Lethal Wedding (Wedlocked Trilogy Book 2) - Charlotte Byrd Page 0,28

then she will not go along with it quietly. And if you're doing this to get her back, that may not work.”

"Well, hello there,” Franklin says, walking up to us.

My heart drops into the pit of my stomach.

My ears start to buzz as blood rushes through my head.

What did he hear?

How much did he hear?

“Aren’t you going to congratulate me?” Franklin asks.

18

Henry

When I rise to my feet, my knees wobble but I force myself to stand up and give him a warm hug.

“Congratulations," I say. “I'm really happy for you.”

I introduce him to Jackie.

“You used to be a cop, right?” Franklin asks.

“Yes, at the Montauk Police Department.”

“What happened with that?”

“I had some issues with the way that the department was being run so I decided to strike out on my own.”

“That’s a massive understatement.” I chuckle to myself.

Jackie lost his job because he threatened a fellow police officer with a gun at the station after that guy found out Jackie was sleeping with his wife. But that’s not exactly the sort of thing you tell your potential new employer.

“Besides, the pay is much better as a PI.”

“I like that,” Franklin says. “Well, if my man here says you’re the one for the job, who am I to argue with him?”

“Thanks, I appreciate that,” I say.

“When are you planning on going there?”

"In a few days,” I tell him. “I want to spend some time with my mom first.”

We chat for a while and everything is pleasant. He’s actually quite a likable guy.

“So, what sort of things do you usually investigate?” Franklin asks Jackie after ordering another drink.

“Ah, the usual things. A lot of stalking of married people to find out if their spouse is cheating so that they can use that evidence in their divorce and custody cases. Maybe, I should give you my card,” Jackie jokes.

Franklin shakes his head. “Nope, that’s not gonna happen to us,” he insists.

“They all say that.” Jackie laughs. “In that case, maybe I should give my card to Aurora. I mean, you do have quite a reputation.”

Franklin stops laughing and any inkling of a smile disappears.

“Nope, not anymore,” he says after a moment. "Aurora is the one.”

My heart sinks into the pit of my stomach.

Is he telling the truth?

Are they really together?

I had come here thinking that she was doing all of this to help her father, but what if I’m wrong?

What if she’s actually in love with him?

As I try to think of a way to extricate myself from the situation, things only get worse.

Franklin sees Aurora across the room and calls her over.

“Listen, I think I have to go,” I say and start to walk away, but Franklin stops me.

When Aurora gets to his side, he puts his arm around her and gives her a big kiss on the mouth.

I want to punch him in the face, but I bury my fists in my pockets.

“Just wanted to see if you guys are planning on becoming friends anytime soon,” Franklin says confidently.

Aurora and I look at each other and then down at the floor, without saying a word.

“I know that you have been through a lot but I like having both of you in my life and it would be good if you could be friends.”

“Are you kidding me?” I want to ask. “Why is he doing this? Is this his idea of a joke?”

I don’t know Franklin well enough to make a judgment either way, but I get the feeling that he’s being genuine.

When I look up at Aurora, she shakes her head a little bit from side to side and only meets my eyes for moment.

“Listen, bro, I want to introduce you to someone,” Franklin says. “I think you’re really gonna like her.”

“No, no thanks.” I start to protest, but it’s already too late.

He waves to a beautiful woman with lustrous blonde hair and perfect sky-high breasts.

“This is my old friend, Chelsea Novak.”

Despite her perfect exterior, there is something fragile about Chelsea that draws me in immediately.

When we shake hands, she gives Franklin a brief hug of congratulations. They look like they have been friends for a long time. There is no tension between them. In fact, this is the most comfortable that I have seen Franklin with a woman and I wonder if she is actually an old flame of his.

We make small talk about nothing in particular and Jackie excuses himself when the conversation runs a little dry. The thing is that it's not really a four-way conversation, it's mainly