Page 46 of Free to Breathe
Colby has the good grace to look at me uncomfortably. “Addison.” He’s uneasy, likely because of what I told him earlier in the week.
“I know we ran into each other at Jack’s office, but I actually live here in Danbury. It must have been meant for us to see each other again. What are you doing here? Craving something?” She’s practically purring.
Self-centered bitch, I think with some amusement. That amusement dissipates rapidly when the conversation takes a completely different turn. Internally, I’m wondering if this shit only happens to me.
“You know how I am,” Colby says noncommittally. Then Addison lets the bomb drop.
“If I remember the last time you and I were together…what, two, three years ago at that event in DC? I do know how you are. That was a hell of a night, wasn’t it?” She runs her hand up his chest possessively.
My mind goes blank. Two or three years ago? Raising my eyes to Colby’s, I see he’s not looking at Addison, who’s desperately trying to imprint her scent on him like a bitch in heat. Appropriate. He’s looking at me, beseechingly. His eyes are begging me for something I just don’t have it in me to give right then.
Calmly, I reach for my cell phone and order an Uber. Pushing back my chair, I stand. “Since you two appear to have so much to catch up on, why don’t you have a seat?” I offer. Tossing my hair over my shoulder, I offer, “I’ll have the waiter bring you a menu.”
Without even looking at me or letting go of Colby, Addison scoots in front of me and shoves my water aside. “That’d be great. And if you could have them send out some more chips too since you’re off your break.”
My snicker can’t be contained. “Of course.” Letting loose a barrage of Spanish at the confused waitstaff, I ask if they can deal with the hot mess at the table, as well as cancel my soup. I drop a twenty in the tip jar as I walk out the door to my waiting ride.
In the safety of the car back to Collyer, I ignore the persistent pings on my phone. I feel like an idiot, and I don’t have time for that.
Not anymore.
It’s time to be with people who accept me for who I am, and just live.
Picking up the phone, I call a number I haven’t in some time. When the call is picked up, I ask, “Miss me?” Hearing the husky male laugh on the other end, I grin, knowing the night’s still early.
23
Colby
Iwon’t apologize for having had a life in the last ten years. I won’t apologize for the fact that yes, I’ve screwed a number of women. And damnit, Corinna and I never had that kind of relationship before. I will cede that I owe her an apology for the past being so blatantly thrown into her face without us having had any sort of discussion about it. Despite her having written a letter that put us on a more even footing, Corinna and I still haven’t talked about what drove us apart.
Tonight seems to be the night to confront everything from your past though, I think bitterly. After being stuck at dinner with Addison for an hour, and trying to at first gently, then bluntly explaining to her I had no desire to rekindle what was mostly a two-time jack-off session with a live blow-up doll, I ended up with Addison’s water tossed in my face.
I was irritated at the scene Addison caused, but freaking pissed and hurt by Corinna.
Once again, things got tough for and she decides to take off? As I’m making a mental list of the things for Corinna and I to “discuss” the minute she’s within arm’s reach, my cell phone rings. Glancing at it, I see it’s Keene. I answer it using the speaker. “Hunt,” I clip off.
“Whatever you did, fix it,” he snaps, forcing more of my own temper to the surface.
“You don’t know anything about what happened, Marshall. Now is a good time to shut the fuck up and let me get to Corinna’s,” I bite off.
“And apparently neither do you.” He laughs darkly. “You think she’s at home curled up in a ball? Hell no—that woman is at least sane enough to call her sister to tell her where she’s partying for the rest of the night. And just for that attitude, do your own research to find her because she won’t be alone long.” Keene disconnects the call.
I let out a roaring “Fuck!” in the dark interior of the Jeep, right before I tell Siri, “Call OpsCenter-Work.” My fingers tap impatiently on my steering wheel as I wait for the Hudson Investigations Operations Center to pick up.
“Good evening, Colby. Looking for someone?” Caleb voice answers. He sounds amused, which is only mildly less irritating than Keene’s sanctimonious anger.
“Where did she go, Caleb?” I don’t even bother beating around the bush. I want—no, Ineedto find Corinna. In part, so I can wrap my hands around her throat and squeeze it for putting me through this crap.
His laugh is so different from his best friend. “Pissed off Keene, did you? That’s problematic as he’s probably the only one who could have had the cover charge waived for you since he knows the owner. Unless you have a spare five C-notes sitting around?”
Five hundred dollars for a cover charge? I almost run my Jeep off the road. “What the hell kind of place requires that kind of cake to get in?” I demand.
“The kind that will allow Corinna Freeman to call up the owner and sashay her sweet ass in any night of the week she wants. A club called Redemption near the city. I’ll see if I can pave the way for you to get in, but only because I’m worried about my sister-in-law.”
What has she got into now, I wonder. I’ve never even heard of this club. “Can you send the information to my phone?”
“Sure. And Colby?” I hear Caleb typing in the background.
