“Sloan’s hiring prostitutes again,” he said, lifting the curvy glass and taking a sip. “I want to see if one of them will talk to me, help me put him away.”
“The fuck is wrong with that guy,” I exhaled, lifting my stocky tumbler and taking a sip. “Mel’s gorgeous, and with the way you’ve been stuck…”
I decided not to finish that sentence, but he knew what I was getting at. “He’s a lot sicker than I ever knew,” Derek said quietly.
We were both silent a moment, and a thought I hadn’t considered lit in my brain. “I might have someone who can help you.”
“With what?”
“Remember the setup? The deal you told me to forget about?”
Frowning, he studied my face. “Yeah?”
“Well, I didn’t forget about it. I tracked Star down.” I waited, gauging his response. So far it was neutral. “She was hired. She’s a professional.”
“Who hired her?”
“The who and the why part is stupid. I’ve dealt with it. But I was thinking, Star might work with you if I asked her.”
He was quiet, but I could tell he was thinking about what I said. “What makes you think she’d do it?”
I shrugged. “I’d just say she’s helping us get an abusive asshole behind bars. She seems like the type that would matter to.”
He nodded slightly. “Hold that thought,” he said. “Let me see how it goes tomorrow, then maybe.”
The bartender served me a second vodka, and I took a sip. Maybe my reckless behavior could help someone. At least it might give me one point in the redemption box.
“Speaking of stuck,” Derek studied me. “When are you going to tell me what happened?”
The drink was making my insides feel less achy. The edge of the pain I’d been wrestling too long was dulling. Maybe it was time to share.
I muttered into my glass before taking a longer hit. “Elaine’s… I don’t know. She’s not talking to me.”
“With how you two were? What the hell did you do?”
My lips curled into a frown, and I squinted as I said it. “I got Kenny pregnant.”
From my peripheral vision, I could see Derek’s brow shoot up. “Did you just say—”
“Yes,” I exhaled. “It was way before, back when I was being stupid. She was on antibiotics or something and, well…”
He didn’t say anything. Instead, he turned back to the bar and looked at his drink a moment. “By Kenny, you mean the little girl who works with Carl?”
“That’s the one.” I felt like an ass.
“She’s young. What are you going to do about it?”
“I already did it. I went with her to tell her parents. She has a relative who wants to adopt the baby. I told her I’d do anything she needs.” Rubbing my forehead hard, I tried again for a pain-relieving exhale. “I just don’t know what to do about Elaine, to show her nothing matters to me as much as she does.”
“Go to her,” he said flatly.
“What?” I dropped my arm and looked at him.
“Go to her. Beg her to forgive you. Grovel if you have to.”
Shaking my head. “You’re one to talk. You haven’t been near Melissa since—”
“It’s a completely different situation. Melissa thinks I knew about what was happening to her. She thinks I helped the guy who hurt her. I’m trying to prove I didn’t, and I’ll do whatever it takes to nail him. You’ve already done everything. Go and tell her.”