Page 66 of Hard Heart

And Sera sounded like Ruby. Levi smothered a smile.

“You’ve put him on notice now. He knows you’re looking at him.”

“Oh, please. Do you think I’m stupid?” Right now? Quite possibly. “I couched my questions in general terms—we’re talking to people in the area, and as a local businessman, he might have heard something, blah, blah—and he refused to answer them anyway.”

Levi let go of her foot and put his head in his hands.

“What?” she said. “I thought you’d be happy. Okay, so we don’t yet know who paid Oryn Jacobs, but at least we know who threw the firework. We’re halfway there.”

“How are you planning to get Oryn to talk?”

“I’m still working on that. If the sheriff’s dirty, then the state police⁠—”

“Fuck it. I’m staying in prison. I like it here.”

“No way. Perhaps you were right about a connection between Ruby’s murder and August’s? If someone paid Oryn, then they could easily have paid Justin as well. We’re getting closer, I can feel it.”

Closer to what? Levi wouldn’t even be able to attend the funeral this time. Sera reminded him so much of Ruby, it made his heart ache. The impetuousness. The courage. The conviction that she was doing the right thing, even when she clearly wasn’t.

He’d given Ruby the benefit of the doubt, and it had proven to be a grave mistake.

He wasn’t going to make the same error with Sera.

“Could you at least focus on the bar exam first?” That would buy him time. “When is it?”

“A month away.”

“And you’ve been studying.”

“Yes, sir.”

“Give me your other foot.”

She complied sweetly, in that respect at least, and he felt as if he was getting to understand her better. Which meant he knew what his next move would be, the same move he’d played against Ruby many times. She’d twist the meaning of his words, but she wouldn’t break a direct promise.

“Feels good?” he asked.

“Mm-hmm. Did you have a secret side gig as a masseur?”

“I’m an artist, my darling.” He lowered his voice an octave and kept half an eye on the door in case Jim came back. He’d already served coffee, so they should be good for a half hour at least. Jim was a lazy fucker. A CO should be watching them constantly, but he broke rules all the time, and he was no doubt playing some dumb game on his phone. “I’m great with my hands.”

“I never realised a foot rub could feel so amazing.”

She slid down in her seat, and now her heel was resting against his cock. Never had his self-control been tested so thoroughly.

“That cheating asshole was a fool for letting you go. Has he messaged you again?”

“No, but that’s probably because I blocked his number. I don’t need any pointless distractions at the moment.”

“Nice move. He doesn’t deserve you.”

“I won’t block his mum, though. She’s always been good to me. Did I tell you it was her who found me the job at the Justice Project?”

“You should block her and go work in real estate or something.”

“I was working in entertainment law before. I thought it would be more fun than it was. The Justice Project is challenging in a different way, and I don’t entirely regret the way things shook out. Maybe I should send Rudd a thank-you card?”

“Not after what he put you through. You’re having to re-qualify in a different state because of him.”