Chapter 27
I supposed it was a good thing that my stomach had stopped hurting, because I was on my fourth or so death grip hug, and I was sure all the excess air had been squeezed right out of me.
It was Friday night, almost two weeks after what I was now referring to as Monday Suckday. I’d returned to Mona’s that past Thursday even though Jax insisted I could take off as much time as I needed, even a month, but I needed to get back to my life and I needed the money. The whole gang was there, hanging out at Mona’s for the night before heading back Sunday morning. They were staying at Jax’s house, camped out in the guest bedroom and the couch.
“I think you kind of look badass with the black eye,” Katie said as she hitched up her neon-blue halter top. “Like I should be afraid that you could kick my ass.”
Calla leaned against the bar beside me, folding her arms along the top. Her blond hair was pulled up in a high ponytail. “She could probably kick all of our asses. The skinny ones are always the scrappy ones.”
My black eye had all but faded to a pale bluish purple and it probably should’ve been completely gone by now, but there were some broken blood vessels. But it was barely visible. I wasn’t worried. “It’s true,” I told the girls. “Watch out.”
Avery laughed as she held a refilled glass of Coke. “I took Teresa out last weekend.”
My brows flew up as I looked at the stunning dark-haired girl. “I feel like I need details on this.”
Teresa laughed as she swiveled around on the bar stool. “I found these boxing gloves of Jase’s and we had a match. I was going easy on her, though, only popping her in the arm.”
“Whatever.” Avery glanced over to where Cam stood with Jase and Jax. They were fanboying over Brock. “I thought Cam was going to have a heart attack when we started.”
“Yeah, I thought we were going to have to call nine-one-one.” Teresa snorted. “It was funny, because I’m pretty sure Jase thought it was like watching some kind of pervy fantasy come true. Two girls with boxing gloves.”
Calla laughed as she poured a shot. “Poor Cam. Gotta suck when one of those girls is your sister.”
“You know, I think that would be a great show to do at the club. The girls could be in bikinis. Or topless.” Katie took the shot and downed it in an impressive swallow. Smacking her lips and sighing happily, she placed the glass back on the bar. “I’m totally going to pitch that to Larry. He liiiiikes my ideas.” Katie shimmied her hips.
I arched my brow as I looked at the two girls. “What have you guys done?”
Avery giggled.
“Anyway guys, I’ve got to get back and make some mon-nay! Peace out—oh wait!” She spun to where Nick appeared behind the bar. A bushel of fresh limes was in his hands and his dark brows rose as he met Katie’s wide stare. “You!” she shouted, hopping forward, her breasts defying gravity and the halter top.
He set the limes on the bar. “Me?”
I grinned as Calla pushed back, curiosity settling into her features.
“Yes. You!” She pointed at him with blue nail polish that matched her top. “I have something to tell you.”
“Oh no,” murmured Calla while I barely refrained from hopping with excitement.
Katie wiggled her fingers like she was about to break into a jazz hand routine. “She’s coming tonight.”
Nick arched a brow. “I don’t know who the lucky lady is, but I sure hope so.”
I snorted.
Undeterred, Katie waved her hand. “It’s her. The one you’re going to fall for and fall hard. Oh, boy, you have so met your match. Totally.” Beaming at a now silent Nick, she spun toward us and laughed. “Toodles, my bitches.”
We watched Katie strut her way out of the bar in five-inch platform heels, then I turned to Nick, tapping him on his arm. “Oh, snap. She’s totally right about these things.”
Nick paled. “Shut up.”
“No. She was right when it came to Jax and me,” Calla confirmed. “She’s like the stripper love psychic or something.”
He looked horrified. “Both of you shut up.”
I giggled gleefully. “I cannot wait for this.”
Nick scowled.
The door to the bar swung open and all of us whirled toward it. A laugh burst out of me, a high-pitched cackle when I saw who it was. “Oh my God.”
Aimee with two e’s Grant walked in, frowning in our direction. Her golden-blond hair was styled in pretty waves and her uber-tanned midriff was on full display. The girl was hot, but she also had no concept of personal space, plus she’d been a total bitch to Calla, and I was so not okay with that. But the idea that Nick would fall for her? I about died. Laughing so hard, my stomach hurt as I smacked my hands down on the bar top. “Oh my God, it’s her!”
Calla folded her arms when Aimee started toward the guys and then grinned like the cat that ate an entire cage full of canaries when the girl veered off at the last minute. “That’s sick,” Calla said to Nick. “I don’t know if I can be friends with you now.”
