a murder investigation. Digger is getting loose because a good amount of time has passed, and he thinks he got away with it. A man will do a lot not to find his shit in Sterling Correctional Facility. He kills a porn star who half the men in that joint probably have convinced themselves they were in love with, he’ll really shy away from that being his future. And you won’t wanna find out all he’ll do to make sure that doesn’t happen.”
“I got this, Lucas.”
“Beck—”
He changed his wording to give it the honesty.
“I gotta do this, Lucas.”
Lucas was again silent.
“I’ll keep in touch,” Beck promised.
“Beck,” Lucas said. “Didn’t think I’d ever say this, but it says a lot about you, the motivation you have to right a wrong, especially a wrong as mammoth and fucked up as you perpetrated, and the risks you’re takin’ to do that. But you’re doin’ that. Focus on that. I need you for that, man. I can pass this shit you gave me to the detectives on the case and they’ll run with it. But it’s important to point out, you’re on the righteous path. But you can’t enjoy earning salvation if you’re dead.”
“Trust me, a man like Digger won’t best me.”
“A man like Digger with what he’s got to lose can surprise you.”
His phone sounded with a text as he said, “I’m doin’ this.”
“Fuck,” Lucas growled, giving in. “I want more contact.”
“You got it.”
“Anything you find, you feed to me, and I’ll feed to the detectives on that case. You don’t dig further.”
“You got it,” Beck lied.
“I don’t have a good feeling about this,” Lucas muttered.
What did it matter?
He got Digger, a murder was solved.
He got fucked in the effort, who cared?
Lucas didn’t.
Beck didn’t either.
But at least he’d go out doing something that would have made his brother proud.
It might make Rosalie think he was something more than a total asshole.
And it’d make Janna think she was fucking a man who might be slightly worthy of her.
“I’ll be careful,” Beck said.
“That’s something, but it doesn’t make me feel a whole lot better. Now act surprised. Because Sanderson is gonna be pulled back in to go over his alibi and they’re gonna go at him hard. If you hadn’t heard about this, they’re keepin’ it on the downlow. The way my colleagues are gonna take this, those men are gonna feel the heat, likely bitch about it, but my brothers might spread that love and go through the club formerly known as Bounty. Unless you find yourself in an interrogation room with nothin’ but cops around you, you don’t know dick. Yeah?”
“Yeah.”
Lucas sighed then asked, “You got anything on the club?”
“Web’s acting really cagey. Give me a few days. I’ll find out why.”
“Right.”
“That’s it.”
“Right.”
“Later, Lucas.”
“Later, Beck.”
He hung up.
Went to his texts.
Saw he got one from Janna.
Want me to start dinner?
He felt warm hit his chest he should not feel.
OMW, he texted back.
Then he fired up his bike and headed to Janna’s.
He’d pulled back since that night she’d had her bad dream. He did this rethinking tangling her up in all this shit.
Her response was to dig in.
With this new shit with Digger, he should set her loose altogether.
Even thinking those thoughts, he walked in her back door instead of riding right by and never going back.
She was at the stove, but she turned instantly to him.
Her tender brown eyes melted and she smiled.
Yeah, that was why he’d walked in the door.
A man paid attention, saw that melt, he’d walk through an inferno to get that look.
“Hey. I made guac to tide you over. Dig in. We’re having enchiladas. They’re not ready to go in yet and they need to bake awhile,” she greeted.
He looked down at the counter and saw a huge-ass bowl of guac next to a huge-ass bag of corn chips.
She took care of him.
Loved feeding him.
Loved him walking through her back door.
“Can I start the night with a kiss?”’
Fuck.
What was wrong with him?
Those pretty eyes in her pretty face melted more, and she moved to him.
That was what was wrong with him.
He pulled her into his arms, bent his head and took her mouth, going gentle and slow.
She pressed against him and coaxed out harder and deeper.
She was losing the shy.
Digging in.
And Beck was weak, so he was letting her.
He lifted his head.
“Hey,” she whispered.
“Hey,” he whispered back.
“Want some guac, honey?”
So fucking weak.
“Yeah, baby.”
She smiled, big and bright, and pretty turned beautiful when it filled with happy.