Page 141 of Trigger

“Leave him alone, Adam,” Shelly cut in because she was always thefirst to stand up for anyone. “Bruce, order us another round.”

“I’m broke.”

Tye was mostly silent, with Shelly whispering in his ear theentire evening, which pissed me off. When my phone pinged with a text, I thankedmy lucky stars because it gave me something to do.

“It’s from John Smith,” I explained when Tye gave me a confusedlook. “A blood spatter analysis from Roxie’s apartment.”

It was a new and improved version since the chief insisted that weretrace our steps and check if we missed something.

“What does John reckon?” Tye said, shifting closer to me to take alook.

“That our killer is of middle height, powerful, and probably inhis prime. Leftie. Someone with a military background or something to do withmedicine. Maybe a nurse or a butcher.”

“Hmm,” Tye murmured, studying the photos. “Scroll down, babe.”

I looked at him in disbelief. “Are you doing this on purpose?”

At first, he looked confused, but when the realization hit him, heburst into laughter.

“Sorry. I really didn’t mean to. It just slipped out of my mouth,I swear.”

When Bruce headed to the stage to grace us with his singingability, I whined internally. Shit, it really was a karaoke night.

“Is he as good a singer as he says?” Tye asked me, soundingrightfully suspicious.

I chuckled. “God, no.”

He smiled, and that smile did something to me, so I looked away,despite him still staring at me. When he wouldn’t stop, I glanced at him,feeling warm in the face.

“Stop looking at me like that.”

His gaze shifted to the floor, but I could feel it creeping up tomy chest, where the top two buttons of my shirt were undone.

“How am I looking at you?”

Like a human hamburger.

When Bruce started singing, everyone went crazy, even though hissinging was awful.

“What about tonight?” Tye murmured. “Your place or mine, partner?”

His voice told me he was joking, but also… not. It kind of gave mean opening to tell him about my thoughts on the matter. I struggled toconstruct a sentence that would explain it all, but I hoped it would let mekeep a friend and perhaps make my heart beat normally again.

“About that…” I said, clearing my throat. “I was thinking thatmaybe… you know… what happened… it could be like a one-time thing… orsomething.”

He blinked a few times as if I were blurry.

“A what?”

“You know,” I said in a low voice, fidgeting in my seat. “Like an…experiment.”

“An experiment?” he repeated, looking at me incredulously.

I nodded, my face heating.

“That night felt like an experiment to you?”

It felt like a goddamn destiny, but I wasn’t saying that. I wasn’teven thinking that.

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