Nick rolled his eyes. “I can tell you right now that Katie’s juju is broke as shit because no part of my body is getting near that.”
“Whatever,” I sung loudly. “It’s true love.”
The look he shot me was dark, but it didn’t wipe my grin off my face. Eventually Avery and Teresa joined the guys, and when we had a down moment behind the bar, Calla got all serious-face with me.
“Are you really okay?” she asked. “I mean, I know what you’ve gone through is crazy, and I’ve been through some crazy myself, so I know it can be hard.”
I nodded as I started to cut up a lime. “I am. Well, I think I am, if that makes any sense. There are a couple of moments where I’m still freaked out about it. I’m not going to lie. What Kip did, I just don’t want to really dwell on it, you know? He’s gone. And they found that girl’s body, and that’s what matters now. At least her family will have some kind of closure.”
“Yeah,” she replied, eyeing me closely. “And everything with Charlie?”
Cutting through another lime, I smiled. It was a little sad, but it was real. “I miss him. I miss not seeing him every Friday, but I’ll get through this and it’s getting easier.”
“I’m happy to hear that. By the way, I love the new glasses. Pink frames look great on you—what in the world?”
I looked up, following her gaze. A girl had just walked into the bar. I’d never seen her before, but good Lord, she was absolutely stunning. With shiny black hair and a body I’d probably give away an ovary or two for, she was tall and looked like she belonged on the cover of a fashion magazine.
The newcomer was headed toward the bar, but she stopped, her mouth dropping open as she spotted the crew over by the pool tables. I looked at them.
It was Teresa who saw her first, and she drew back, surprised and obviously recognizing the girl. Then she smiled as she glanced over at Cam and Avery—a tentative smile that grew. “Steph?” she called out. “What in the hell are you doing here?”
The girl named Steph recovered enough to walk over toward them. I couldn’t hear what she said over the noise, so I glanced up at Calla. “You guys know her?”
“Yeah. She went to Shepherd. Graduated with Jase. Remember what I told you happened to Teresa’s roommate before she moved out of the dorm?”
“The girl that was killed?”
Calla nodded. “When Teresa found her body, she freaked, and it was Steph who took care of her and called the police. Turned out, she lived in the other suite, but Teresa never saw her. I don’t know her that well, but she’s really hot.”
“Like if Angelina Jolie and Megan Fox were joined together kind of hot.”
She laughed. “So true. Wow. Okay. I got to go see what she’s doing here. You good back here?”
“Yep.” I waved her off. “Go get me some gossip.”
Things got pretty busy, and when Calla returned to help run orders out of the kitchen, there wasn’t any time to find out why the girl who used to go to Shepherd was up here, but I couldn’t help but think of what Katie had said to Nick when I saw him grinning at her when she came up to the bar to get a rum and coke.
I knew that grin.
Since Calla was here for the weekend, she was closing down the bar with Jax and Nick and that meant I didn’t have to hang around. After saying good-bye to everyone and getting a hug from Jax that lifted me clear off my feet, I pulled on my cardigan and headed outside.
A cruiser waited for me in the parking lot.
Grinning, I headed toward it as the window rolled down and revealed one hot-as-hell cop. “Lunch break?” I asked.
He bit down on his lower lip. “My favorite kind of lunch break.”
Heat simmered low in my belly. I totally knew what kind of lunch break he was thinking of. “Mine, too.” Hoping I wasn’t breaking some kind of cop in a cruiser rule, I bent down and kissed him through the window. “Meet me back at your place?”
One side of his lips kicked up. “See you then.”
At some point, I was going to move back into my apartment, sooner rather than later. Not because I didn’t love staying with Reece. I did, especially on nights like this when it took only a handful of minutes to get from Mona’s to his condo and we could engage in some freak-a-deak.
I hadn’t told Calla, but the idea of sleeping in my apartment gave me the sweats, and the only way I could overcome that was by doing it. Obviously, I wouldn’t do it alone. Reece would be there with me, but getting back into my apartment was one way to get back to normal.
When we got to Reece’s condo, there was no time for fooling around and pretending we were going to actually eat something. He wrapped his strong arms around me and kissed me like he was a man dying of thirst, and I was dizzy and breathless from it. We went at each other, ending up on the couch with me on my knees grasping the back of the couch with his body behind mine, one hand on my hip and the other between my thighs. This really was the best kind of lunch break.
My muscles were jelly and I stayed where he left me, curled over the back of the couch as Reece fixed his uniform, secured his duty belt, and then rooted through my clothing. I watched him, my cheek resting on my hands, and as he straightened, he smacked my butt.
“Pervert,” I murmured.