Page 42 of The Killer You Know

Nikki looks great in an electric blue number that cuts off just below her knees.

I managed to dig a little black dress out of my closet. It’s formfitting and cuts off far above the knees, but I paired it with a matching loose cardigan so I could bring my own plus-one along, my Glock.

Nikki did the same.

“So what do you think?” I whisper while nudging Jack as we take in the crowd. “You think our killer is here?”

“They wouldn’t miss it,” he says with a shake of his head.

“With all these women here?” Nikki points out. “It’s a veritable buffet of potential victims.”

And sadly, she might be right.

“Hey, hey,” someone calls from behind and we turn around to see Mitch looking gussied up himself in a dark gray suit. And with his dark hair slicked back and his own facial scruff tamed, he looks more like a blood relation of Jack’s than Jet does. “Looks like the gang’s all here.” He howls out a laugh as he offers both Nikki and me an embrace at the very same time. “Looking good, ladies. Looking good.” He winks over at Jack. “You look like you’re auditioning for the next James Bond. I believe you left your martini at the bar.”

Nikki and I have a good laugh over that one. He’s not wrong.

“All right,” Jack says, craning his neck into the crowd just as another song enlivens the room. Another favorite from back in the day, I’m presuming, as the screams of delight grow louder.

“Ooh,” Nikki says, jumping next to Mitch and taking up his hands. “I love this song. Dance with me.”

“What about your boy toy?” He hitches his head toward Jack. “I’ve seen him cut a guy for trying to steal his chick. I can’t risk having him rearrange my features. The man spent time in Quantico. He knows how to get rid of a body.”

“I did my time at Quantico, too. And I’m not his chick,” she says with a growl. “That’s Baxter’s fate tonight. I’m just here as a guest, with no one to shake what my mama gave me out on the dance floor. Come on. Think of it as a charity effort.”

“Well, if it’s for charity.” He laughs as she begins to haul him away. “I’m forever the giver.”

“He’s a giver, all right,” Jack muses as they melt into the crowd. “He was a pro at giving his mother headaches. He’s still pretty good at it.”

A light laugh rumbles through me. “You and Jet really lucked out with the Deckers.”

“You don’t know the half of it. I was a bigger handful than Jet in the beginning. And a little after high school, too. I was still trying to get my bearings. Some days I still am.”

A hand falls over his shoulder and we turn around to see none other than Derek Russell himself.

“Glad you both could make it.” He sheds a power smile as he shakes Jack’s hand then mine. He’s dressed down in jeans and a corduroy blazer but has on enough cologne to choke anyone in this crowd.

“Couldn’t, wouldn’t miss it,” Jack says.

“So, you ready to remind these ladies what they’ve been missing?” He belts out a laugh before his attention gets hijacked and the smile glides right off his face. “Excuse me, I think I need to hit the bar.”

He takes off and both Jack and I glance in the direction he was looking at, only to see Alicia Adams and Vanessa Copeland having what looks to be a strained conversation.

Alicia shudders in her glowing pink gown and raises a finger to Vanessa in her red frock before storming into the crowd.

Vanessa gives a quick glance around the room as if to assess if anyone is watching and thankfully avoids the two of us in the process.

I step in front of Jack so that my back is to her.

“Derek seemed chipper until he saw something that dampened his mood,” I say low enough for Jack’s ears only.

Jack gives a sober nod. “Makes me wonder if it’s his next victim.”

I lean in close and practically whisper right in his ear, “You still think he did this?” My torso rubs over his and an entire electrical field pulses through my stomach.

I’ve never been a fan of hormones or what they can do, especially not now. Not around Jack. Not when he’s dressed to the nines and making my heart race as if a killer were after me. Personally, I’d prefer the killer.

Jack’s lips nearly touch my cheek as he whispers right back, “He has the strength and stamina to subdue his victims, to drive that hunting knife in through the sternum, as well as pull off a kidnapping and murder back to back. Yes, he’s still my number one pick.”

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