Page 117 of Bad Wolf (Wild Men 4)

She makes it sound simple. Too simple.

But she has a point… Why not call him? He has a lot going on in his life right now. I’ll just check on him, make sure he’s okay.

By the time I gather the courage to call, it’s after my last class, and it’s getting dark outside. I ring his number as I walk toward the bus stop, and slow down when it goes to voicemail.

Disappointment hits me. I realize then that I’d been holding my breath, waiting for his low, deep voice to come over the phone. Hoping for a hint of a smile when he spoke to me to show his pleasure at my call.

Oh come on, Gigi. He’ll call back.

Caught up in thought, I’ve passed by a vaguely familiar door, and stop. A bar. Wait a minute, isn’t that where he works?

Two guys stumble out, and I grab the door before it closes and enter.

Yeah, this is the place. What was the name of the bartender I talked with last time? David, right?

But he doesn’t seem to be there. Jarett either, for that matter. A woman approaches me from behind the bar and smiles.

“What can I get you?” she asks.

“I was hoping to talk to Jarett, if he’s here,” I say, glancing around. “Is he working tonight?”

“Jarett.” Something shifts in her expression, and I’m not sure if it’s anger, or regret, or both. “He doesn’t work here anymore.”

“What?” That snaps me back to attention. “Since when?”

“Days ago. A pity. He’s a damn good bartender, even if having to peel women off him every night was getting tiresome.”

She’s pissed with him about that.

She has a crush on him.

Do all the girls he knows have a crush on him? Jesus.

I force my hands to stay relaxed at my sides, even as irrational anger warms me up from the inside. Did he kiss her? Did he hold her?

“Boss fired him because he missed too many shifts with his mom being so s

ick,” she goes on. “I heard he landed a job at a fast-food place not far, if you’re looking for him.”

She’s eyeing me, a calculating gleam in her eyes.

“Where?”

“Across the street, two blocks to your left. Burnt Burgers, or Fun Burgers, or something. I can never remember the name.”

“Thanks.”

“No worries. Tell him… tell him Suzie says hi. And that I hope he’s okay.”

“Sure.” He never talked about this Suzie gal. “You and him are friends?”

She shrugs, looks uncomfortable. “I’m not sure.”

Whatever that means. “Okay, Suzie.”

I turn around to go, but she comes around the bar and stops me. “Wait. Tell him I’m sorry. Please?”

“What for?”

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