Hayden (A Next Generation Carter Brother #4) - Lisa Helen Gray Page 0,45

about.

“You’ll know he’s the one by the kiss, Hayden. It will be like your first kiss, even if you’ve been kissed before. Time will stop, you’ll get this intense flutter in your stomach, and it will hurt to pull away. He’ll be the only one to steal your breath with a kiss and make you see stars. Someone whose kisses are like that… he’s the one,” my mum had told me as a teenager. Her wisdom had stayed with me, and I knew I’d never settle for anyone without that kiss.

My dad, however, had another kind of wisdom to pass down.

“If someone kisses you like that, you should at least be thirty. Otherwise, knee the fucker in the balls and run. Run like you’ve never run before.”

I should have gone with my dad’s advice.

If I had, I wouldn’t be driving on dark, windy roads with angry tears pouring down my cheeks.

CHAPTER ELEVEN

Gears 5 is paused on the television as I get comfortable on the sofa, a new tub of cookie dough ice cream in hand.

It’s definitely needed after the phone call I had with Christina’s boss. He was an arrogant prick, more bothered that someone else was going to jump on the headline story before him. So far, they could only speculate and ask for any witnesses to come forward, which doesn’t exactly sell papers.

I have one more lead, but to pursue it, I need Liam to get me into the files Rob was unwilling to share with me.

The past twenty-four hours couldn’t have gone more wrong. It’s like the universe is against me.

After leaving the restaurant last night, I hit a drive-through and stewed on my anger. The touch and memory of our kiss was embedded in my head; it played over and over until I got to bed and fell asleep. Not even the best kiss I’d ever had could keep me from sleep. Nothing could.

He has fully managed to screw with my head, and that isn’t an easy feat. I’m made of steel.

I kept replaying our moment, giving alterative endings. I went from him pulling me into his arms and whispering how much he wanted to take me home, to hitting him with my car as I pulled out of the car park.

I’m never at a loss for words. I have comebacks for everything. Which is why I spent the morning sulking, angry I didn’t have anything to say to him. I’m not fond of this feeling. I’m giving myself until two to pout, and then I’m going to pull on my big girl pants and move on.

I have two weeks off after this week, and I plan on spending it by getting my shit together.

And drunk.

With Faith’s hen/stag party coming up, there will be plenty of alcohol involved to soothe my wounded pride.

My mobile vibrates on the coffee table, pulling my attention away from my thoughts. Reluctantly, I place my ice cream on the table before picking up my phone.

“Hey, Liam.”

“Hey, trouble.”

“Did you find what we needed?”

Laughter slips through the phone. “Not even your dad was this demanding, and he could win awards for being a diva.”

“Let’s not rehash the old times,” I tease, knowing he loves me.

“Old times,” he mutters. “I’m not old.”

“You know I love you really.”

“Which is why I’m doing this, kid. I got into the paper’s records and they’re telling the truth. There are no records of the story she was working on. But her computer was wiped clean. Whoever cleaned it knew what they were doing because I couldn’t find a trace anywhere.”

“I was certain there was something there. Her boss has been avoiding my calls all week, and today he couldn’t get me off the phone quick enough.”

“You can be difficult,” he tells me hesitantly.

I beam at the praise. “Thank you.” It wasn’t how I interpreted our phone call, however. “What about the witness Rob mentioned?”

“Are you positive they got a statement?”

“Yes. He said there was nothing they could use though.”

“He saw this statement?”

What is he getting at?

“I didn’t ask. I only assumed he had. He said a colleague went to take it. Why?”

“Because it doesn’t exist, Hayden.”

That can’t be right.

“How is that even possible? They have a name.”

“I’ve looked through their entire system, not just that case file.”

“Isn’t that illegal?”

“Technically, yes, but I helped improve their computer security. I’d say that gives me rights.”

I roll my eyes. “Of course it does.”

“I dug deeper on the name you gave me in case something stood out as weird. I got nothing.