“You’re saying his uncle is lying about Kash being back? What the fuck for?”
“I don’t know. What if it has something to do with that inheritance? Time is up and someone has to get that money and estate.”
Kash. Kash has to be there to receive his inheritance. And maybe something will happen to Kash then, and the uncle will take it all.
Or maybe I’ve watched too much Sherlock on TV.
“I just want to talk to that guy I’ve been chasing down for so long, reassure myself he has nothing new to tell us.”
“Fine. Then we’ll be coming with you,” Nate says.
His expression is tight, like he expects me to say no. But I’m not about to. I didn’t want to worry him, or West, but the last couple of times I’d wished for their presence. Call me naïve, but I didn’t expect dealers to get so aggressive because of the questions I was asking.
“That might be a good idea.” I scratch the back of my head. “Gigi’s boyfriend is a bit annoyed with me.”
“What? What for?”
“It seems Gigi asked him to look after me. Got into a few fights on my behalf.”
“The hell.” His eyes narrow. “We can take care of you. You don’t need another woman’s guy doing that. We got this.”
And aww, is it weird I love it when he goes all protective and macho like that when it comes to me?
“That…” I have to clear my throat, my face too warm. “That would be great.”
“Then it’s settled. We got your back, girl. And if it’s about Kash, even better. We’re in this together, right?”
“We are,” I say, and my smile is both sad and happy.
The bar is full to bursting, the beat pulsing in my veins, in my bones. Pretty boys and girls, all dolled up, shove through the crowd, yelling and laughing and dancing. I should be enjoying this.
But I can’t.
Gigi refused to come with me a few times, not that I’m telling the boys about that. She was pissing mad at me for dragging her with me and not telling her my plans. For abandoning her so I could go and talk to junkies and pushers, getting myself into danger.
If it wasn’t for me, she wouldn’t have stumbled across her old flame and rejoined him, just saying… though I totally get it. I was a bit of a dick, so focused on finding out anything at all about Kash I let her down.
But this time is different. Her man is in trouble, her heart in ever worse trouble, and I’m grateful she made it.
Girl is so head-over heels it might be funny—if I didn’t know exactly how she feels. I try to cheer her and support her while she’s going through this hard time, even if my own heart is breaking over Kash.
The boys finish work late, so they’ll meet us at the club. Meanwhile, I swing by Gigi’s place with the Uber and pick her up. She’s happy she’ll get to meet the boys. But she also makes me promise not to go off on my own and leave her alone.
But hey, I’ll wing it, okay? This dealer has evaded me so long it wouldn’t surprise me that tonight of all nights he’d be there while I’m stuck to my bestie’s side.
Plus, I could send the boys to track the guy down tonight. Maybe they’ll have more luck?
The boys end up arriving before us. They’re already sitting at the bar, drinking, when we saunter in. Nate looks dangerous in a tight black T-shirt and jeans, his amber eyes hooded, and West is badass in black pants and a dark gray T-shirt that bears his muscula
r arms. I try not to drool. I mean, I live with these guys. I should be immune to their charms by now, right?
Wrong. I doubt I’ll ever be immune to them or anything about them, from the way they look to the way their pain matches mine.
We get the introductions out of the way, and I get some drinks.
Gigi is distracted tonight, even more so after coming back from the bathrooms, making me wonder if something happened back there, but she refuses to tell me what got her panties in a twist.
When I tell her I was looking for her in the bathrooms and got worried, she gets pissed at me.