familiar scrawl. She’d feared it was him. Had known, deep down, all along, that it had to be.
The stairs creaked. The fifth stair, to be exact. She raised her eyes. Found Reese staring at her.
“What’s happening?” he asked. Like Marie, he had worry in his eyes.
“A dead man is in town.” Her hold tightened on the card and envelope. “And I think he’s about to be a problem.”
Chapter Twenty-Five
Joel lifted the shot glass to his lips. Drained it fast. Didn’t even feel the burn as the whiskey slid down his throat. He immediately motioned for another.
He was in the loudest, roughest bar he could find. And everywhere he looked, Joel saw…her. Chloe. With tears on her cheeks. Tears he’d made her shed.
I am such a bastard.
When he’d seen her tears, all he’d wanted to do was wipe them away. Kiss them way. Pull her into his arms. Tell her everything was okay.
I think I love you, Joel.
The whole world had stopped when she’d said those words. And he’d wanted—so very badly—to believe her. But Chloe had been playing him from the beginning. What if she was still playing him? What if I want her so much that it doesn’t even matter?
Was he that desperate? That far gone? That in love with Chloe Hastings?
“Oh, wow, I’ve seen that look before.” A guy slid onto the barstool next to him. “Woman trouble, am I right?”
“You have no idea.” Joel slanted him a quick glance.
“You’d be surprised.” The man smiled at him. His gray eyes swept over Joel. “I’ve had my heart broken before. Shattered beneath the heel of a sexy high-heeled shoe.” He motioned to the bartender. “I’ll take what he’s got.”
Wonderful. A stranger trying to be chummy. “Look, buddy, I am not in the mood to commiserate. And trust me, you’ve got no idea what my life is like.”
“Oh, I’m not here to commiserate. Just to get drunk off my ass.” He took the shot glass that had been placed in front of him. Lifted it toward Joel in a salute. “Cheers.” He drained it in one gulp. “Another!” he called.
Joel studied the refilled shot glass in front of him. The amber liquid. He remembered the last time he’d had whiskey. With Reese. And the guy’s accent had vanished. “Can’t believe anything with them.” He reached for the glass. Held it too tightly because…
I want to believe her. I want to believe she loves me.
He’d been staring into her eyes. Those tears…
He let go of the glass. Rubbed his chest. It ached.
“Nope. You can’t believe a word some women tell you. They’re just trying to get in your head. Trying to mess you up. That’s what my fiancée did to me.” The chatty stranger drained the second glass. “But I have plans. I’m not out yet.”
Joel found himself peering at the fellow once more. Dark hair. Wide shoulders. T-shirt. Jeans.
The man caught his glance. Flashed another smile.
Oh, fuck. Joel knew that smile. The man’s eyes were a different color. The hair was a different cut and color, too. But the smile was the same. The exact same.
“You all right?” He slapped Joel on the shoulder. “Because it looks like you’ve just seen a ghost.”
He had. Joel was staring at a ghost. “Get your hand off me.”
“Okay.” He removed the hand. “Settle down. Obviously, you’re not the kind of man who makes friends easily.” The man tossed some cash on the bar. “See you around.” He pushed off the stool. Slipped into the crowd.
Hell, no. Hell. No. Joel yanked out his wallet and threw money down as he surged after the guy.
“Hey!” The bartender’s shout followed him. “You didn’t even touch your second drink!”
Joel ignored the call and rushed out of the bar. He looked to the left. Not there. Turned his head to the right. There. The man was ducking into an alley. “Stop!” Joel shouted.
He didn’t.
“Morgan, stop!” He used the name deliberately. The name of the man who’d planned to marry Chloe. Morgan Fletcher.
For just a moment, the man stopped. Then he darted into the alley.
Joel raced into that alley right after him. His feet flew over the cracked pavement as he turned the corner and hurried inside and—
A hard hand grabbed him and slammed him into the alley’s brick wall. “Don’t you know better,” the man who had to be Morgan Fletcher asked, “than to go running into dark alleys? Has Chloe taught you nothing?”
Morgan’s elbow was jammed against Joel’s throat. Was he supposed to be impressed by that