Page 40 of Nevada

I step ahead of them. “Leave that to me.”

Making it to the bar will be harder since the brothers know they’re here, but I’m not fazed.

If anyone even thinks about talking to Star, they’re gonna meet with the end of my fist.

She doesn't know it yet, but she is mine.

8

ESTELLE

Okay, so the meeting wasn’t horrible. We have something. It may be small, but it’s something. At this point, anything would be better than clawing through hours and hours of surveillance and dead-end leads and coming up blank.

This is big.

I want to race out of here and jump in my truck and head to Mississippi, but it’s also getting late and Halo won’t let me do anything that reckless in the middle of the night.

“What’s your poison?” Nevada asks me. His hand is on my lower back again. It hasn’t escaped me that he’s been touching me in subtle ways since I got here. The problem I have is more with myself and why I don’t seem to mind it. There’s something comforting in his touch that makes me feel better than I have in a long while. It’s like I matter.

I don’t know why I need Nevada’s validation. I’ve always been strong willed, ever since Tilly and I were little kids. Tilly. I try not to hang my head thinking about her and where she is, and Nevada is waiting for an answer.

“Vodka martini, please.” It comes out shakier than I’d like it to.

Halo orders a glass of Chardonnay and I dig around in my back pocket and pull out a cigarette. I don’t smoke, but sometimes I stress-smoke.

I go to light it up, but before I do, two fingers grab the end and pull it out of my mouth. Nevada’s staring down at me. “What are you doin’?”

“What does it look like? Give that back!”

He crumples the cigarette up and tosses it over his shoulder. “That shit’ll kill ya.”

I gape at him. “Why did you do that?”

He gets the bartender's attention, but still talks to me out of the side of his mouth. “Because I don’t want you stinkin’ like an ashtray.”

The audacity of this man... Just when I think we’re getting onto some kind of neutral ground, he goes and pulls a stunt that makes me want to hit him in his goddamn pretty face.

“He does have a point, honey,” Halo sing-songs, eavesdropping. “And anyway, I thought I threw all of those away…”

I ignore her. A girl can’t even catch a break around here. Talk about having everyone gang up on you for no good reason. One little puff wasn’t going to hurt anyone.

“Plus, it’s a smoke free zone.” Nevada fails to keep the humor out of his voice.

I know for a fact he’s bullshitting. This is a biker clubhouse, not a Boy Scout convention.

“Riiiight.” I resist the urge to stamp my foot and walk out of here. I want that drink, but I also don’t want to leave Halo alone.

Before I can even blink, Riot is leaning against the bar, pulling out a stool for Halo as she happily accepts. He’s all smiles, and why wouldn’t he be? Halo looks freaking smoking hot in that tight, bodycon wrap dress. I love how sweet she is, and while she usually covers up, I think she should show off her fuller figure and not give a crap what people think.

“Alone at last.”

I look up and Nevada is giving me a panty-melting look that almost knocks me off my stool. I hate to sound like a broken record, but he’s so smoking hot tonight that deep down I know I won’t say no if one thing leads to another. A girl needs sex just as much as the next person, and it’s been too long since I’ve enjoyed the company of a man who wants to please me. And I want to please him. The thought hits me like a ton of bricks. Holy crap. I want him… I do…

It may be because I’m pleased we have a new lead. Or by the way he’s been stuck to my side like glue — something else I didn’t know I needed, or even liked, until tonight. Or the fact he’s actually trying to help. I’m not naive enough to believe this isn’t all about getting me into bed, but if I want to get him into bed too, then no harm no foul, right?

Still, snatching away my cigarette like that was rude and uncalled for.

“Yay me.”

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