Page 4 of Escape You

“What’s your name?”

I shook my head. On a normal day, I’d give him my name, flirt, or maybe I’d check to see if that chest was as muscled as it looked. But my life was on south of normal these days.Think Queen Elizabeth I.

“Okay. No names.” He glared at the front door, then turned his attention to me. “I had a rough day, week, if I’m being honest. Would you mind if I finished my bourbon?”

I glanced back at the bar. We both had fresh drinks. “I suppose that’s harmless enough.”

“Thanks.”

We sat in silence, sipping from our glasses. My gaze darted over to him every time he moved, when his finger tapped on the counter, when he licked his lips, when his legs slid down the stool until his feet were fully planted on the wooden floor.

“What happened to you? Female problems or work stuff?”

He shifted toward me, and I did the same. “So talking about work problems is safe, but not names.”

“Something like that.” I should have left ten minutes ago.

“Work stuff. I got passed over for a job I wanted.” He shrugged as if it didn’t sting anymore, though the gloom that lingered in his blue eyes said otherwise. That was something I could relate to. Someone literally had to die for me to get the job I wanted.

“And you?” he asked.

“What about me?”

“The way you’re clinging to that drink suggests you also had a hell of a day. Week?”

I raised my hand. “Week.”

He offered me a kind smile. “Want to talk about it?”

I did my best not to melt off my seat. “I got the job I wanted last week. But my subordinates seem to be on a mission to see me fail.” I attempted a smirk, but it quickly turned into a frown. That was the crux of it. My own people, my family, wanted to see me fail. Or rather, they wanted to see me not try at all.

“I’m sorry to hear that. People can be assholes sometimes.”

“I say cheers to that.” I tapped his glass with mine, and we both drank.

My gut told me this was a bad idea. Not listening to my gut was also a bad idea. I braced my hands on the bar and pushed myself off the stool. He watched me with expectant eyes, as if he wanted me to leave.

I went for honesty. “Bad timing.”

He nodded, sucking air through his teeth. “Same. Otherwise, I would beg you to stay.”

The electric shock his words infused through my body set me right. I walked backward several steps, and he advanced a single one. Technically, I was walking him out, but his slow gait felt more as if he were chasing me out the door.

2

Person of Interest

Tyler

Open the door and leave.

I turned the key. “You know, my timing issue won’t be a problem in six months. Where are you going to be in six months?”

“Still having a timing issue. I’m sorry.” She pressed her hand to my chest, then curled her fingers.

Just my fucking luck. I surveyed her face, trying to memorize her features. The bow of her upper lip, the messy waves of her dark hair, the green specks in her eyes.Her eyes.The longing in her gaze said she’d lost something recently. What was it? What was her timing issue?

For me, it was my new ATF (Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives) assignment. What a waste of my time. Especially when there were people out there who needed my help in the worst way possible. But the FBI had turned me down when I brought the case to them and asked them to intervene. As an ATF agent, I had limited reach. But the FBI claimed there wasn’t enough evidence, that I had no case. I had a witness, for crying out loud. What more could they want?

---