Hasn’t been one of those since the ’80s.
Nausea churns in my gut at the stories my dad used to tell, and a cold bead of sweat pops on my brow.
Let’s hope there’s never one again.
My eyes keep scanning the digital paper.
Notorious crime family biopic hitting theaters.
Nope.
Body found without tongue, organs, police puzzled.
That one brings back pictures from a mental scrapbook that I’ll never be able to burn from my brain.
But the Smokies are far enough away I shouldn’t have to worry.
Too badshouldn’tisn’t the same asdon’t.
But historically speaking, my old family has never gone further than Pennsylvania for anything business-related. I’m ten hours past the safe point.
So why can’t I stop looking for the reason they’re after me now, all these years later?
I’m so absorbed in my screen that I don’t even hear the footfalls up the stairs, which should concern me because I can never be done looking over my shoulder. That’s a habit I can never, ever let go.
I close out of the anonymous browser in one click.
But Lexi’s voice puts my hackles down at once, even if hers are raised.
“What. Did. You. Do?”
I’ve never seen steam come out of a woman before, except maybe onGame of Thrones, but Lexi is channeling some serious mother of dragons energy right now as she storms into the office we share overlooking half of Main Street through the couple of windows in the small room up here on the second floor.
Slapping her phone on the desk between us, it’s a struggle not to let my eyes wander her frame when she’s all worked up like this.
I admit it, I’ve got a thing for her wild streak.
It’s clear after watching her from afar all last week, it comes out to play more with me than anyone else.
Gotta say, I love bringing it out of her, and I’d love fucking her out of it too.
Clearing my throat, I give her an answer that does nothing to calm her down, and I’m not sorry about it. “I think the corporate term isshowing initiative?”
“You sneaky little?—”
That word throws me.
Little?
A man of my size, breadth, and volume is rarely called any version of small. Even my food has big flavor. It’s a point of pride with me.
One eyebrow hooks up with the side of my mouth as I rise, standing to my full height.
Lexi stops mid-sentence as her head falls back to follow my movements.
“Little?” I question, challenging her accusation.
Lexi’s throat works, eyes staying exactly on my face and not daring to take in anything else.
