by Jill Sanders
“I shouldn’t have taken you up the hill in the snow. I could have gone myself.”
“No, I was feeling off before we went up.” She shrugged.
“Are you sure?” He lifted her up and carried her into the bedroom where he set her down on the soft bed.
“Yes, I’m sure.” She’d tied her hair up in a messy bun before getting into the tub, but now she realized it was a little damp as she lay on the pillow. “My hair is wet.” She sat back up.
He went back into the bathroom and came out with a towel. “Here, let me dry it.” He removed the clip that held her hair and gently pulled it out of the bun. Then he used the towel to dry her hair and surprised her by running her brush through it gently while she enjoyed the soup that he’d brought up for her.
“Is this homemade?” she asked after the third spoonful.
“Yes, my mother brought it over after Tom told her you weren’t feeling well.”
“She’s sweet. I really like her.” She sighed as the warm of the soup filled her.
“Sounds like she likes you right back,” Brian added, finishing up her hair. “There, it’s dry and brushed.”
“Thank you.” She scooted until she was half lying on the bed, still wrapped in the towel. “Are you going to eat some?” She motioned to the bowl.
“I’ve already had some. Thanks.”
“Right, I wouldn’t want to get you sick.” She took the spoonful herself.
“You won’t.” He chuckled.
“What did we find out today?” she asked, trying to get him to talk to her while she ate.
“Tom seems to think it was just a random break-in. They’ve had a few car break-ins while people are on the trails. Several other car batteries have been stolen.”
“Oh?” She relaxed a little more knowing that their cover wasn’t blown and that they wouldn’t have to move on.
“Yeah, we’ll play it by ear, but for now… we’re going to stay put.”
“Good.” She was getting full and handed the bowl and spoon back to him. “I’m good.”
“How are you feeling?” he asked, setting them both down on the nightstand.
“Tired.” She sighed and lay down on the pillows.
“Want to get some clothes on?” he asked.
She looked down at the towel and shrugged. “Sure.” She motioned to the drawers she’d dumped her clothes into. “Top drawer, shorts and a tank top.”
He moved over and then came back with her sleeping shorts and a tank top.
“Need help?” he asked, and she could hear the eagerness in his tone.
Smiling, she shook her head. “Too tired to play with you.” She yawned as she pulled on her clothes, then fell back onto the bed. He covered her with the blankets as she snuggled down in the bed.
“This feels soooo gooood.” She drew out the words. “Are you coming in with me?” She looked at him through one opened eye. He’d changed into a black sweater and black jeans, the outfit he normally wore when they were going to sneak into places and check them out. He looked even sexier in the outfit, and she realized she was royally screwed. She was falling hard and fast for him.
“No, I’m going to head over and take a look at Nick’s place like we talked about.”
She shifted to move up. “By yourself?” She frowned at him.
“Yeah, I’ve got it covered. You get some rest. I’ll be back in about an hour.”
“You sure?” she asked, lying back down.
“Yes.” He kissed her on the forehead. “Your fever’s going down.”
“Yes.” She felt her eyes closing again. She didn’t even hear the door shut behind him as he left.
Chapter 10
Brian used the hidden key to open the back door in the old place. It was obvious that Nick hadn’t done anything to improve the home over the years. The back patio was covered in snow, since the small roof had fallen in years ago and hadn’t been replaced.
When he stepped inside the dark kitchen, he knew instantly that Nick was still using. There was a large bong on the kitchen table along with a few bags of weed.
Weed was legal in a lot of states, but in Montana, unless you had a medical card, it was still off-limits. He didn’t know if Nick had his card, but it wasn’t weed he was looking for.
Moving further into the home, he checked Nick’s old hiding places, the spots where he used to store his joints back when his folks still lived there.
After moving around the house, he found more weed, lots of it, enough that he knew even if Nick had his medical card, he had enough to last him almost a full year.
