“Hey, Sexy.”
Brit looked up and met the assistant DA, Shane Paxton’s brown eyes, head on. His gaze traveled down her body. Her fitted black suit didn’t hide all the curves that she loved to show off. It had been that body, coupled with her long red hair that had attracted him to her in the beginning. And it had been her willingness to accept a casual relationship with no expectations that kept him with her for two months.
He nodded. “How are you doing?”
“Lonely.” She smiled.
“I don’t buy that,” he said. The woman had a list of men waiting in the wings. Shane didn’t hide the fact that she liked to fuck, so much so that when Brit wasn’t available, she’d make do with someone else. Oddly, he hadn’t even been upset when he’d stopped by her place and found her ex walking out of the bedroom. Or at least, he hadn’t ended things with her until a week later when she’d been rude to Keith’s wife at a barbeque he’d taken her to.
“I have a case I’m looking into and then I’m going to leave work early and go home—all alone.”
“Sometimes being alone is good,” he said, trying to be diplomatic.
She frowned. “I came by to pay my condolences several times for Keith, but you were always out. I know how that had to hurt you.”
“I appreciate it,” he said and he did.
She moved in a bit. He didn’t appreciate that.
She gave him a pouty frown. “You could look happier to see me, you know.”
No, he couldn’t. He wasn’t even sure he had the energy to fake it. As much as he prided himself on having relationships that were purely physical, he’d learned a valuable lesson. In order to enjoy being with someone for longer than a time or two, at the very least he needed to like the person. He didn’t like Shane.
His mind went to the blonde he’d had breakfast with. He liked Cali McKay.
A lot.
“What do you need, Shane?”
She grinned. “I could tell you, but I think it’s still illegal in Texas.”
He shook his head. “Sorry. I’m going to have to pass.”
She frowned. “Is there someone else?”
“Maybe.”
“She’d never have to know,” Shane said.
“I would.”
She laughed. “Please tell me you haven’t gone and really fallen for someone. Not you.”
“Maybe,” he said again, thinking it was a lie, but deep down he knew it wasn’t. And that pretty much scared the shit out of him.
~
At almost eleven, after pretty much having to out and out tell Shane that he wasn’t going meet her later and screw her, Brit sat at a table with the six other officers on the task force. They were combing through everything they had, sifting through old files on gangs, new files on gangs, reading both Keith’s and Anderson’s old cases, trying to find a link between the two.
Adams walked in and looked at Brit. “Good call bringing Rina Newman in,” he said.
Hope stirred. “She identify anyone?”
Adams shook his head. “Not yet. But just the information she did give us is going to help. I feel it in my gut.”
“Are you going to put her in a safe house?” Quarles asked.
“Yeah. But she’s bitching that it won’t be the Marriott.”
Brit grinned. “Hey, she’s not a cheap date.”
“I hear she runs about two hundred,” Duke said. “But according to one john, she charges more for small deposits and early withdrawals.”
They all laughed, even Adams, but he was the first to flip back to serious. “Well, all I can say is you better get this guy fast. I’m not sure we can keep her curtailed long. I heard she has a small habit.”
Quarles leaned forward. “Then have her watched like a hawk. We might need her to testify when we catch those bastards.”
“I will.” Adams looked at the files strewn across the table. “You find anything we can use?”
“Not yet,” Brit answered.
Adams looked at Quarles. “Did you come up with anything last night on the Goldstein homicide?”
A moment of silence hit before Quarles answered, “Nothing new.”
“Nothing?” Adams asked. “Seems like with all we’ve got, this case should be easy to break.”
Brit spoke up. “We’ve visited most of the connections to Humphrey and the Nolan guy. So far, no one knows anything.”
“Have you talked to club owners where they played?”
“That’s next on my list, sir,” Quarles said.
“What about the girlfriend? Is she giving us anything?”
“She’s told us everything she knows,” Brit said.
“You sure?” Adams asked. “You know how her type is.”
Brit sat up straighter. “Yeah, I’m sure.”
“Have you talked to her, Quarles?” Adams asked.
“Mostly Brit’s taken care of that.”
Adams’ uni-brow puckered. “I thought she didn’t like you. Isn’t she the one who came in here?”
“Yeah,” Brit said. “But we’ve come to an understanding.”