Deadly Coincidence (Brantley Walker Off the Books #4) - Nicole Edwards Page 0,80

call back with instructions.”

Reese looked over at Brantley, saw the anger flash in his gaze, and knew he was thinking the same thing Reese was: Dante Greenwood had stooped to an all new low.

*

After JJ finished her coffee, she excused herself back to the room Baz had brought her to, crawled back in bed, and slept. If it hadn’t been for Baz’s poking and prodding her every hour—doctor’s orders, he reminded her when she’d all but bitten his head off—she would likely still be snoozing.

Maybe. Her stomach was grumbling loudly enough to wake the dead. And since the clock on the bedside table said they were inching toward dinner in the very near future, her grumbling stomach was requesting sustenance even if she was hesitant to feed it. Now that the nausea was gone, she didn’t want to risk it coming back.

On the plus side, the sleep had helped to alleviate the majority of her headache. However, once she started to feel more human, she’d started sulking, pacing, and trying to wrap her head around everything. Only she wasn’t letting Baz know that, because if she had time to sulk and pace, she knew she had time to work. Which meant she needed to help the team figure out who had Dante and where they’d gone. It was the only way she would figure out how she’d come to be a pawn in this and what it really meant for her.

Sadly, she couldn’t muster the energy to care.

Well, that wasn’t entirely true. She cared. In fact, she was worried about Dante, but right then she felt helpless.

Sure, it was probably another pity party, brought on by the fact that she had smelled perfume on Baz’s shirt. Something flowery and fruity, which was making her brain work overtime trying to imagine the type of woman who wore shit like that. It wasn’t sexy, but it wasn’t something a grandmother would wear, either. Maybe young? Flirty?

Was that who Baz had been with last night? A young, flirty woman who’d had the pleasure of his company, gotten close enough to transfer her scent? Did JJ know her? Did she live or work in Coyote Ridge? Would JJ be subjected to seeing Baz with another woman from here on out? Was it serious?

All the questions had her stomach roiling, her heart cracking open just a little more.

He’d been with another woman.

And yes, her entire world had literally been blasted apart a short time ago, her ex-boyfriend was possibly lying dead somewhere, and whoever took him clearly had it out for her since they’d blown up her house. Hell, she could’ve been inside at the time. Had it not been for Baz whisking her away, she very likely would’ve been.

And despite all that, all JJ could think about was Baz and some floozy.

As she stood at the French doors that led out onto a small private patio overlooking what she’d normally consider a rather lovely pond, the only thing she could do was imagine what Baz looked like in the throes of passion with another woman.

It would’ve been easier if she could scrounge up some anger, but since this was all her fault, the only thing she managed was a few tears leaking down her cheeks.

JJ didn’t want to cry about it. She didn’t want to think about the fact she had effectively pushed Baz into the arms of another woman by being … her.

“It was inevitable,” she whispered under her breath.

From the beginning, JJ had known she would fuck this all up. Every time she found something she gave a shit about, it was ripped right out of her life. And her actions or words were generally at the epicenter of the explosion that leveled things around her.

Interesting metaphor considering that was exactly what had happened to her house.

She closed her eyes, took a deep breath, but when she did, her mind conjured up the image of Baz standing in the kitchen admitting to her that he’d been with another woman last night. He’d looked so guilt-ridden it had pained her to see it.

But he shouldn’t feel guilty. JJ had all but ordered him to move on with his life, not to wait for her. And it wasn’t like she was mad about it. No, that wasn’t the right word. It was more along the lines of heartbroken.

A soft knock sounded from behind her, drawing her out of her thoughts.

When she turned around, gripping the blanket she’d pulled over her shoulders to ward off