He got in his truck and drove away from the hotel, from Bozeman.He didn’t feel less angry, but other things started to creep in.An oily and edgy feeling that reminded him too much of his son of a bitch of a father.
He didn’t want to go home to Sam and leak it all over her.Maybe he’d stop by Honor’s Edge first, see what Cal was up to.
Christ, he could use a drink.A breath.He realized he’d never sent that text to Sam, so she wouldn’t worry if he didn’t get right home.
About five minutes outside of Marietta, he groaned, because this day just kept gettingworse.Red and blue lights flashed behind him.He swore under his breath a few times as he pulled over to the side of the road.
He preemptively got his license and registration, rolled down the window and let the icy cold wind blast into the car.He wanted it to ease all the roiling feelings inside of him.It might have, but when the copfinallydeigned to saunter up to the window, he recognized the man.
For a moment, Nate was speechless.That black, oily rage swirled in his gut, hazed his vision a little bit.Oh, how he’d like to lose his temper on Jake fucking Hayes.
But he didn’t.Wouldn’t.For Sam.“What can I do for you, detective?”Nate asked, trying to sound neutral if not friendly.
He was quite sure he failed.
“You were going a little fast, Bennet.Have any idea just how fast?”
“Thought you were a detective, Hayes?Isn’t pulling people over the road cop’s purview?”
“Just protecting my county, Bennet.Twelve over.With the snowmelt turning into ice overnight?Dangerous and reckless, son.Have you been drinking tonight?”
Thesonwas meant to piss him off.
It worked.“Not unless club soda counts.I’ve been on the job, Hayes.Just headed home now.”
“License and registration?”
He handed over the documents since he’d already retrieved them.“Go crazy,” he muttered.
Jake took his sweet ass time, no shock there.Nate sat in the increasingly frigid interior of his truck.Pissed off, fuming and trying to talk himself out of all of it.
Because neither of these two things was that big of a deal.So he’d had an annoying client who’d crossed a line?That was over.So Jake Hayes wanted to mess with him?Let him.
Nate was the one going home to Sam.So fuck him.
When Hayes finally reappeared, it was with a ticket, of course.He handed it to Nate along with the license and registration.
“Speed limits are there foryoursafety, Bennet.”
Nate would have really enjoyed telling Hayes where to shove hissafetyand then demonstrating for good measure.Instead, he held the man’s smug gaze—blank as could be.Because he’d learned from a young age how to be blank when someone was messing with him.
Some of Hayes’s smug smile faded.He walked back to his car.Nate wanted to feel some kind of victory.Maybe later he would.
But for now, he let out a careful breath, rolled up his window, and then drove away.Following the speed limit the whole damn way to Honor’s Edge.
Chapter Nine
Honor’s Edge Investigations Office
Cal was enjoyinghaving his own place, it had to be said.Sure, he’d hadsomeprivacy at the ranch once he’d taken over Aly’s old apartment addition that connected to the main house, but he’d still had to share a kitchen, sharespace.
Up in the above-business apartment, he had everything to himself.He could drink his dinner if he wanted to—something he wasn’t currently allowing himself.He could leave dishes or do the dishes.He could wander around in his underwear if he wanted.
Much as he liked Aly and was learning to stand his brother, having to brace himself for being around other people when he wanted to grab something from the fridge was a pain in the ass.
He’d made a trip to Helena to get things to make the apartment feel more likehis.He wasn’t sure it was working.Maybe once the furniture he’d ordered would be delivered next week.
Sam’s shitty couch wasn’t working for him.He’d bought and brought the TV back today, and had mostly gotten it set up, but he didn’t try to find a sporting event to watch.He stood at the big windows that looked out over the street below.
