“Should I have?”
“Probably not,” I said. “I’ve heard they’re pretty private.”
“Then how would I know who they are?”
Yep, he still wasn’t convinced. He never would have talked to me in that tone last fall.
I leaned closer, keeping my voice low. “This is important, Bobby. I’m working a human-trafficking case.”
He flinched, his eyes widening.
“Does our agreement still hold?” I asked. “That whatever we tell each other stays anonymous? Make no mistake, it still does on my end. I need to know it holds true on yours.”
He hesitated a moment, then nodded. “Yeah.”
Relief washed through me, but I didn’t linger on it. “Thank you.” I leaned in a little more. “The Knoxes are running an operation here in Little Rock. Are you sure you’ve never heard of them?”
He shook his head. “No, never. I can ask around if you want.”
I would love nothing more than to have him talk to his cousins, but I couldn’t risk his safety. If the Knoxes were as dangerous as I believed, they wouldn’t tolerate anyone asking about them.
“No,” I said firmly. “Don’t do that. I don’t want you popping up on their radar.”
“That bad?” he asked.
I gave him a sideways grin. “They have a bounty on my head.”
His face went a little green as another customer approached the bar. “Don’t go anywhere. I’ve got to take care of this, but I’ll be back. Okay?”
“I’m not going anywhere.”
He gave me a worried look as he headed over to his customer.
I wondered if I’d said too much, but I’d always trusted that anything I told Bobby stayed between us. Telling him my life was in danger seemed to have given him more motivation to help.
Out of the corner of my eye, I saw someone approach the bar near the entrance. I did a double-take when I realized it was James.
I checked my phone but didn’t see any missed texts. Had my five minutes passed and he’d come in to check on me? Why hadn’t he texted first?
Strangely, I wasn’t upset. Especially since he’d perched at the other end of the bar, pretending not to know me. In fact, he didn’t look my way at all.
The female bartender on his side walked up to him. He must have said something witty, because she released a flirtatious laugh.
Jealousy pricked me, sharp and fast, but I took a deep breath and shoved the feeling away. Either James wanted me or he didn’t. I wasn’t going to fight anyone over him. Besides, I was pretty sure getting hit on in a bar was a regular occurrence for him. He was just usually on the other side of the counter.
Still, it was hard to resist glancing over at him.
Bobby returned a few minutes later with an apologetic look. “I’m super busy tonight, Harper, not that I think I have anything that could help you anyway.”
“You haven’t heard any rumors about trafficking?” I asked quietly.
He grimaced. “Sure, I hear rumors here and there, but nothing of substance. More like people presume it’s happening.”
“Any names tied to the rumors?”
He shook his head. “Nope.”
“Your cousins don’t talk about it?”
