Page 90 of Snow in Texas

Crockett turned a frown toward her. “New boyfriend?” He looked scandalized. “Jen, you’re married to Riley!”

Shit, why couldn’t it have been a lucid day?

“No, that was a long time ago. Riley and I divorced, remember?” She flicked a look to her ex, gauging the tension in him.

He’d seemed relaxed thus far, but at mention of the divorce, he grimaced and a small shudder of anger moved down his arms. “You almost make it sound like a joint decision.” His voice was cold now, hard-edged.

“It was.” She knew it was a risk, but she made eye contact and let him feel the weight of her gaze. She wasn’t his wife anymore, and she didn’t have to obey him. She wanted him to know it…even if he was about to beat her senseless.

“Ah, you two,” Crockett said, facing Riley again. “You didn’t have a fight, did you?”

“Lots of fights,” Jenny said. “Fights that put me in the hospital.”

“You always were good at making shit up, weren’t you?” Riley said.

“I never lied to you. Never. It wasn’t my fault you were paranoid.” And now, thanks to him,shewas paranoid. Had suspected the worst of Colin and pushed him away so many times. God, how this man had hurt her, in ways that were still showing, bruises on her heart that refused to stop bleeding.

“Jenny,” Pup said from over by the door. “What do you want me to do?”

She spared the prospect a fast glance and saw his pale face between the two grocery sacks he still held, his eyes huge and wild.

Riley barked a laugh. “Look at this little sombitch. That’s who Candy’s taking on as a prospect? Look what he’s doing to your club,” he said to Crockett. “He’s watering it down with teenagers and pretty dicks for Jen to play with.”

A tremor moved through Crockett; Jenny felt it against her palm. Riley was getting him upset.

“Jen,” he said, voice strained, “what’s going on? What do you mean you and Riley got divorced?”

She patted him. “What do you want, Riley?”

He feigned offense. “To visit my old friend Crockett.”

“You don’t have any friends. And why aren’t you in lockup?”

“Oh, you didn’t know? I’ve got lots of friends, baby.” He grinned again. “Friends who can make Eli’s dirty pictures go away – that was a cute trick, by the way. I wanted to tell Candy so myself.”

A sensation like a cold hand wrapping around the back of her neck. Friends who could get Elijah out of hot water? Those were important friends in some very legal places.

“Crockett here was gonna give him a call. See if he’d come have lunch with us,” Riley continued. “But then you showed up.” Clear delight in his voice.

She–

Her phone rang.

Riley reacted, leveling his gun on her chest, tension whip-cracking through him.

Jenny caught her breath as the cell continued to chime. “If I don’t answer it, they’ll know something’s up. They know I came here,” she added. “They’ll know where to look.”

He considered it, then nodded. He didn’t have to tell her that revealing his presence would be very bad for her. Doubtless he knew she was keenly aware of that.

The clubhouse number flashed across the screen and she managed a semi-normal hello.

“Hey,” Talis greeted. “The guy’s back. Catcher spotted him on the monitor and I’m gonna go take a look.”

Translation: I’m gonna go fuck him up.

She closed her eyes. “Okay.” Of course the smoker was there; he was a decoy. He’d been lurking around, getting their backs up about something happening at home, when all along Riley had been planning to have this confrontation here.

“Everything alright with you?” Talis asked, and sounded like he knew it wasn’t.

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