Lincoln relayed what I already knew: he was a police officer. I told him I was a freelance artist. Sticking to some truth seemed smart so I wouldn’t trip myself up over details I’d concocted. Not too long later, fresh drinks in hand, Lincoln directed us over to the seating area. The chandelier above flickered over the occupants of one of the booths, and something ugly lurched in my gut at the sight of Ethan Wright.
As tall as Lincoln, Ethan sprawled on a leather booth, his arms along the back, two women sitting on either side of him. One was talking with the guy on her other side, while the other had her lips almost on Ethan’s ear as she spoke to him.
Wright wasn’t traditionally attractive. But he worked out and was muscular. Even if I didn’t already hate the piece of scum, he wouldn’t do anything for me.
Lincoln gestured to the empty booth opposite his partner. Ethan’s eyes came to me as I slid in. He ogled, not caring how obvious he was. Attempting not to shudder, I relaxed against the booth and turned to Lincoln as he squeezed in beside me.
Jamie thought Ethan would be paranoid that someone “as beautiful” as me would be interested in him. It hadn’t escaped me that his words were incongruous to some insults he’d dealt since coming back into my life. What also didn’t escape me was that Wright was arrogant. He would have no difficulty believing I was interested in him.
Flirting with Lincoln was easy.
Having to flirt with the dirtbag who helped put Jamie in prison would have been impossible. I was glad Jamie had chosen Gaines as the less obvious investigative option.
“This is my partner, Ethan!” Lincoln called over the music.
Ethan smirked. “Nice piece!” He gave Lincoln a look of approval before turning his attention to the girl at his side.
Nice piece?
A shock of surprise moved through me as I felt Lincoln’s warm breath on my ear. “Sorry, he can be kind of a dick.”
My eyebrows rose as I pulled back to look at him.
He shrugged and bent his head to my ear again. “The guy’s my partner. He’s got my back.” His tone was of the “what can you do?” variety.
I could think of several things he could do. For a start, call his friend out for being repulsive.
On the one hand, Lincoln’s reaction suggested he wasn’t a man who talked about women that way. On the other hand, he wasn’t a guy who stood up against his friend for talking about women that way. It was a mark against him in my book.
I had a feeling Lincoln wouldn’t be so forgiving when he found out Wright was a dirty bastard, using his position of power to screw people over.
However, I smiled like I understood, and we tried to engage in conversation in the loud club. Now and then, I’d shoot looks across the table at Ethan, keeping a surreptitious eye on him.
Not once did I see Jamie.
But I could feel him.
He was watching us. I knew that. He would watch the fact that Ethan kept checking his phone, that he tensed and looked at it about an hour after I’d sat down in the booth with Lincoln. When he nudged the girl and guy next to him and asked them to let him out, Lincoln turned to him. “You off?”
“Yeah!” Ethan flashed a cocky smile. “Favorite pussy just texted!”
Ugh. Could he be any more disgusting?
Lincoln shook his head, apparently not impressed. Well, say something to him about it, I wanted to snap at him. He didn’t. He just waved in a “whatever, man” gesture and turned back to me. My phone vibrated in my purse.
“I need to use the restroom. I’ll be right back.”
He nodded and got up to let me out, but touched my lower back as I shifted past him. “I’ll be waiting.”
Guilt pricked me as I made my way to the restroom. Despite his inability to call out Ethan on his gross rhetoric, Lincoln appeared to be a nice guy. He hadn’t moved to kiss or touch me inappropriately. In fact, so far, it seemed he was treating this like a first date. I could be wrong, but my instincts told me Gaines was a nice guy.
I did not like screwing around with nice people.
In the privacy of the restroom hallway, I pulled out my cell.
Following Wright. Will come back if he’s leaving city. Don’t make a move without me.