Page 14 of Locked In Ice

Royce’s face flushed dark red.

“I’d really, really like to see youtryhurting me,” Lane said.

Dammit.Maybe the blow to the head that Thomas had given him earlier was impacting Lane’s brain functions.See, this is why he should have gone to the hospital for observation, but, oh, no, Mr.Tough Guy just had to refuse treatment.Now he was screwing things up for her.She put down her drink and shoved out of the booth.Ophelia positioned herself between the two men.“Stop this.”And to Lane, her gaze said…Seriously, stop this.You can’t screw this up.She wasn’t going to get another chance.Royce knew her face now.“We aren’t together any longer.Go find some bimbo to screw.I’m busy with Royce.”She put her hand on Royce’s chest.“Royce, let’s dance.”Her head turned toward Royce just in time to catch him looking down at the table.

At her half-empty drink.

And she caught the flash of his wide, satisfied smile.

Oh, Royce, I will be wiping that smile off your face very soon.

But first, she led him onto the dance floor.

***

The bastard needed to take his handsoffOphelia.They were sliding down her back, dipping toward her pert ass, and Lane was about to teach the prick that you didnottouch what did not belong to you.Not ever.

“You’re with Ophelia?”

He turned his head to the left.A big, hulking guy in a white t-shirt and jeans shuffled toward him.

“Derek,” the stranger said, like Lane was supposed to know him.

Lane stared back at the fellow.

“She texted me.Said to get her drink and bag it.”Derek wet his lips.“Is this shit going to work?We really taking him down?Because I’m sick of that creep preying on women here.After what he tried to do with Sylvia…”

Okay, pieces connected.Fast.“You’re the bouncer.”

Derek nodded his head in agreement.

“And you’re working with Ophelia?”

“No one fucks with Sylvia.”Derek’s dark eyes blazed with fury.“I want himstopped.”

So, that would be a yes.And from what Lane was gathering, Ophelia had already texted the bouncer and told him that she was springing her trap.His gaze returned to Ophelia only to see her body sagging against Royce’s much bigger frame.For a moment, he tensed.

That looks too real.

“She said he’d take her out back.We’re supposed to be there.”Low, from Derek.“She wants me filming with my phone.But I can do one better than that.I convinced the boss to put a security camera out there.If she gets the dick to confess or if he tries to hurt her—we’ll have perfect footage.”

Good to know because Royce was already starting to pull Ophelia from the dance floor.Her head bobbed and she stumbled.

Lane stepped toward her.

Derek’s hand flew out and pressed to Lane’s chest.“You can’t interrupt now!”

Interrupt?He wasn’t interrupting, he was about to rip—

“We need evidence!Sylvia wakes up crying at night.That shit is stopping.She’s my girl now, and I am not gonna let her be scared.That is not happening.Ophelia is helping her.So we do what Ophelia says.”

Ophelia was currently being held too tightly by Royce as the guy half-carried her toward a door marked STAFF.“Your new girlfriend went to Ophelia for help.”He was trying to follow along.The fact that Ophelia had told him practically nothing did not help.This was not the way partnerships were supposed to work.

“Isent her to Ophelia.No good PIs in this town.Cops need hard evidence, so we’re getting hard evidence.”His big hands clenched.“Ophelia helped a cousin of mine out before.Knew we could count on her.She never takes a case she doesn’t close.”

Interesting.He filed that tidbit away.Ophelia and Royce had just disappeared behind the STAFF door.“That door leads to the alley behind the club?”The club—a too busy pit called Pyro.

“Yeah, it takes you out back.”

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