Prima.” He smiles the smile of the devil. “That is possible. So…” He searches my eyes. “You would like help to find the body?”
I shake my head. Then I nod. Then I shrug, because I have no fucking clue what I need. “I would like help proving my brother’s innocence. Nate Hardy may be dead, and maybe it was murder. But it wasn’t at my brother’s hands. And until there is a body found, I refuse to acknowledge foul play. Finding a body would be the logical first step. And if that body just happens to be alive and well when found, then my brother is exonerated of all charges.”
“And you say there is a witness?”
“That’s what the police said. There is a witness who has now been moved into protective custody while he awaits trial.” Rage burns through my blood. “Like my brother is some kind of criminal warlord, slaying men everywhere he goes. They will not tell us who this witness is, they will not give us a chance to say that the man is lying. They will not allow us to face him until trial, but by then, it will be too late. They will already have my brother in custody, and forgive me for my cynicism, but this process has been shady since day one, so I don’t expect a fair trial.”
“So there are two bodies you would like to find, Prima. One alleged dead man, and one witness. Correct?”
I look up into Evan’s eyes, and for the first time possibly ever, I admit to myself that he might be one of the few men on my side. If I remove his sleaziness, his murderous ways, his billion guns, and the fact he’s barely one step up from a pimp, I could admit he might be a half-decent guy.
And when I admit that, I’m able to acknowledge he’s handsome. He’s built. Strong and capable. He’s formidable, and successful at a young age. If only he’d applied his talents to, say, Wall Street, rather than this street, he’d be a good man to be allied with.
“Yes, Mr. McGrady.” I swallow the nerves that lodge in my throat. “That is what I’m searching for. These two men. Find one or both, and my brother could be saved.”
“Then I will search.” He smiles and leans closer. “I will search for you, Prima. Because that is what a man does for his future bride.”
He closes the distance between us before I can object, and presses his lips to mine for the first time ever. His tongue lashes out to tap my bottom lip. He forces his way inside my mouth, and he groans when I whimper.
I do not whimper from pleasure, but from the scorching pain that slashes through my heart.
I’ve been kissed by two men in my life now. One changed my life…
And, well, I guess, so did the other.
Jamie
I’m Coming For You
I walk the dark streets of a city a little more than two thousand miles from the place I call home. It breaks my heart that I’m in the seedy side of town. The smelly side. An old, worn-down hotdog vendor occupies a single corner, while another hosts a woman dressed in… well… bright colors that don’t cover a whole lot of skin.
Steam rises from the grates in the road, and mixing with the aroma of stale hotdogs, and the heat from a warm night, they float together in the air until the smell settles inside my pores.
I’m wearing jeans tonight, a ballcap to cover my somewhat recognizable hair. It’s unlikely anyone will notice me outside of the octagon, but I’d rather not run the risk, so I keep my hat pulled low and my shoulders lifted to make myself slump.
My injured arm throbs and sends a slice of pain into my gut each time I jostle, but if I walk smoothly, if I don’t cross from sidewalk to road too often, it doesn’t hurt too bad.
I’m wearing a slate gray shirt, dark blue jeans, and boots that are heavy enough to do damage if someone wants to step up, and my arm isn’t well enough to swing.
I pass the hotdog man – his cart says Hotdog Joe in faded red paint – and continue moving in the direction I studied via the GPS in my phone when I got out of my cab two blocks back.
I asked the cabdriver to hang out and wait for me to finish my business. He assured me in no uncertain