“My blood wouldn’t be on your hands,” she replies.
“If we don’t stop you, it sure will feel like it,” Cole agrees. Then he pulls open a drawer and brings out a bottle and a handful of shot glasses. “Here. Let’s drink to Harry. You know he wouldn’t want you putting yourself in danger.”
Cole fills them and passes them out. Then lifts his in the air. “To Harry. Best attorney we ever had, and a good husband.”
She looks torn, but she drinks and sets her shot glass on the desk. “I want my money back.”
Cole nods, reaches into a drawer, and drops the fat envelope on the desk.
She swipes it and stands, shoving it in her purse.
Cole rises to his feet. “You’re not going to do anything, are you?”
She doesn’t reply, then turns. I step out of her way, opening the door for her. Once her heels are clicking down the hall, I look back at Prez.
“She’s gonna be trouble,” he mutters.
“But not our trouble,” Red Dog says.
“Depends if the mob found out we’ve been sniffing around. She could make it look like we’re to blame for whatever she’s concocting in that pretty blonde head.” Cole lifts his chin at Crash. “We’re gonna need to keep tabs on her movements. Set up a schedule. Rotate the prospects and some of the other guys. I want to know where she goes.”
“On it. You got another one of them trackers?” Crash asks him.
Cole digs in his top drawer and tosses one on the desk.
Crash snags it and turns to me. “Come on, kid.”
I follow him out the door, thankful, at least, the club isn’t putting a hit on Carlo Bianchi.
“That was close,” I whisper.
Crash frowns. “It ain’t over yet. I need you to stall her long enough for me to put this on her car. Think you can handle that?”
“Sure.” I trot ahead, catching up to her just as she’s opening her car door. “Hey, darlin’.”
She turns her blue eyes on me, giving me a quizzical look, her gaze traveling over me. “Yes? What is it?”
I give her a dazzling smile. “I’m sorry about how Prez treated you. I think it’s real sweet how you want to take out these guys. I wish I had an ol’ lady who wouldn’t hesitate to kill a man for me.” Out of my peripheral vision, I see Crash come out the door and head to his bike. I sidle closer to her and make sure she’s turned away from the rear of her car.
He doubles back and moves slowly toward her bumper.
The gravel under his boots crunch, and Joselyn starts to turn.
Thinking quickly, I lift a hand to cup her cheek, keeping her eyes on me. “Harry was a lucky man to have such a beautiful, devoted woman like you.” I’m pouring it on thick because Crash is taking his sweet time.
Joselyn shoves my hand away. “Are you hitting on me?”
Finally, he heads back to his bike, and I straighten, shoving my hands in my pockets. “No, ma’am.”
She shakes her head and climbs in her car. “Good grief.”
I stand there and watch her peel out, gravel flying.
Crash approaches me with a big grin on his face. “You dog. Hitting on the widow.”
“It was all I could think to do. You took your sweet time, by the way.”
“Well, when I heard you pouring it on so thick, I had to smoother my laughter. You into cougars, Kyle?”