Chapter Nine
Vandal
“I’d pay anything to know what you were just thinking.
” The words were out before I could stop them.
Macy stood at the counter, her cheeks flushed and black hair stuck, tempting me to reach out and touch her even though I knew I shouldn’t.
This time, I reached out and tucked the stray lock behind her ear.
Based on the color of her skin, I could guess exactly what she’d been thinking and fuck, if that didn’t make me feel good.
She let out a shaky breath as she poured whatever was in the shaker into two glasses. “You really want to know?” I was sure she’d play coy or deny it altogether.
My brows shot up. “You’re actually gonna tell me?”
She nodded, that small, familiar smile curving the corners of her mouth. “No secrets, remember?” She gestured vaguely in my direction. “I was looking at all this and appreciating it. Like, really appreciating it. And my body reacted.”
My body reacted. Instantly.
“It was nice,” she added quietly, completely fucking unaware of the effect her words had on me. “I wasn’t sure if I’d feel anything like that again. It’s comforting to know he didn’t take that from me.”
When she handed me the glass, her fingers brushed against mine, casual and unafraid. Macy had never been afraid of me, not once in our lives, and that trust settled heavy and sacred in my chest.
That fact made me feel like an asshole because now all I could think about was what I wanted to do about that reaction.
She was my oldest friend in the fucking world.
My safe place, which was some shit I never thought I’d say but it was true.
We’d slept side by side as kids with our backs pressed together as we shared our hopes and dreams for the future.
We looked out for each other in the best ways we knew how.
Hell, I could admit now that I’d always been a little in love with Macy back then, but we needed our friendship more than we needed anything else.
Together we cobbled together something normal. Together, we survived.
Now, though I was noticing shit I shouldn’t be noticing, like the way her nipples pressed hard against that thin tank top, which told me she’d decided against a bra after her shower.
The way I craved knowing all the details.
What color were her nipples, brown or pink?
What did they taste like? Fuck, I almost felt them on my tongue.
I shook off the arousal. Hard. And then I forced my gaze to meet hers.
“What do you want to do for dinner?” I asked because I had to focus on something tangible before I did something stupid.
Her smile softened, flickering with something that looked like disappointment before it faded. “We could cook. Or we could order in.” She shrugged. “Otherwise, I’m easy.”
We drank tasty but strong as fuck cocktails she made, two glasses at a time. We laughed and it was the easy kind that didn’t scrape at old wounds. It was just nostalgia and memories and the happy parts of the past.
Eventually the pizza and pasta we ordered showed up, along with the biggest piece of tiramisu either of us had ever seen.
We ate until we were full and wearing smiles leftover from too much laughter.
She sprawled on the couch first and then I joined her.
At some point, Macy’s bare feet tucked under my thigh like they belonged there.
It was a perfect fucking night.
And I wished, God help me, that life could stay this way forever.
Fuck. That was like asking the universe to intervene and fuck up the peace and calm.
My phone buzzed on the coffee table and I glanced down, swallowing around the thick lump in my throat.
Slate: You at home?
My stomach tightened. Slate wasn’t usually a chatty fucker, but something about that question put me on edge. I shifted slightly, careful not to alarm Macy, and grabbed the phone.
Me: Yeah. What’s up?
Slate: I ran Halloran through the system just to see what shook out.
The wait between messages went on fucking forever and my jaw clenched. I kept my expression neutral, the hand resting on Macy’s knee relaxed and steady.
Me: Are you gonna fuckin’ tell me or make me guess?
Slate: Now that you mention it, what would you guess?
Fucking asshole.
Me: Nothing good.
He took his sweet ass time again but this time I knew the fucker was doing it on purpose.
Slate: One of his credit cards was used at a gas station outside Amarillo. Twelve hours ago.
Shit.
Fuck.
Texas meant he was on the move.
Heading west.
Me: Confirmed? Anyone get eyes on him?
Slate: Yep. I snuck a peek at the security video. It was him and he was there. Hasn’t used his card anywhere since.
Halloran was heading our way. I didn’t know that for sure, but from what Macy had told me about him it tracked.
I didn’t know how the crooked cop had put the pieces together, but he was on the right trail and that made me nervous.
If he knew or suspected where Macy was, he could be here in a matter of hours.
If he didn’t, well it was just a matter of fucking time.
Macy shifted on the sofa, her gaze slamming into mine. “Is everything okay? You just got all tense.”
I knew we were all about being truthful with each other, but the past couple of days she’d started to relax. I wanted her to be happy, at least until she had to know the truth. I set the phone face down on the sofa beside me and nodded, meeting her gaze head on. “Yeah, just some MC stuff.”
She watched me quietly for a few long seconds before she nodded. Trusting me even though she knew I was keeping something from her. “Yeah, okay.” With one hand on her belly she sighed. “I think I’m gonna have to sleep off this food coma.” To punctuate her words, she let out a jaw-cracking yawn.
“Me too. Plus, it’s been a long as fuck day.”
Macy chuckled. “Look at us, celebrating until the early evening hours. Our teenage selves would be so disappointed.”
“Nah,” I said as I got to my feet, taking her hand and pulling her onto her feet. “They’d just be happy as fuck to still be together. Or together again.”
“Keep that up and you won’t get rid of me if I make it out of this alive.” Her tone was joking but it still rubbed me the wrong way.
The idea of losing Macy again? Un-fucking-thinkable.
I put that shit away and joined her in the bedroom where she’d already shimmied out of those skintight leggings and slid into bed in nothing but a tank top and a pair of cotton panties that shouldn’t have been sexy.
They weren’t, but that didn’t stop my eyes from ogling her ass.
Focus on Halloran, dumbass. He’s headed this way.
Macy crawled into bed with a soft smile on her lips, while I threw myself on the mattress and stared up at the ceiling. Texas was big as fuck, but it wasn’t as far from Nevada as I would’ve liked. He was traveling on the cartel’s payroll with a badge, which gave him every advantage.
“Holy shit, Drew, you’re thinking so loud I can’t even enjoy my food coma. Tell me what’s on your mind or go to sleep. Better yet, tell me and then go to sleep.”
I smiled, crooking one arm around her body and pulling her closer. “I can’t help being a deep thinker.”
She laughed. “Fine,” she sighed, settling against my side. “Just think deeply a little quieter, would ya?”
“Sure thing,” I said around another smile, enjoying the weight of her body against mine, the scent of her shampoo and the trust she’d always given me.
Halloran hadn’t caught up with her. Not yet.
But if he did, he would learn—the hard way—that Macy wasn’t on her own anymore.