Page 202 of Play Dirty (Brooklyn Dawn 1)

Was he taunting me? Or did he actually have her?

He had to, because she wasn’t here. He wouldn’t hire someone to do his dirty work. So, where would he fucking take her?

The back of my knees hit a chair and I sat before they dissolved. Jamie bent at the waist to stare into my eyes. “Where. Is. She?”

“If I knew, I wouldn’t be here right now.”

She dug out her phone and pushed it into my face. “This is you taking her out of here.” On her screen was a grainy shot from a video camera. If anyone looked at it quickly, they’d see me. Just like in all the early pictures of me and Kyle. People thought he was me all the time. We dressed alike.

Or was it that he dressed like me?

I shut my eyes as guilt hammered at me.

“Look closer,” I said on a guttural whisper.

She turned it around. “Your hair, your jacket. Your shirt—minus the fucking booze.” Then she paused. “Your shoulders are bigger.”

“Yeah. I’ve got twenty pounds on him. And about two inches.”

I took her phone again. Lindsey was walking with him, but she was acting like she was drunk. Her head listed against his shoulder and he curled his arm around her shoulder. Holding her against him with a smile.

I shoved the phone back at her and stuck my head between my knees. “Kyle.”

“What? Who?”

“I know it’s him.” I sat up straighter, forcing my churning stomach to settle. There wasn’t time for anything now but getting Lindsey back. “Yo

u have to get me out of here. I have to go find her.”

“You’re not going anywhere without me. And we’ve got a dozen cops looking for her. What the hell are you going to do?”

“I don’t know, but no one knows him better than me. I can’t sit here while cops and security people tell me they know how to do their jobs. They don’t know him. He’s sick, Jamie.” My voice cracked. I’d made him that way. It was my fault.

She shook me. “If you’re spinning out into guilt-land, bring it back, asshat. This is about Lindz, not you.”

I nodded and shook off the cold sweat of fear. “Yes. It’s about her. And I can’t fucking help her here,” I whispered furiously. “Help me get out of here.”

Her dark eyes were red-rimmed and a little insane.

If anyone could get me out of this building, it would be her. She was about as crazy as I was right now. And I’d use that against her if I had to. I’d do anything to get to Lindsey.

She looked me up and down, then hauled me out of my chair. “We need to get you a new shirt.”

“I don’t fucking care about my shirt,” I said over my shoulder when she pushed me into the hallway.

“We need to get you another shirt.” She stared me down. “You fucking smell like a distillery’s dirty floor.”

Noah looked at me, then Jamie. “Do not make me hunt you two down.”

“Relax, Kojak. He just needs a new shirt.”

Noah stared her down. “Do you see me sucking on a lollipop?”

She reached up and ruffled his hair. “No bald spot yet either.”

He deflected her hand and she gave him a sly smile. “Oh, I like it rough.”

“Jesus,” Noah turned away from us, his attention on his phone.

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