“It was my uncle’s,” Angie explained. “I inherited it. And since Evan loves the place as much as I do, we mostly live here.”
They had invited Tyler and me over for drinks, along with Cole and Kat. Kat had arrived before us, so I got a good look at her face when Cole entered. Attraction, fascination, and then—when Cole told Angie that someone named Bree wouldn’t be joining him—disappointment.
I liked Cole—he had a straightforward manner that I appreciated, and a deep-seated passion that I admired. I’d seen some of his art, and had been shocked by its beauty and power, the imagery in contrast somehow to the burly man with the dragon tattoo. I thought also of what I knew about Cole and Michelle and the dungeon. And then I said a little prayer for Kat. But whether it was for her to figure a way into a complicated man like Cole, or for her to just move on, I really didn’t know.
“Got any beer, Dragonbait?” Cole asked Angie.
“You know we do. Help yourself.”
He paused by me on the way to the kitchen. “I’m glad you and Tyler got clear,” he said. And then he surprised me by pulling me into a quick, tight hug.
While Cole went to the kitchen, the rest of us followed Evan and Angie through a living room filled with art, most in the kind of frames that each had their own spotlight.
One piece, however, stood out. It was a handmade quilt, framed and hung just off the living room in an adjoining hallway. “Isn’t that like Tyler’s quilt?”
“The same woman gave them to all three of the guys,” Angie said.
I glanced curiously at Tyler. “Really? How interesting.”
Kat snorted, but Tyler only rolled his eyes. “Mind out of the gutter, Detective. They were handmade by the grandmother of the very first girl we pulled out of the trafficking scheme.”
“They’re very special,” Evan added.
“They are,” I agreed. “You touched a lot of lives.”
Evan turned to Angie. “Why don’t you girls head up to the patio. We’ll bring the drinks up.”
The patio turned out to be a massive outdoor living area on the roof of the high-rise. Angie and I sat on two of the plush outdoor sofas, and Kat plunked herself down on the ground. “I thought you were running a con,” Kat said to me. “When I first saw you, I mean.”
“A con?”
She shrugged. “I knew the guys were keeping an eye on you, and I couldn’t figure out why. I didn’t know you were a cop, so I figured you were trying to scam them. I couldn’t believe that anyone would be stupid enough to think they could pull a con on those three and get away with it. Trust me, I know.”
“Yeah? How?”
“Well, not personally,” Kat amended. “My dad did a real estate deal with Tyler years ago, but I wasn’t involved. I got to hear about it from Dad’s end, though.” She grinned. “That’s how I know you don’t play mind games with Tyler Sharp.”
“He took your dad?”
“Let’s just say he didn’t let my dad take him.”
“That sounds like Tyler,” I said, and couldn’t help but wonder which side of the line Kat’s father fell on.
The guys were back soon with the drinks, and the evening fell into an easy rhythm. They talked about work and various projects, all of which sounded legitimate, and it occurred to me to wonder just how much Kat knew about what these men did.
As for Kat and Angie, they asked me all sorts of questions about being a cop and about stripping at Destiny. I had to admit, it made for an interesting mix of topics.
I was on my second glass of wine when Kat stood up and said she had to go. “Work,” she said, then pulled a face. “There really needs to be an easier way to make a living.”
She headed out, and Angie and I moved to the glass barrier that shielded the patio from the abyss below. “He’s gone on you,” Angie said, as soon as we were out of earshot of the men.
“It’s mutual,” I said. “But it doesn’t matter. Our lives just don’t intersect, you know? And I’ll be back in Indiana by the end of the week.”