“Of course not.”
The man might be off his rocker, but if Saint needed him, Gator would be halfway there before he even accepted the call for help. That was the kind of crazy Saint trusted.
“Have a good trip and say hi to Beth for me.”
Yeah, he wasn’t doing that. Not with the way Copper had reacted to the news of their friendship.
Keep dreaming, Gator.
The crazy fucker laughed his ass off, then shouted something to the prospect about a smudge on Copper’s bike.
Shaking his head at Gator’s antics, Saint strode toward his motorcycle shining in the afternoon sun.
He had some packing to do and a club princess to check on.
CHAPTER TWO
LOOK AT THAT. Rylee had been right. The lipstick color complemented Beth’s skin tone perfectly.
She smiled at her reflection as she swiped a clear gloss over her rosy bottom lip. It had been a hot minute since she’d worn anything more than a cover-up and mascara. Why waste money on expensive makeup, not to mention time and energy, when she worked at a pet grooming boutique and ended up covered in fur and sometimes unmentionable animal fluids daily?
Going out in a cute sundress with a full face of makeup and curled hair was a welcome change, sending a low buzz of excitement through her veins. Yesterday, her friend, the salon owner, Rylee, turned twenty-seven, and her friends had planned a happy hour party in her honor for tonight.
Beth had met most of Rylee’s core friend group multiple times when they’d popped by the shop, and they’d insisted she join them for the birthday celebration. Jason already had plans to game with his friends—shocker—so why wouldn’t she go? She hadn’t been out in ages and couldn’t wait to laugh, have a few drinks no one expected her to serve, and eat food she wasn’t expected to prepare.
Jason’s friends hung out at their apartment all the time.All. The. Damn. Time. Not a Friday or Saturday night went by that Grant, Benny, and a few other losers didn’t have their lazy asses parked on her couch. They, along with Jason, sucked back beers and ate half her paycheck in snacks every weekend.
When she told Jason about the party invitation a few days ago, she’d been sure he’d tell her to blow it off as he typically did. And of course, she’d have listened to avoid an ugly blow-up. But something went right that day when he’d responded with, “I don’t give a shit.”
Worked for her. He could veg out and game all night while she got dolled up, ate delicious Mexican food, and downed a few spicy margaritas with friends.
Satisfied her makeup looked great, she fished through her closet for the strappy sandals she’d purchased on clearance last fall and had yet to wear. As soon as they were in place with her freshly painted toenails peeking out, she practically bounced out of the bedroom.
For once, excitement felt bigger than the dread that had become her constant companion—the tight knot in her stomach that never fully loosened, the way she held her breath every time she heard his key in the door.
As she reached the front hall and grabbed her purse, the door swung open. Jason stumbled through, making a racket. He bounced off the doorframe, then staggered into the apartment, missing the table as he tried to deposit his keys. They fell to the tile floor with a jarring clatter.
Jason managed a salvage yard owned by his uncle and often knocked off early on Fridays to grab a few beers at a nearby dive bar. It annoyed her to no end how he came home drunk by five in the evening nearly every Friday, but tonight, even his inebriated state couldn’t fully deter her good mood.
“Hey, Jase,” she said as she twirled around, arms outstretched. “What do you think?”
She beamed as she waited for an assessment of her outfit. When they’d first got together nearly a year and a half ago, she’d loved dressing up for him. Jason would always tell her she looked beautiful. He’d had no shortage of compliments andpraise, making her feel special and desired. As time went on, those words faded, and eventually, ugly, berating remarks took their place.
Tonight, her confidence was higher than usual, and she couldn’t wait to wow him with her dolled-up look.
He paused, halfway bent to retrieve his keys, and stared at her.
Her grin grew.
Speechless, she’d take it.
Then his eyes narrowed, and his expression turned to stone.
The air in the apartment seemed to thin.
Beth’s stomach plummeted to her feet. “Never mind,” she said quickly as she dropped her arms to her sides. “I’m just being silly.”
“What the fuck?” he said, voice low, menacing, and slightly slurred.
