Why the fuck do I care about thewho? I should only care about thewhyandwhatbut my mind’s already weaving answers.
If I had one guess, I’d guess she saw Alex.
She succumbed to her memories a second after some girl shouted“Alex! Don’t do it!”The guy’s probably drunk, and she didn’t want him to take a swim.
Either way, that line triggered Hailey’s memory. It makes sense that the fucker working my father’s case was the shining star in whatever memory Hailey saw.
Was he the one choking her?
Why?
The terror shadowing her face betrayed that it wasn’t the kinky kind of choking. Her heart fluttered in her chest like a trapped hummingbird when I pulled her in, confirming it was the sinister kind, and it doesn’t fit the narrative.
She was Alex’s side babe... why hurt her?
I need more information. I need to find out what she remembered but she doesn’t trust me at all. She’s not going toshare it with me, and if her quick departure proves anything it’s that she’s a little afraid.
Good, she should be. She’s an accomplice. Guilty by association. While I can’t exact revenge until I have the evidence, I sure as fuck don’t plan on letting her off the hook.
For now, though, her fear is an obstacle I can’t afford. With her memories rushing back, I need to be closer.
Much fucking closer.
I sit back down, flexing my fingers before I grab a bottle of beer, glancing over my shoulder to where Hailey’s downplaying the last three minutes for Jensen’s benefit.
She shouldn’t bother. Judging by his goofy smile, he won’t remember tonight all that well when he wakes up tomorrow. He’s been here an hour but he’s already hammered.
His eyes burn down Hailey’s frame, the drunken lust in them stirring a violent streak inside me. Any man in her vicinity is a complication.
I can’t have horny fuckers getting in my way.
“Jensen, come here.” I wave him over, the order in my voice falling on deaf ears.
It clearly piques Hailey’s attention, though. Her eyes snap to mine. She’s cute when she holds my gaze, pretending that her instincts aren’t urging her to run for dear life.
“Me?” Jensen digs a finger into his chest, whipping his head left and right as if he thinks there’s another Jensen standing nearby. He swallows before turning toward me, both eyebrows meeting his hairline. “What’s up, man? I didn’t realize you knew my name.”
I know more than his name. I know his family tree, aspirations, and the names of his closest friends and relatives. I know his mother’s spent the last fifteen years in and out of rehab and his father drums in a fairly popular band—Broken Anthem.I also know Jensen’s tone deaf and has no sense of rhythm,so instead of following in Daddy’s footsteps, he’s honing his questionable acting skills.
Hailey wiped the floor with him during their scene.
He stumbles closer, dragging his Jordans across the planks and making my blood pressure spike. One precise whack to the back of his head would stop that.
My signet ring glistens in the moonlight, the eagle in flight clearly visible as I beckon Jensen lower. Like the obedient boy he is, he drops to one knee beside me, leaning in.
“I’ll only say this once, so try and keep up,” I say, lowering my voice so Hailey can’t hear a word. “Put your hands on her and I’m liable to break your wrists.”
He pales, chewing his bottom lip as he inches away, eyes wider than saucers. Maybe he’s notthatwasted. The fear shaking his hands tells me he understands.
“What? What do you mean, we’re friends, I—”
“You heard me. Take it to heart.”
“But... is she like... likeyours? I mean, I’ve not seen you—”
“You ask too many questions, Jensen. You’ve been warned. Keep your mouth shut if you value your teeth, and hands to yourself if you want to keep using them.”
He swallows hard, the drunken haze dispersing from his eyes. “Alright, man, I hear you. I don’t want any trouble.”
