Jacked (Trent Brothers #1)(67)

I took four of them, feeling the hot chocolate melting into my fingertips and all over my gauze-wrapped hand as they bent in half. Some chocolate smeared into the gauze, making the wrap look liked I’d wiped my ass with my own hand. I quickly palmed a napkin to cover it up.

Marcus smacked my arm. “Quit hitting on my wife.”

I licked my finger, knowing that if he really meant it, his punch would have hurt. “Stop giving her a hard time and she won’t be tempted to run off with me.”

“That’s right,” she snapped. “Keep it up and it will be you sleeping on the couch in the den tonight.” She put her hand on my shoulder. “Adam can have your spot upstairs.”

Marcus clipped my arm again, gritting his teeth at me. Something told me my days of crashing at his house instead of going home to my empty one were numbered. “Touch my pillow and I’ll shoot your ass.”

It was all in good fun. I shoved the other half of the cookie in my mouth. “So much for vowing to protect my life and shit.”

“Your ass goes anywhere near my bedroom and all bets are off.”

I ignored him and gave Cherise another wink just for added effect. “I might as well go home then if you can’t share.”

Cherise set the plate next to my elbow, far enough away that Marcus would have to reach across the table for one, and winked at me. “It keeps snowing like it is right now and none of you will be going anywhere.”

Nate took another cookie and looked at his watch. “Thought it wasn’t supposed to start until midnight?”

I tapped my phone to see the time. It was only going on ten o’clock.

“Yeah right,” she said. “News said we have a nor’easter coming now and by the looks of it, they just might be right this time. It’s coming down fast. Supposed to be worse than the blizzard we got back in ‘06.” She tisked. “Best get playing before Marcus has to quit so he can go plow the driveway.”

He gave her an ugly glare and reached for the last cookie but I snagged the plate. Too bad he wasn’t quick enough. It was fun to rile him up, and for the last few years it was my favorite pastime. He always got even.

My phone rang, vibrating on the round wooden table. I had no idea who would be calling me at this hour and for a moment a tinge of panic rolled through thinking that something might have happened with my dad again. I squinted, not recognizing number.

Marcus snagged the cookie out of my hand before I got it near my mouth. “Give me that.”

I tried to decipher the local number, thinking maybe it was one of my CIs checking in. I had informants all over Philly—past criminals taking lighter sentences in exchange for providing tips on chop shops and stolen cars—and I’d been waiting for one to get back to me on a lead I was following. Someone had to know something about all the cars boosted that night we pulled her over.

Erin.

Those amazing blue eyes and soft pink lips came swirling into focus, along with a warm flush throughout my veins.

Part of me hoped to hear her voice on the other end of this call, answering my question of whether or not I had crossed her mind at all. The other part that flashed a healthy dose of panic hoped to hell it wasn’t her reaching out; what the heck would I say?

The digits on my screen were foreign to me, making me wonder if Nikki was using an unknown number. It had been several days since she’d called last, trying to convince me once again that I’d made a mistake and she deserved another chance. I could easily hit ignore, which meant if she couldn’t get a hold of me she’d send mutual friends to do her dirty work again.

What I did not expect was to hear my friend Kip’s voice when I answered.

I was up on my feet before I realized it, patting my pockets for my truck keys.





THE ROADS WERE desolate, already covered with several inches of heavy snow, but nothing could keep me from making this drive. Two snowplows passed me going the other way; their yellow warning lights flashing, lighting up the darkened sky. Visibility sucked. I’d already fishtailed it around several corners trying to hurry. My wipers couldn’t keep up and an annoying layer of frost was sticking on my windshield, making it even harder to see. Fortunately my route was well lit with streetlights. My tires slid when I turned into the parking lot adjacent to Al’s Pub. My headlights flashed over two cars; one familiar vehicle was covered with snow. The other, Kip’s truck, was mostly cleared off but a layer was quickly rebuilding.

I trudged through the snow, trying to keep it from getting down into the inside of my jacket, and banged my cold fist on the back kitchen door. Worry was driving me hard and heavy.

“Sorry, dude,” Kip said, holding the thick steel door open for me.

I kicked the snow off my boots, trying to leave as much of it outside as I could, before I slipped past him.

“I wasn’t sure if you wanted this call.”

Actually, I was grateful he did. “No, you did the right thing. I appreciate it.” I patted his shoulder while shaking off the rest of the cold. My cheeks stung from the sudden temperature change.

“I didn’t know how tight you were with her.” He shrugged.

I was still trying to determine that one myself.

Kip smacked me in the back. “Figured you had a vested interest at least. For what it’s worth, I like that you’ve upgraded, but considering her current condition, I’m not so sure that it’s a good thing.”