Page 14 of Trusting Laurence
Anger and frustration churned through Larry in a jumbled mess. He’d known Marcus wouldn’t volunteer information, but he’d thought the man would eventually come around to giving them something. They’d gotten nothing. Absolutely fucking nothing.
Finn, never much of a talker, had said only one word since they’d first arrived at Colombia Penitentiary. But he could feel the man brooding. He knew he was feeling the same way Larry, himself, did. They’d been working this case for too long with no break and nothing concrete to show for their efforts.
If they could get Marcus to talk, Larry was sure the information would go a long way to solving their case. He was convinced Marcus was the key to cracking this thing wide open. Those accounting records, meticulous and detailed, told him Marcus was the man with the information.
Not far from their offices, Finn finally spoke up. “I could take a crack at him.”
“Yeah, much as I think you could probably persuade the good senator to be more forthcoming with info, I think we need to cool off some before either of us considers talking to him again.”
“Fuck it, boss. The man knows things. You can see it in his eyes. And that smug-ass grin of his just makes me want to put my fist through his teeth.” The contempt in Finn’s tone was stamped all over his face.
“Exactly my point.” Larry snorted out a laugh, despite his own irritation. He felt Finn’s frustration. Pulling into the parking garage of the FBI offices, he continued, “I’m going to drop you off and head out. I’ve got something I need to do. Take some time, go hit a punching bag, grab a beer, get laid, something – anything. Work off that mood. We’ll take another look at things tomorrow.”
Finn heaved a sigh, as if the weight of the world rested on his shoulders — shoulders tense and tight enough to snap under the hand Larry had placed on one.
“I know. I feel the same. But if we’re going to be any use to the girls these scumbags are running, we have to be smart about things. Let’s just take a step back and come at it fresh in the morning. Yeah?”
The shoulder under his hand shrugged. “Yes, sir. I’ll see you in the a.m.”
He watched as Finn got out and walked away before putting his vehicle in reverse. He pulled out of the parking garage and steered toward the beltway to take him to Georgetown. He had one of two options to get rid of the savage frustration riding his ass. Either he beat the hell out of something, or he fucked it out of his system. Tonight, the latter appealed to him, so, Club X it was.
The drive gave him time to think, and he was surprised to find his thoughts turning to Tahlia rather than the clusterfuck of a meeting he’d had with her ex-husband earlier. He wondered what she was doing at that very moment. He hadn’t seen her again since she’d given him Marcus’s accounting records.
From the day he’d laid eyes on her, a young bride still naïve enough to think her husband was wonderful, he’d known a lust like never before.
At five foot even, she was like a living doll—breathtaking, with her long hair of red copper and spun gold that glinted in the sun. Her cornflower blue eyes had seemed to see all the way into his soul. As if she could see all the scars etched on that blackened spirit and passed no judgment.
But it had been when they were introduced and she’d laid her tiny hand in his for a handshake that he’d been a goner. Her sapphire gaze had held his, and he’d fallen into that stare like a man saved. He’d never felt as protective of a woman as he did of Tahlia Forrester that day. Over the years he’d guarded her, he’d lost his heart to her gentle kindness.
Even though he’d gone on to marry someone else, he hadn’t loved Olivia like he’d loved his Lia. And now, when he thought back on it, he suspected his wife had known she was competing with someone else’s memory.
The club was a little quiet as Larry walked in. It was still early, and the regulars wouldn’t be in until later, but he’d needed to get away from the office. To take a moment and regroup. A quiet drink was just the ticket.
He strode over to the bar, lifting a hand to the barmaid at the other end serving another member. When she was done, she sashayed toward him.
“Welcome back, Sir. I haven’t seen you around in a while.”
“Thanks, Katy.” He smiled at the young woman.
“What can I get for you, Sir?”
“A pint of Guinness, please.”
“Coming right up, Sir.” Katy smiled at him.
He watched as she made short work of pouring his drink. Placing it down in front of him, she asked, “Can I get you anything else, sir?”
“No thanks, lovely. I’m good for now.”
With another smile, she wandered off to the other end of the bar to see if anyone else needed a top-up.
Larry wrapped both his hands around his glass, contemplating the inky contents. His thoughts turned inward once again, returning to Tahlia and his ex-wife. He regretted that he’d been unable to give to Olivia the love she’d deserved. She was a good woman, worthy of a man who could give her and their marriage one hundred percent. Not a man whose heart belonged to someone who could never be his.
At the time of their divorce, there’d been bad feelings between him and Olivia, but over the years since, they’d finally worked through their issues. Their relationship had been based on a friendship, and, back then, he’d hoped it would grow into more. But he’d not been capable of giving her all of him, and their friendship had begun to wither. By the end, they’d been barely civil. Thankfully, she’d forgiven him, and they’d found their way back to that closeness.
While he may be Dominant, he wasn’t an asshole. Well, not often anyway.
Feeling a thump on his shoulder, he looked around to find Jim standing there.
