Page 19 of New Beginnings
I could feel his intense gaze on me, causing me to glance over my shoulder. Fire simmered in his eyes, and I wouldn’t be against him making a move.
“Does it matter?” I asked, arching my brow.
He smirked. “Not really.”
I grabbed a bottle of beer and a bottle of water for myself before shutting the fridge door. I handed him his bottle of beer, then heard the hiss of the cap being twisted off.
As he sat at my bar, I positioned myself on the stool next to him. We sat so close our thighs brushed against each other, yet neither of us seemed to mind.
I might be playing a dangerous game because he still loved his dead wife, but I can’t help my attraction to him. I loved the bad boys and J.D. Stevens was the bad boy of every woman’s dreams.
I loosened the lid on my bottle of water and took a swig. He leaned on the marble countertop of my bar, his elbows firmly planted, as he held on to the bottle of beer. In this moment I wondered what was on his mind. Did he come here to find out if I had any more evidence or did he come here to see me?
Does it even matter why he was here?
After taking another sip of water, I glanced in his direction. He was such a beautiful man. Dark hair, beautiful brown eyes, chiseled jawline, muscular frame which was highlighted by the white t-shirt and leather vest he wore.
As he looked at me, a warm smile spread across his face. It was one of the most captivating smiles I’d ever seen. He should do it more often. It softened his appearance, making him seem less intimidating. Sexier, if that was even possible.
“You’re staring.”
“I can’t help it.” There was no point in lying. “You’re one beautiful man.”
His laughter echoed through the room. “Shouldn’t I be the one dishing out compliments?”
I shrugged. “Maybe. But I call it like I see it.”
He took another sip of beer before his eyes landed on me again. “You’re a very intriguing woman, Rebel Pierce.”
“Is that a good thing?”
“Most definitely.”
“I haven’t found anything since the last time we talked.”
It was time to change the subject. There was no point getting all hot and bothered by someone who was off limits. My eyes flicked to the wedding band around his finger then back to his eyes. Despite the desire staring back at me, I had no doubt he was not ready. If we fucked, the way he still tried to maintainthat connection to his wife, he’d probably think he was cheating on her. And believe it or not, I didn’t want to be anyone’s mistake or regret.
“You said you were hitting firewalls?”
“Major firewalls. And I can’t find information that I should have easy access to like police reports, 911 call logs.”
“They’re covering that shit up.” He downed the rest of his beer, then sat the bottle on the countertop. “I got a name for you.”
My eyes widened. “Who?”
“Earl Daniels. He’s a cop, and he’s the one who gave the daycare owner the money to erase the tape from that day.”
“How the hell did you find that out?”
He arched his brow. “Do you really want to know?”
Did I want to know?
I was sure whatever he did to find out Earl Daniels name, it was illegal. I knew all about his club. I did some research into them, looked through their wrap sheets, and complaints from citizens. They dealt in some of the shadiest shit, but they also did good things for the community, especially for veterans.
“No, I don’t.” I rose from the barstool. “Let’s go to my office and see what we can find on Mr. Daniels.”
A smile stretched across his face, but it wasn’t the easy-going smile that made him seem like the boy next door. This smile I had no doubt he used to get his way. It was more sinister. I hated to be the one in his crosshairs because he was out for blood and to be honest, I didn’t blame him if all this shit was true.
