Christie Craig [Hotter in Tex Don't Mess

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.”“Yeah,” Dallas said, but he wondered if the jittery feeling in his gut wasn’t from the free fall he’d already taken.Leaving his brother’s office, he went to find Nikki, intending to do some serious groveling.He went to the waiting room.She wasn’t there.He walked outside into the main hall.She wasn’t there.He shot off to the restrooms.A woman was entering the ladies’ room, but Dallas stopped her.“I’ve lost someone.Can you check and see if anyone is in there?”“Sure.” She walked in and returned seconds later.“It’s empty.”Getting a bad feeling, Dallas stormed back into Tony’s office.“Do you have Nikki’s cell number?”“Yes, why?”“She’s gone.”CHAPTER NINETEENNIKKI’S CELL PHONE rang again.“You gonna answer that?” Nana asked, as she stopped her Toyota at a red light.Nikki looked into Nana’s worried eyes.Her grandmother had been worried ever since she’d picked Nikki up at the police station ten minutes ago.“I didn’t recognize the number,” she told Nana.“Someone must really want to talk to you to call three times.”“Probably a sales call.” Or Dallas.Not that he had her cell number, but she’d given it to Tony.Nevertheless, she really didn’t want to talk to Dallas.Distance.In a day or so, when she’d gotten over the shock of everything, gotten over the fact that he’d wagered on her being guilty, when she realized she didn’t need to depend on a stranger for emotional support, then she’d meet with him.She picked up her cell and looked at the call log again.“Oh crappers,” she muttered.“Crappers, what?” Nana asked.“It’s the Miller Police Department.” Which meant it could be Dallas or his brother.Ignoring Dallas was one thing.Ignoring the cop who suspected her of murder was another.“Answer it.Maybe that cop finally pulled his head out of his ass and discovered who killed Jack.”She doubted that, but who was she not to hope? She hit the button.“Hello?”“Where are you?” Dallas demanded.No hello.No apology, either.She recognized his angry tone.He’d used it on her last night when she’d thrown the eggbeater at him.“Nana picked me up.I’m borrowing her car.”“You can’t just disappear like that,” he said.“I didn’t.I told your bookie…” She paused just so he understood what she meant.“And I asked him to tell you I was leaving.”He exhaled loudly.“He’s not… He didn’t tell me.”“And is that my fault?”“Why did you take off?” His voice boomed out of her phone and she knew Nana could hear every word.I had to get away from you so I could think straight.“I didn’t take off.I have things to do.”“The bet thing, right? You’re still upset about that?”She pressed the phone to her cheek, hoping to muffle the sound.“That’s what this is about, right?” he asked.Yes.No.God, she didn’t know.She just knew she couldn’t be around him for much longer or she’d start counting on him.Like she’d counted on her parents and like she’d counted on Jack.She’d learned the hard way that counting on people got you hurt.She couldn’t afford to be hurt now.Nikki felt Nana looking at her, listening, and probably surmising what the conversation was about, too.“You’ve carted me around all day.And I appreciate it, I do.But I’ve got things to do.We’ll talk in a few days.”“Have they fixed your door?” he asked.“I’m sure they have.”“What happened to your door?” Nana asked.“But you don’t know for sure?” He paused.“Where are you?”“I should probably go.”“Nikki… if you’ll give me a chance to explain—”“Bye.” She hung up and turned off her phone.Nana turned into the parking lot of her retirement home condo complex, rolled real slow toward her building, studying Nikki every few seconds.“What’s going on, Nikki?”“It’s nothing.”“You’re upset.”“It’s been a tough few days.”“What happened to your door?”“The lock was sticking,” she lied and did so with almost a clean conscience.She didn’t want Nana worrying.“The apartment manager was supposed to fix it.”“Something happened between you and that PI, didn’t it?”“Nothing happened.He’s just… I need to be alone.”“Sometimes a little company is nice.”“Not now [ Pobierz całość w formacie PDF ]

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