“You have my number. Feel free to call me anytime. I probably won’t take your call though, because I’ll be busy solving this case.”
Dallas salutes Kennedy before sauntering out of the room. I’m appalled with myself that I stare at his firm backside until he disappears from sight.
“All right, now that they’re gone, here’s what you’re going to do,” Kennedy says, startling me out of my stare. “You’re going to solve this fucking case and show Dallas Osborne where he can stick his Goddamn cockiness.”
I sigh and shake my head at her. “You heard your brother. I can’t work on this case because I’m not with the department.”
“Since when do I ever listen to my brother? Fuck him and fuck Dallas. Seriously, you should really consider fucking Dallas. That man is f-i-n-e, fine. And he looks at you like he’s picturing you naked.”
I scoff at her and roll my eyes. “You’re insane. He can’t stand me. And obviously the feelings are mutual.”
She raises one eyebrow. “Right. That’s why you stared at his ass when he walked away.”
I can feel my cheeks heat in embarrassment and I quickly look away from her.
Kennedy grabs my arm and pulls me off of my stool. “Come on, Paige is still waiting for us at the bar. We’re going to suck back a few drinks and come up with a game plan.”
I let Kennedy drag me through the house, making sure to keep my eyes straight ahead as we walk past the crime scene. Not just because I don’t want another look at the dead body, but because Dallas is currently bent over said body. It’s like his butt is trying to taunt me.
Sucking back a few drinks suddenly sounds like a great idea.
CHAPTER 3
So, what is this game plan you speak of?” I ask Kennedy and take a sip of my white wine spritzer.
I wait while she polishes off her glass of draft beer, wiping the back of her hand across her mouth as she sets the empty glass back down on the table with a thunk.
“The first part of the plan is that you need to stop ordering that girly shit every time we come to the bar. It’s making us look bad.”
Paige laughs and I shoot her a dirty look.
“How is what I drink making anyone look bad?”
Kennedy rests her elbows on the table and leans toward me. “If you want to make it in this business and get Dallas to take you seriously, you need to stop being so . . . boring.”
I bristle at her comment and Paige reaches over to place her hand on top of my arm. “I think what Kennedy is trying to say is that you need to take some chances. Loosen up a little.”
Kennedy shrugs and signals the bartender for another round. “Sure, what she said. I know you want to break out of this mold your parents have put you in, but you can’t do that if you continue to do everything exactly the way they would. Drink some beer, curse like a sailor, and for God’s sake, stop using fucking hand sanitizer.”
I pause with the small bottle in my hand. “I could care less if Dallas Osborne takes me seriously. And really, Kennedy, do you have any idea what kind of germs are on this table?”
Kennedy rolls her eyes before dramatically thumping her head down on said table.
“The fact of the matter is, Dallas is in charge of this investigation now,” Paige states. “If you want to get anywhere with this case, you’re going to need to get into his head. Think like he would and do what he would do so you can be one step ahead of him.”
I’ve played it safe for so long that I’m not even sure if I know how to do something like this, but I’m willing to give it a try. I’ll do just about anything to solve this case, even if it means going to the dark side and getting in Dallas’s disgusting, pigheaded brain. The only problem is, taking on this case means we won’t get paid. If I do this instead of handling one of our other cases, money is going to be tight.
Kennedy lifts her head from the table. “Forget about the beer and the cursing for right now. The first part of this plan will be a piece of cake for you—research. Find everything and anything you can on the life and times of Richard Covington. And not just the typical stuff like who he was friends with and who had grudges against him. Even information like who he banged in high school and what his favorite foods were could be helpful. Dig up everything you can find and then start asking questions.”
“Are you forgetting the fact that we’re not being paid for this? And if Ted or Dallas finds out what I’m doing, I could get into serious trouble.”
Not that I really care what Dallas thinks, but I don’t want to shoot myself in the foot at the very beginning.
“Ted is too busy right now to worry about what you’re doing. And seeing you go against your good-little-lawyer role will throw Dallas off his game. You’ll be able to swoop in and save the day while he’s sitting there with his dick in his hand.”
I wince. I really didn’t need that mental image in my brain.
“You could even negotiate with him that if you solve the case, you get the fee,” Kennedy adds.