When he let himself out of the home a half an hour later, he hadn’t found anything else.
He figured a quick stop at the Spot might be beneficial. After all, it was a different crowd at night than in the middle of the day.
When he stepped in, he almost choked on the smoke. The place was almost standing room only. Darla was still on stage, and he wondered just how many hours she worked in a week.
Finding an empty barstool, he waved at Corey.
“Back for more?” the man joked.
Brian nodded. “Bud Light.” He tossed a ten on the bar top and spun around to see if he could spot anyone he knew.
He counted more than half a dozen people he knew. Out of them, three were on his possibility list.
“Here you go.” Corey set the beer down. “Heard you used to live here?” He leaned against the bar, ignoring all the other people waiting to order drinks.
“Yeah.” Brian took a swig of the beer.
“Well, if you’re looking for some other forms of… entertainment… let me know.” Corey winked at him.
Brian swallowed a sip of the beer. “I’m good, thanks,” he said, turning back around to look out over the room.
“Let me know if you change your mind,” Corey said behind his back.
For a moment, he questioned if he put off that sort of vibe, but then Darla started walking towards him and he cursed under his breath.
He should have gone to one of the other clubs instead of this one. But this was the most popular one and he had the best possibility of catching the person or persons who were dealing the pills.
“Buy me a drink.” Darla stepped easily between his legs and wrapped her arms around his shoulders.
“Sorry.” He shook his head and tried to disengage her from him. “I’m not…”
“Oh, can’t old friends catch up?” She moved closer to him, her lips brushing his jawline. “Corey, he’s buying me a drink,” Darla called over his shoulder.
Corey nodded and set another bottle in front of Darla. She took a drink and then set it down. The drink was totally forgotten as she tried to rub her body against his.
There had been a time he might have taken her up on her offer, if she’d ever shown interest in him, but that time had passed.
“Darla, let’s face facts,” he said, taking her wrist and tugging on her arm until she moved away enough that he could see into her eyes. “This is never going to happen. I’m with Mia and I’m not the kind of guy who cheats.”
“Who said anything about cheating?” She laughed and took another sip of her beer. “We can do plenty without cheating.”
“Fine, then I’m not one to pay for something I have back at home for free.”
Darla jerked back as if he’d slapped her. Her eyes narrowed as she straightened away from him.
“You McGowan men are all alike.” She jerked her arms free. “Uptight and too self-righteous for your own good. You wouldn’t know a good time if it jumped up and bit you on the ass.” Her voice had risen slightly and several people beside them were silently watching her outburst.
“The fact that you’ve tied me in with the McGowans is the only reason you’re looking in my direction now,” he said in a low tone. “Everyone in town knows that you’ve been focused on bagging a McGowan since you hit puberty.”
Her laughter was louder than normal. He figured it was all for show since she glanced a
round, enjoying the audience. “I had a chance to have a McGowan. I’m the one that walked away from Tyler.” She screamed the last bit.
“Sure,” he said, remembering the stories of how Tyler broke it off years ago before Kristen stepped into the picture.
“I did!” She turned on her heels and marched through the crowd and disappeared into the back room.
“Everything okay over here?” Cam asked, stepping behind the bar.
“Sure.” He took a sip of the beer still in his hands. “Darla.” He shrugged, causing Cam to sigh.
“Damn, I had hoped…” he started.
“She loves making a scene,” Brian added with a shrug.
“Right.” Cam’s eyes moved to the dressing room door. “I’m probably going to have to let her go again.” Cam leaned over the counter to whisper, “I’m starting to get too many complaints.”
“Wherever she goes, drama seems to follow.”
“Drama that is starting to cost me customers.” Cam glanced around. Brian did the same and realized that more than a dozen patrons had disappeared during their little argument.
He stood up. “On that note, I’ll get out of your—”
“No.” Cam laid a hand on his arm. “You’re welcome to stick around. Corey, give him another beer, on the house. It sure is good to have you back. It seems like all the kids flee Haven the moment they graduate. Makes the place kind of lonely, you know?”
