“He’s involved in the investigation into the gang Eddie belongsto.”
“When did thathappen?”
“Eddie orChris?”
“Chris.”
“Monday.”
“Hmm.”
No bombardment? No twenty questions? “That’s it? ‘Hmm?’”
Bree stood. “Oh, I’ve got more. I’m just going to wait and see how todaygoes.”
Rolling her eyes, she pushed up from the bed. “Today will be fine. We can all be grownadults.”
Bree paused with her hand on the doorknob. “One piece of advice? If you don’t want to get caught, don’t run. I have a feeling he likes the chase.” She winked and breezed out thedoor.
What the hell does thatmean?
Chapter 4
Desire punchedChris in the gut. Somehow or another, Denise had only become more beautiful since the last time he’d seen her. He’d thought it the other day when he found her instead of her cousin. Jesus, that had thrown him for a damn loop. He tried to remember if she’d ever mentioned her cousin’s name, but he didn’t think shehad.
She twisted her thick, honey-blond hair up into a knot on top of her head and wrapped a rubber band around it. Standing with her hands on her hips she looked down at the little boy he knew was her cousin. Second cousin? Although both he and the little girl called her “Aunt,” so who knew. He had wondered for a second if she’d kept having kids from him when they were together. They were both mini versions of her. Same hair and eye color. He made a mental note to dig up a picture of Sarah Reed to see how similar she and Deniselooked.
He pushed his hair away from his forehead. It’d gotten longer than he liked to keep it while he’d been undercover. Though on the list of shit he’d had to concede, it was pretty damnlow.
Leaving Denise with no warning at all topped the list. She was holding a grudge, not that he could blame her. Trying to pass her a message at the last minute hadn’t been ideal, but she of all people should understand sometimes the job took more than you expected. Her indifference to his return bugged the crap out of him. Running into her at her cousin’s hadn’t been the plan. The plan had been to call her and then take her out to dinner, explain everything to her—what had gone down and why he’d been called in so suddenly. Apologize and make it right, hopefully pick back up where they’d left it. Or at least close to where they’d leftit.
Jase approached him with a beer in each hand and held one out to him. “You good,man?”
Chris took the beer and raised it in a silent toast. “As good as can be expected.” Which was pretty damn bad, all things considered. He downed a good portion of thebottle.
“What’s up with your leg?” Jase pointed with the bottom of hisbeer.
Chris looked down and sighed. “Took a knife to the thigh.” More like ahatchet.
“Shit. What the hellhappened?”
Chris swallowed a sip of beer. “I’ll tell you when the drinks are stronger and the ears aren’t so small.” He nodded his head toward Kaden, who stood with his hand on one of the dogs, staring atthem.
Jase looked between Kaden and Chris. “Why does he look like you’re going to steal hisdog?”
“I didn’t get the warmest reception from Denise when I showed up at their house the other day looking for hismom.”
“Sarah?” Jase asked. “She’s inhospice.”
The little girl, Kimber, called Kaden’s name and he walked away fromthem.
“Yeah. We didn’t have that intel,” Chrissaid.
“Intel? Ah, fuck. Is this about herex?”
Chris’s focus honed in on his friend. “You know abouthim?”
Jase shook his head. “Just enough to know it’s a good thing he’s injail.”
