Join the Club - Lani Lynn Vale Page 0,56

from the other side of the door.

“He’s trying to buy his way into Asa’s life,” she said. “He knew we wouldn’t do this the easy way.”

“No,” I agreed. “But we don’t have to let him win.”

“He’s right,” she said. “Neither Delanie nor I have the ability to fight him. I’m in the black, but barely. I’ve only recently started turning a profit. And I know that Delanie’s turning a profit, but barely. We pay this place once a month in half, and we’re not even a quarter of the way in to paying it off yet. I’m honestly not even sure how he finds out the stuff he finds out. But, just sayin’, he’s not going to give up. This is only going to get worse.”

David started to knock on the door, and Dillan growled at it in frustration.

I pulled my phone out of my pocket and dialed the number by heart.

“Yeah, can you send a blue and white out to…” I gave the dispatcher Delanie’s address.

“It won’t stop him,” she said. “He’ll just come back.”

“It’ll stop him for now,” I said. “Which is all I really need.”

Dillan’s eyes narrowed. “What’s wrong?”

I pressed my hand to my chest.

“Someone that I knew died today,” I said. “Umm, do you want to let the dogs out and let them run for a bit, or do you want me to do it?”

Dillan’s eyes softened. “That’s why I came over.”

I nodded. “I’ll wait for the cruiser to come. Have him show your adoring father the boot. Then I think I need to take a nap. My head hurts.”

My head wasn’t the only thing that was hurting, but it would be the only thing that I admitted to Dillan.

As much as she looked like her sister, she didn’t inspire me to have any heart to hearts. She also wasn’t the love of my life.

“Okay,” she said. “I’m sorry to hear that about your friend, Bourne.”

I nodded once, thankful when I heard the knock at the door.

I walked to it and looked through the peephole, grinning wide when I saw Jonah Crew.

Jonah was a motorcycle cop for Kilgore Police Department.

He was also one of my not friends, per se, but acquaintances.

He was also a take no prisoners kind of guy and hated dealing with assholes like David.

“Jonah,” I said, holding out my hand. “And you met my unwanted yard ornament.”

Jonah took my hand and shook it before looking back at David, who’d still refused to move.

“This the trash that needs taking out?” Jonah asked quietly.

“That’s it,” I replied quietly, then more loudly. “He won’t leave.”

“I own this house,” David replied. “I don’t have to leave.”

“You have paperwork that states that?”

David shook his head at Jonah’s question.

“You have a key to get in the house?” Jonah continued.

David shook his head once again.

“What about a driver’s license that shows you live here?” Jonah pushed.

David’s jaw clenched. But he once again shook his head.

“Then it looks to me like you’re going to leave,” Jonah said. “Come back when you have a few of these things.”

David glared daggers at me, but nodded once. “I can do that.”

Then he left, determination in his every step.

Chapter 13

Love is ale you need.

-Bar marquee sign

Delanie

“Hey, baby.” The voice of Booth carried through the vehicle’s speaker system.

“Um, hey,” Dillan said. “I called Delanie, though.”

Booth’s lips tipped up. “Sorry. Does that mean you can’t say hi?”

There was a moment of silence, and then Dillan cleared her throat.

“I was hoping to tell Delanie first.” She paused. “I didn’t want to tell you.”

There was a moment of silence and then Booth looked at me curiously.

I shrugged.

“Just tell me,” I said. “It’s on speakerphone.”

There was another long pause and then Dillan said, “So I heard some bad stuff happened today. I think that Bourne might be in the middle of it.”

“What kind of bad stuff?” Booth barked.

I looked over at him to see him clenching his hand onto the steering wheel, looking miffed.

“Not like that,” she said softly. “I wanted to tell Delanie this so she could tell you when you weren’t driving. But, from what I hear, one of y’all’s fellow officers died today. The one that just got married. Jason. Bourne saw him die.”

***

“Thank you,” I said quietly to Booth. “I’ll come pick him up tomorrow.”

Booth waved it away. “I’ll just drop Asa off with my dad when I have to go to work.” He looked toward the house as if he wanted to follow me in there. “Take care of him, okay?”

I nodded once then walked