing of it?”
Keira arranged her braid. Soft curls framed her face. “You don’t know everything, Reynolds. You think you’re mysterious, but I’ve got some mysteries to me too.”
Grinning, I cupped the back of her neck. “I know you do. I’d love to solve every one.” I leaned in for a kiss. Then another.
Fuck Donny Phelan, I thought to myself. We could stand him up. Drive away right now and enjoy our eveningtogether. I would give her the gift I’d bought and,maybe, we could try to make this work for real.
But that was just a fantasy talking. The only reason Keira and I were together right now was the mission.
So I reluctantly pulled away. “Let’s take a closer look before he gets here,” I said.
She nodded.
We checked the bathrooms and the perimeter of the park until we were satisfied. No sign of anyone else waiting or any surveillance. We chose the picnic table with the best position and waited.
Right on time, another car pulled into the lot. A door opened. Phelan slunk toward us.
He’d left the cowboy hat somewhere, probably in his vehicle, and his dishwater brown hair was lank. Even the diamond stud in his ear seemed dull, lacking its usual shine.
Keira sat on top of the picnic table, sandals resting on one bench, while I hovered beside her. “Out with it, Donny,” I said. “What’s this about?”
He kept glancing around. “I told you they’ve been watching me.”
Keira crossed her arms and lifted her chin. “Crosshairs Security?”
Phelan sucked in a breath. “You know them?”
“We know they work for you,” she responded.
“It started that way.” He rubbed his eyes. “I moved here last year to expand my business. People love the rugged cowboy, Marlboro-man persona, you know?”
I held back an eye roll as he kept talking.
“I met a guy at a strip club one night. Nox Woodson. He told me he worked as a bodyguard for a company called Crosshairs Security, and if I ever needed anything, I should give him a call.”
Keira and I exchanged a glance.
“Then a few weeks later, I started getting threats. Anonymous messages claiming to be from disgruntled customers who were going to tell everyone I was a fraud. Ruin me.”
