Page 69 of The Last Good Man

Plenty of people drive cars like his.

‘Name one in your circle,’a skeptical voice grumps in my head.

Well, maybe not in my circle. But there are people. Maybe they’re friends of Olivia’s son.

Or perhaps it’s Olivia’s son’s car.

I look away from the window, refusing to freak out over something virtually impossible.

So, tipping my gaze down, I pick up a raspberry from the chocolate cake, pop it into my mouth, and crush it between my teeth, paying more attention to the sweet and sour aroma than the person outside.

A few moments pass, and Olivia’s voice floats around the room, carrying highnotes of surprise.

‘Don’t look. Don’t look,’ the voice in my head says, and I try not to, glancing everywhere except for the hostess.

My eyes drift over the table and my purse. I check the time on my phone when heavy steps trail to the middle of the room, heading my way.

Seconds later, I peek down, and my eyes slide over a stranger’s boots.

“What a wonderful idea,” Olivia says, and I don’t know whether she refers to me or the man accompanying her. “Your friend is here, Miss Hill,” she says, and I instantly know I’m doomed.

13

MELODY

I don’t want to look like a fool, making weird faces and playing dumb, so I lift my gaze, flash a polite smile, and barely spare a second to zip my eyes to Jax London, who somehow has sucked the air out of the dining room, rendering everyone inside quiet.

He towers over every person in this place, his dark clothes and tattoos screaming he doesn’t belong.

His magnetic eyes barely hold back a smile.

He promised he wouldn’t go away, didn’t he?

He said it, and now he does it.

But here?

Has he followed me?

No. Maybe, yes. No, hell no. I would’ve seen him.

Was it someone else on my tail? I would’ve noticed it, and then a light bulb goes offin my head.

Wait a minute. The car that had trailed me in Manhattan. Was that a coincidence? No. I don’t think so.

It was him.

He knew I rented a car and what kind of car it was.

And then there was the man I talked to as I picked up my car. He gave me tips on what roads to take to avoid traffic.

He knew my destination, and if Jax had talked to him, so did Jax.

Ugh.

I try to let nothing out.

“My friend. Yes, my friend,” I mutter, holding Jax’s eyes.

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