Claire batted her eyelashes at him. “But you’re so sexy when you’re corrupt.”
“And don’t you forget it, gorgeous.” He added a splash of vermouth and a few olives and handed it to her. “Off you go, minx.”
She purred and left with her drinks.
“How are you feeling tonight, Kate?” Mac asked as he grabbed the bottle of white rum.
She harrumphed. “Why does everyone keep asking me that?”
Probably because Butch had told them to watch for telltale signs of Mr. Hyde trying to surface.
“Because you’re pregnant and unstable as hell,” Natalie answered. She covered her mouth. “Sorry, that’s the shot of tequila Mac slipped me earlier speaking.”
“I’m not unstable.”
“Uhhh, you shot Coop’s uncle with a Taser gun this morning, remember?”
“Come on! How many times are you going to throw that in my face? I bought him breakfast and bourbon to make up for it. Besides, Harvey is fine with the jolt. He told me that I remind him of a pretty doctor named Ana-something from Nevada.”
Coop coughed on a laugh, looking away with a grin.
Natalie patted his back, chuckling.
Mac wondered what the joke was. He’d have to ask one of them about it later. He finished the mojitos for Natalie and handed them to her.
“Where does Butch keep the ginger beer?” he asked Kate.
She came around the bar and grabbed it from the fridge for him. When they turned back to the masses, Butch was standing at the wait station, his brows drawn.
“Honey,” he said to Kate, “what are you doing back there with Mac?” His gaze shifted to the soda water gun for a split second and then back to Kate.
“Relax, Valentine.” She returned to the other side of the bar. “I was helping Mac find something.” She patted Butch’s chest, smiling up at him. “You worry too much.”
He pointed at the colorful bruise on his cheek. “I’m still black-and-blue from last night’s throwdown.”
She rolled her eyes. “You need to lighten up. Be more like Coop’s uncle.”
“Why?” Butch’s gaze narrowed. “What did you do to him?”
“She Tasered him,” Natalie tattled.
Kate whirled on her cousin, her eyes wide, her rabid dog side showing. “Zip your lips or I’m going to come for you in your nightmares.”
Natalie gaped at Mac and then Butch. “Did you guys see that?” She nudged Coop, who was still grinning into his glass of whiskey. “Stop laughing.”
“See what?” Mac asked, setting the Moscow mule on Natalie’s tray.
“Kate’s head spun around and a red-eyed banshee shrieked at me for a split second.”
“Oh, stuff it, stool pigeon.” Kate handed Natalie her tray of drinks. “Shoofly pie-face, you’re bothering me.”
“Kiss my grits, crazy train.” Natalie headed back into the crowd.
“Don’t call me crazy,” Kate shouted after her.
“Now you did it, sweetheart,” Butch said, looking toward the door. “Somebody called the sheriff to come take you away.”
Kate followed his gaze and let out a screech. “I need to go to the bathroom.” She ducked down and scampered off.
Mac exchanged nods with Grady as he joined them, noticing the dark circles under the sheriff’s eyes and the slow way he moved, as if each footstep took a conscious effort.
The tall, dark-haired woman behind him had to be the sister Ronnie was telling Claire about earlier. She shared her brother’s eye color, along with his hair color and height, but her features were much softer. Her smile was easy to look at, along with the rest of her.
“Happy almost New Year,” Grady said, and then introduced his sister all around.
Coop stood to offer Penny his seat.
“You don’t have to do that,” she said, giving Coop a once-over. Her face gave away nothing on what she saw.
“It’s no problem.” He grabbed his glass. “I need to go warm up at the pool tables. There’s a big game starting soon that I don’t want to miss.” He headed off into the crowd.
Penny took Coop’s bar stool while Grady lowered himself onto the one next to her.
“What can I get you two?” Mac asked.
She tapped her fingers on the bar. “I’m driving home later, so I’ll stick with something virgin.”
Grady smirked at her. “That will be a first for you.”
She wrinkled her nose back at him. “Some brother you are. You’re supposed to defend my honor, not paint me red and hang me out to dry.”
“I owe you for that low blow about my ex on the ride here.” He pointed toward Mac. “Let him get you something with some fire in it. I can have one of the boys come pick you up, if needed.”
Penny shrugged. “Maybe later. Besides, your guys are going to be busy tonight watching for drunk drivers. Let’s start with a Shirley Temple for now,” she said to Mac.
Grady ordered a beer.
While Mac poured their drinks, Butch asked Grady, “Did you hear from your ex at all today?”
“Nope. Mississippi was at Tank’s place this morning with me. He said Elizabeth pouted all of the way back to Yuccaville last night.”
“How is Tank?” Butch asked.
“The surgery went well. They’re keeping him in ICU for the night, but they expect him to make a full recovery.”
Mac set Grady’s beer in front of him. “Did you learn anything from the crime scene that might help you locate the killer?”
Grady scowled, shaking his head. “Tank got his gun, but the guy was wearing gloves, so the prints on it will most likely belong to Tank. The gun is registered to a bogus name—some eighty-year-old widow from Amarillo named Ida Lou something or other.”
Butch crossed his arms. “What about security cameras?”
“Two of the cameras were spray painted over before the attack. The third showed a shadow pass at the edge of the screen, but nothing else.”
“Did Tank notice anything about the guy that stands out?” Penny asked.
Grady shook his head. “Average height. Blond hair. Good shape physically. Strong enough to drag Tank around, and we all know he’s no string bean. But due to the John Denver mask, long sleeves, and turtleneck, that’s all we have to go on at this time.
