The woman scoffed as she turned on her heels. “Fine, whatever. But mark my words, I’m going to find out the truth. And when I do? I’m putting all of you on blast until every last one of you is arrested for whatever the hell you caused last night.”
And as the guys fell silent at her veiled threat, I watched her storm back out into the world.
Before I followed hot on her heels.
SIX
ARIA
“Fucking hell,” I hissed.
I stormed out to my car, practically sprinting across the road. I already hated those men. And when I hated someone, there was always a low-down, dirty reason why my mind had already been made up. They were guilty as sin, whether they were reliable, smart human beings or not, and I’d unearth every sin they had ever committed before putting them on blast.
I’ll have every last one of you fucking arrested, you stupid fucks.
“Hey!” the man barked.
A strong grip caught my elbow before he whipped me around. Him. The man whose eyes I couldn’t get out of my head.
I shoved my finger up to his face. “You better think twice before touching me again, got it?”
He held out his arms. “The hell did you expect? Did you just think you’d charge in there, ask a few questions, and we’d all fall to our knees and give you everything? How long have you been a journalist?”
I ripped my car door open. “Years.”
He quirked an eyebrow. “Professionally?”
I sighed. “A few days. I just graduated col—you know what? It doesn’t matter. All of you are guilty of whatever the fuck happened last night, and I’m going to figure out what it is. And when I do—”
He slammed my car door closed. “When you do, you’re going to what? Slap us on the wrist? Tell the police? Write it up in your little blog?”
I held my head high as I took a step toward him. “I work for KTTB, as a matter of fact.”
He chuckled. “That little tiny news station? It isn’t exactly ABC, now, is it?”
“You’re criminals,” I seethed, “every last one of you. And I’m going to prove it.”
“Good luck.”
My heart slammed against my chest. My cheeks reddened, flushing its way down the back of my neck. My spine shivered as I felt his breath pulsing against my lips, and the heat of his body held me hostage. I knew they were scum on the bottom of my shoe. I knew they deserved to be in jail.
So, why the hell did I want to jump the man’s bones?
“Cat got your tongue?” he asked cheekily.
“Fuck you,” I hissed.
He held his arms out. “Just let me know the time and place, sweet girl.”
I tugged my car door back open. “I’m a woman, thank you very much.”
His eyes raked down my body. “Trust me, I know.”
I hated how much I loved him staring at me. “I’m not afraid of you, you know.”
His face sank. “You should be.”
His stare was unnerving, forcing me into my car. He stared me down, not bothering to blink as I cranked the engine and pulled out of the place where I had parked. As he faded into the background, I kept peeking in my rearview mirror. He kept looking at me, turning his body and standing there in the middle of the sandy, deserted road until I crested the hill and was out of sight.
