“What the fuck you mean, they don’t know what it was?”
“Rumor has it there is a new drug making the rounds, but I didn’t realize it was in our area. They think it may be that, but they aren’t releasing details from toxicology and shit.” I could hear the tension in his tone. He and the rest of my club had the same stance on drugs. They were an absolute no-go. Weed, sure; anything else—hard pass.
“Jesus Christ. Well, see what you can find out. Have Hacker see what he can find out. We’ll be home early tomorrow evening.”
“Roger that. Let me know when you all hit the road.”
“Will do,” I assured him before ending the call. When I found out who was peddling shit to kids in my area, they were going to wish they’d never been born.
I needed to take a piss, then I needed another drink.
Once I finished my business, I washed up and stared hard in the mirror. What I saw made me despise myself a little. The older I got, the more I looked like my old man. Except, after my brother died, he drank himself into an early grave, so who knew what he’d look like by now. Good riddance. He’d been part of the reason Leon and I had fucked with drugs in the first place.
Though we’d only smoked weed together. I’d had no idea he’d moved on to other things while I was gone at school.
Shaking off the melancholy thoughts, I decided it had been long enough. Quietly, I let myself out of the room. The temperature had dropped in the short time since I’d walked back to the motel. It wasn’t unbearable, but I could’ve used a jacket. To ward off the chill, I shoved my hands in my jeans pockets and moved faster.
The place had picked up a little since I’d left. Spotting two open stools at the bar, I beelined over and sat down.
“Back so soon?” the bartender asked me with a good-natured grin. I lifted a shoulder.
“Yeah, couldn’t sleep.”
“Same?” he asked, and I nodded. In no time he set the glass in front of me. I took a sip and lost myself in the amber liquid for a minute.
“Is this seat taken?” a woman asked at my side, and I glanced over.
Goddamn.
“Nope,” I said, unable to take my eyes off her. The woman sat down, dressed in a tight red dress with matching heels. Bit much for this area of town, if you asked me, but hell if I was complaining. My eyes wandered to her long legs.
“Thanks,” she said once she was settled, and I pulled my eyes up to her face. She flashed me a subdued smile, and my dick woke up as her deep red lips curled. Eyes so pale they appeared silver caught mine briefly before she turned to place her order with the bartender.
Her drink sat in front of her untouched for several minutes. Curious, I glanced her way and studied her profile. Dark honey hair was tucked behind her ear, and a small diamond winked on her lobe.
“You seem awfully dressed up for this place.” I’d told myself I wasn’t going to engage, but something about her drew me in. She snorted a laugh.
“Well, I was trying to go out and have a good time tonight, but my friends are either married with kids to get home to or they hooked up with someone and ditched me.”
“So you came here?” I chuckled. She bit her lip, then gave me a quick sidelong glance.
“Yeah. My sister and I used to sneak in here before we turned twenty-one.”
“So why isn’t she out with you tonight?”
“She’s dead.”
“Oh shit, I’m sorry.”
“It’s okay. You didn’t know.” She paused and took a drink. “Today, it’s been five years.”
“I’m really sorry, but I understand. It’s been seventeen years since my baby brother died.”
“I’m sorry, too. Do you mind my asking what happened?”
I sighed. “Drug overdose. Hard to believe he would’ve been thirty-two this year.”
“Jesus. I get it though. My sister also died from a drug overdose. I’d tried for years to get her sober, but every time she’d get clean, she slipped, until the last slip cost her everything.” A tear escaped her eye, and she quickly wiped it away. “Sorry. I’m a bit of a buzzkill.”
“Naw, it’s okay. I get it.” This week had been the anniversary of my brother’s death as well. I’d welcomed the trip to get my mind off it. Except it caught up with me anyway.
“You from around here?” she asked me.
“Nope. Passing through.”
She nodded, and we returned our attention to our drinks.
After my next one and the start of her second, I sent a quick glance her way. “So you grew up around here?”
I’d really tried not to engage further, but it was impossible. She was entirely too beautiful for this run-down dive.
“Yeah. Kansas girl. When I was young, I always wished we’d moved over to the Missouri side of Kansas City, but my parents wouldn’t leave here. As soon as I could, I hauled ass across the river.” She gave a crooked grin.
“Yet you’re back here now.”
She laughed humorlessly as she peeked at me from the corner of her eye. “It would appear so.”
“Why? Because you used to come here with your sister? Surely there are nicer places you could’ve gone to over there.”
Her shoulders rose slightly before drooping. Her chin appeared to quiver.
In an attempt to lighten the mood, because I felt for her, I teased, “So you wanna fight, fuck, or throw rocks?”
Her silver eyes locked on me. Intrigued, I stared as they looked me over, pausing slightly at my lips before moving down. They snapped back to mine, then she downed the rest of her drink and stood.
Well, that backfired.
“You got a room?” Her no-nonsense tone and question caught me by surprise.
“Yeah, next door.”
“Let’s fuck.”
The guy next to me choked on his drink, and I threw enough money on the scarred-up wood to