“Yeah.” Brian sat down again as a new beer was set in front of him. “Speaking of that, have you seen Nick around yet?”
Cam glanced at his watch. “It’s just now past eleven. He should be walking in the door in a few minutes.” He glanced up. “I’ve got to…” He nodded to the back room.
“Yeah, go.” Brian waved his beer. “Thanks for the beer, again.”
“Sure.” Cam smiled. “Night. Corey, take care of Brian for me.”
“Sure thing, boss.” Corey practically purred it.
Turning back around, Brian ran his eyes over the less crowded room. It made it easy to see faces now that it wasn’t as packed.
He watched a couple of small-time drug deals and gauged that there wasn’t anything but some pot and maybe Molly being distributed around. He made mental notes of the faces or names of the dealers and users, knowing that they would all go in his nightly report.
If he broke his cover to bust the small-time deals, he’d miss the big one they were there for. Still, he knew that the local PD would be interested in the smaller deals and could easily set up their own stings when they were done in town.
When Nick finally stepped into the club, Brian wasn’t surprised to see Darla meet him at the door. She was totally animated as he suspected she relayed what had transpired before he’d arrived. Brian doubted her story would match his as Nick marched across the room.
He could have ducked the swing, but to make his point and to hide his new fighting skills, he allowed his old friend to clock him once on the jaw. Besides, the way he’d left things between him and Nick, Brian probably deserved the hit.
“You have some nerve, coming back into town and hitting on my woman.” Nick’s eyes were full of anger, something he’d seen a lot over the years; several times even aimed at him. Brian could also tell instantly that Nick was fairly high.
“Your… You and Darla?” Brian acted innocent. “Since when?” he asked, changing the subject.
Some of Nick’s anger disappeared. “Almost six months now.”
“Really? I’ve brought my girlfriend, Mia, to town with me.” He relaxed when he noticed a lot of Nick’s anger drift off.
“Where is she?” Nick looked around.
“She’s home sick,” he said easily. “I thought I’d come out and see if anyone from the old days had stuck around.”
“Well, shoot.” Nick sat on the stool next to him and slapped him once on the back.
“Nick.” Darla walked up, looking between them. “What are you doing?”
Nick, as if he’d forgotten, glanced at Brian. “Did you really tell Darla she was a low-class hooker?”
“Nope,” he answered quickly and easily. “I did tell her I wouldn’t pay for what I can get at home for free.”
Nick paused, then laughed. “Corey, get me one of those.” He motioned to Brian’s beer.
“Nick,” Darla said in a high-pitched voice, causing people to once again look in her direction and move away from them.
“Oh, come on, Darla, give it a break. Besides, you technically broke it off with me yesterday.” Nick sipped his beer and turned to Brian, ignoring Darla as she stomped her foot, then spun once again and disappeared through the dying crowd. “Sorry about the punch, but I think you know you had it coming. After leaving town like that without saying goodbye.” He glanced over to where Darla had disappeared. “She’s like a kid. It’s exhausting giving her as much attention as she wants. If she hadn’t broken things off with me, I was going to do it soon. So, tell me about this hottie you have? I’ve heard a few things about her from Bobby.”
“You talked to Bobby?” Brian asked, trying to keep everything organized in his head.
“Yeah, he and Liz ordered pizzas tonight for the kids.” He shrugged.
Brian laughed. “You’re still delivering?” he asked, knowing full well that he was.
“Yeah, the pay is still the best for the hours. Besides, it’s easy work.” Nick shrugged. “What about you? What are you doing in the big city?”
“Working at the local brewery. Pay sucks, but all the free beer I can drink.” He smiled, trying to sell the lie.
“Sounds sweet. You’ll have to hook me up if I ever decide to leave Haven.” Nick glanced around. When a young blonde walked by Nick, he reached out and grabbed her. “Hey, Tiff, how about a private dance for me and my buddy?”
