Page 30 of Haunted

“I’m Henley.” I took her outstretched hand. “It’s nice to meet you, though I wish the circumstances were different.”

“Nah. Watching K in action is always a good time.”

The awe in her voice created havoc in my mind, which had immediately begun picturing the two of them together. Jealousy rose up fast and furious, settling deep in my gut. My heart stuttered to a stop in my chest.Did she have feelings for Keaton? Had they slept together?

“Whoa.” She nudged me with her elbow. “Get those ideas outta your head. There has never, nor will there ever be, anything between me and Keaton other than friendship.”

My shoulders hunched, the relief I felt was instantaneous, if not a bit embarrassing. I’d never had such a visceral—near possessive—reaction about a man I’d dated before.

“Really?”

Before she could speak, my focus snapped back to the front when I heard Chase begin to sling vitriol.

“You’re fucked. Do you have any idea who I am?”

Keaton threw his head back and laughed, except it wasn’t the sound of someone who was amused, which was confirmed moments later.

“I know exactly who you are, Chase McArthur.” The sheer venom in his voice sent chills down my spine. “Butyou’re wrong about who’s fucked. Come near Henley again, I fucking dare you. Not even your daddy’s power and influence will be able to stop the hellfire I’ll rain down on you.”

“Is that a threat?”

“No, asswipe. That’s a promise.”

“Who do you think you are?”

“Special Agent Keaton Clarke.” He moved his jacket aside to reveal his badge and gun. “Now get moving before I arrest you for loitering.”

Chase began to fall back, but not before his icy-gaze shot to me; his next words were my undoing.

“How’s it been sleeping in your car, Henley? Those parking lots you frequent get awfully dark at night.”

He turned and fled, like the coward he was, when Keaton lunged in his direction. Thankfully Koen and Noah were there to grab ahold of their friend and somehow convince him to give up his pursuit. The look on his face when he stepped back into Over Easy though…it was murderous.

Shit!

6BOSSY

Keaton

That motherfucker was going down.

All hell broke loose with his parting words and it had nothing to do with me. Apparently, my girl had been keeping her lack of housing a secret from the women she worked with. To say they were pissed would’ve been like calling Mount Everest a little hill, but they held it in check until the diner was mostly empty and we’d all been properly introduced. Then they made their thoughts on the situation known…loudly.

“Why on earth would you hide something like this from us?” Shirley asked, hurt and anger evident on her wrinkled face.

“I was embarrassed, okay?”

“No, it’s not okay, Henley. You should have told us the instant that pompous jerk started bothering you. We could’ve helped.”

“I thought he was harmless.”

“Hmph,” Betsy grumped.

Henley tentatively reached across the table wherethey’d settled, placing her hand on top of Mitzy’s, who was drumming out an angry rhythm with her fingers.

“Please don’t be mad at me.”

I was leaning against a counter, surrounded by my team…my friends. It was far enough away to give Henley the space she needed to explain her actions, yet close enough to intervene if things turned ugly. When her voice cracked on the last word, I lurched forward, ready to scoop her up and spirit her away from whatever caused her pain, except Lanie blocked my path with a hand to my chest.

---