Page 215 of The Last Good Man

Would that be a first? No.

Sipping coffee, Ikeep an eye onthe corridor while trying to work.

“How are things?”

A voice echoes in front of me, and I almost spill my coffee as I tip my eyes to Mina.

She seems more invigorated now. Her cheeks are flushed, her eyes sparkling.

“Things are good,” I say, reserved, leaning back into my seat.

We both wear pants today.

My look is complete with a fitted jacket, while she wears aloose-fit blouse with her floral pants.

I sweat a little in myjacket, but it’s too late to change as I don’t want to miss when Jax enters the firm.

“This is the information you have asked for,” she says, sliding a sticky note across my desk.

I tip my gaze down and peruse the name. John Levine, private investigator.

Next to it, there is a phone number.

Quickly, I palm the piece of paper and drop it into my purse.

“Hecame highly recommended. Very professional guy.”

“Thank you,” I say, and my eyes move quickly to the hallway again.

I check the time on my watch, something telling me he’s close.

Sure enough, Jax and one of the men who had lunch with him at the restaurant that day walk down the corridor.

That must be Marco Costa.

Jax has that dangerous vibe about him, while Costa looks downright scary.

Still, the man is trying to soften his image, swaggering down the corridor with a smile on his face. He wears an Italian suit, a sleek tie, and an expensive watch.

Jax looks his best in a one-button suit with a white dress shirt and a green tie.

Even so, these outfits fool no one.

They’re built like brick walls, theirwideshoulders pushing against their fancy suits, their tattoos visible at their necklines.

I rise from my seat, although they’re not headed this way, and Jax doesn’t look in my direction.

It feels like he’smade pace with the idea that I’m a lost cause for him, and boy, does thathurt.

I fall back in my seat like a broken toy, my eyes on his silhouette, my chest tight.

It took me almost nothing to go from being pursued by him to being ignored.And he’s not even ignoring me.

He gave up on me, which is so much worse.

Later, after he and Marco leave the firm, I order lunch and try to learn more about their new endeavor from my work colleagues.

Jax London and Marco Costa are the proud owners of a firm specializing in protecting personnel and assets.

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