The girl glanced around. “I know better. Darla will kill me if she finds me talking to either of you.”
“Didn’t you hear?” Nick said smoothly, pulling the woman into his lap. “She broke things off with me last night.”
“Right, shortly after she found out he”—the woman nodded to Brian— “was in town.” She shook her head. “Which means, if he keeps turning her down as he did earlier, then she’ll be back with you soon.”
“Then we haven’t got much time to have some fun, do we?” Nick was running his hands up and down the woman’s bare back. The look Tiff was giving Nick told Brian that it wasn’t the first time they had had “fun” together.
Tiff glanced around again and then tugged on Nick’s hand until he followed her to the back room where there was a row of couches for private dances.
“Catch you later,” Nick called out, laughing as Tiff pulled him away.
“Yeah.” Brian shook his head, remembering how many good times he’d had in the back room.
Deciding he wasn’t going to get any further tonight, he left his half-empty beer and tossed a couple bucks on the bar for a tip.
When he stepped outside, he realized just how cold it had gotten since their hike. They had at least a full foot of new snow since then and the temperature had dropped severely.
Thinking about Mia, he started walking to his car, only to come up short when he noticed that Darla was leaning against his rental. She was fully dressed now in a long fur coat and boots, smoking a cigarette.
“You’re an asshole.” She dropped her cigarette butt into the snow.
“So, I’ve been told.” He tried to get into the car, but she blocked him.
“What is it about you McGowans?” she asked, her eyes seeming distant and unclear. He could tell she was on something, but since she hadn’t even been on his list, he figured it was probably something Nick had given her.
“Not sure what you mean.” He unlocked the car and opened the door, only to have her slam it shut.
“I’m talking to you,” she screamed.
Drunk and high, he thought as the smell of rum hit him like a freight train. He’d seen it so many times before. Hell, half the times he�
�d seen her in the past, she’d been drunk.
“Darla, go back inside,” he warned, knowing that she needed to be around people who could help her if things went south.
“No, I’m tired of you McGowans stepping all over me. Everyone in town knows you’re nothing but a thief.”
His eyebrows shot up. “Oh?” he said slowly. “Just what have we stolen?”
“Everything—land, this town, oil, everything.” She sounded breathless as she waved her arms around. He could tell that whatever she’d taken, it was starting to hit her full force. Only this time, something wasn’t right. The look in her eyes was off as her body began to shake. Her hand flew to her chest as she struggled to breathe, and her eyes darted around in panic.
“Darla.” He took her arm as her knees gave way. “What did you take?” he asked, seeing her face go pale.
“Screw off.” She jerked her arm free. She stumbled back a few steps but then righted herself. “I don’t need you or anyone…” She started to move away, but then her legs folded underneath her. Brian easily caught her before she hit the snow-covered parking lot.
When she started to convulse and foam at the mouth, he’d already dialed 911.
Chapter 11
Mia sat in the dark living room in front of the fireplace, watching the fire she’d built herself. When she finally heard the car out front, it was a quarter past three in the morning.
Brian paused in the hallway when he noticed the fire.
“Late night?” she asked when he walked in.
“Yeah.” He toed off his boots by the front door and sat next to her on the sofa.
All of the fight that she’d built up about him spending the night at strip clubs died out when he took her arms and wrapped them around himself. He snuggled into her chest and just breathed deeply.
“Everything okay?” she asked.
“Darla OD’d tonight.”
“What?” She straightened a little.
“It’s okay, the ambulance got there in time. I stuck around the hospital long enough to confirm she was okay and that it was what we’re looking for.” He wrapped his arms around her again, and she could smell smoke and hospital on his clothes. “She had so much fentanyl in her system that if she’d been alone…” He dropped off. “Hell, I’ve never liked the woman, but…” She felt him shake his head. “No one deserves to die that way.”
