Barry left the courtyard, wiping his cheek with the back of his hand as if he could erase the feel of her lips on his skin.At least it rubbed the smear of her lipstick from him.He looked up and down the street but didn’t see Annabelle.She had completely vanished as if she had never been there.Barry did notice Miles’s car.He was shocked the man was there without his bodyguards.He never seemed to go anywhere without them.
Barry walked toward the bar as a couple was passing him.They both looked intoxicated.Barry bumped his shoulder into the man and stumbled to the ground.
“Dude, are you alright?”the guy asked, releasing his girlfriend to help Barry stand.
Barry slipped the small black bug the size of a silver dollar from his pocket and stuck it under the car before he rose to his feet.He stayed hunched over as if he were drunk as well.“Yeah, sorry, I wasn’t paying attention to where I was going.So sorry about that.”
“No worries, man.”The guy wrapped his arm around his girlfriend and continued down the road.
Barry stood to his full height and marched toward Mac’s house.As angry as she’d looked, she wouldn’t have gone to his place to wait for him.
Barry didn’t slow his steps until he reached her porch.The blinds were drawn and the lights were on.He knew she was home.
Barry knocked on her door and only had to wait a moment for Mac to answer.She only opened the door a crack and didn’t look happy to see him.Well, tough.
She had changed since she’d left the restaurant.She was now in a tank top and shorts with her makeup washed off, which he was thankful for.She was pretty with makeup, but he liked her best in her natural form.
Barry didn’t wait for an invitation before brushing past her.
“Well, just come on in,” she muttered under her breath and closed the door.
“I warned you to stay away from him.”He hadn’t meant to come at her with guns blazing out the gate, but she had deliberately disobeyed him.The man was dangerous.She had seen that last night, and then today she’d sat with him as if she didn’t have a care in the world.
“He came up to me.”She pointed at herself, staying near the front door as if she needed a quick exit strategy.He might rant and rail, but he would never lay a hand on her.“I didn’t approach him.”
Barry stalked toward her, crowding her against the door.He heard her back hit it, but he refused to back down.He was at a crossroads of wanting to kiss her and strangle her.“That didn’t stop you from sitting at a table with him, drinking.”
“I wanted to toss it over his head, but I was hoping he would tell me something.”
“Did he?”He found himself mildly curious despite his anger.
“No, but from the looks of things, it appeared Andrea had plenty to say.”
“Annabelle,” he corrected, knowing she had said the wrong name on purpose.“And she did.”
Mac looked away as if striving to look bored and uncaring.He knew it to be a lie.He had seen the anger and hurt in her eyes every time she’d seen him with Annabelle.“Well, good for you.Why don’t you go back there and pump her for more information?I’m sure she’d be willing to share everything.”
“I got all I needed from her.”If he never had to talk to Annabelle again, it would be too soon.
“For a man of your stamina, I figured it would take you longer.”
“You know I’m a very thorough man.”He made his double entendre clear.He knew he was poking a bear by picking at Mac’s jealously, but he liked seeing her like this.Seeing her upset that another woman had come onto him.
That he wasn’t just a booty call as she had made it out to be.She did care for him.She wouldn’t be so upset if she didn’t.
Mac’s head whipped back to face him.Her nostrils flared in anger.Her eyes full of hatred before she pushed against his chest and darted past him.
“Don’t you dare walk away from me.”Barry grabbed her arm, pulling her back toward him.The momentum brought them chest to chest.“Annabelle is a means to an end.Believe me when I say, I didn’t want to be there with her, but it was the only way to get the information we needed.I would have much rather been with you.”
“It didn’t look like that from where I was sitting.”
“How could you see anything when you were talking to Miles?”
“I saw enough.Hanging on her every word.Staring down her cleavage.”
“Please,” Barry scoffed.“That woman couldn’t hold a candle to you.”
Mac’s mouth hung open as she stared at him in shock.Barry could see the uncertainty in her eyes.Did she really think he would want a woman like Annabelle when he had her?
