Games of the Heart (The 'Burg #4)(86)
Mike closed his eyes again as he heard the men pull in a collective breath.
They knew what that meant.
“No shit?” Colt asked and Mike opened his eyes again.
“No shit,” he told Colt.
Sully whistled then, “I gotta tell Raine this right away. I wait to get home tonight, she’ll tan my ass. She’ll want more daylight to spread the heartbreaking news around The ‘Burg that another prime bachelor has fallen. She loves that shit. Dashing hopes, killing dreams.”
Sully was not joking. He made that call, which he would or his wife Lorraine would bust his balls, the entire ‘Burg would know about him and Dusty by sunset.
“Fuck me,” Mike muttered.
“Had a weekend of that by the sounds of it, man. You should be topped up,” Cal remarked to chuckles all around.
Mike didn’t even crack a smile.
He locked eyes with Cal. “I appreciate the sacrifice you’re makin’ for your wife, Cal. But in case you don’t get it, Dusty bein’ at Reesee’s party, this is not ass I’m tappin’. It’s not a funeral hook up. It’s Dusty. Therefore I’d advise you to be careful with your words.”
“I know you appreciate my sacrifice, Haines,” Cal fired back. “So I know you know Vi cares about you. Jessie’s a f**kin’ nut. She said some shit that tipped Vi. She hasn’t forgotten, I know you haven’t forgotten and I sure as f**k haven’t forgotten. So you layin’ the heavy on me to lay off your Dusty means this woman means something to you. Carryin’ that through, you might wanna see about doin’ somethin’ that’ll make my woman feel better you ended up with somethin’ that’ll make her rest easy.”
Jesus, f**k. Violet. Mike didn’t get how a good woman could jack you up and the results were more long lasting than when a bitch did it.
“She can rest easy,” Mike told Cal.
“Then I ‘spect, when she calls you to ask you and your woman over for dinner, you’ll say yes seein’ as she intends to do that sometime today,” Cal returned.
Jesus, f**k. Violet.
“You might wanna waylay that considering Dusty knows about Vi and she’s not chompin’ at the bit to sit down to pork chops at her table,” Mike replied.
Cal held his eyes and he read what was in them.
So he muttered, “I’ll see what I can do.”
“Smart call,” Mike muttered back.
His cell on his desk rang, his eyes went to it and it said “Dusty Calling”.
“There she is,” Merry announced, seeing it too. “The woman of the hour.”
Terrific.
Hours after a funeral, he’d somehow got catapulted back to high school.
Dusty was getting off on it, loved every minute.
Mike couldn’t say their time by the watering hole was shit but the rest of it was a pain in his ass.
Mike tagged the phone, hit the button and put it to his ear.
“Hey, Angel,” he said with four men listening.
“I know you’re working, gorgeous, but if you don’t want one of your colleagues to be investigating sister-a-cide, you might wanna get to the farm.”
Mike’s straightened out of his chair immediately, ordering, “Talk to me.”
“She’s here. With a bunch of men. They’ve got some kind of equipment so they can survey the land. She’s informed me that if Fin, Kirb and I don’t want to sell our parts, she’s still selling her quarter and she’s got buyers.” She paused, gearing up he would know when she ended on a near shriek, “And get this! Mini-f*cking-strip mall!”
Mike was already moving to the backstairs.
“Stay calm,” he told her.
“Calm is history,” she shot back.
Mike stopped at the top of the stairs. “Dusty, honey, listen to me. Are you listening to me?”
“Oh I’m listening,” she snapped and he knew she wasn’t. She was pissed and losing it.
“Deep breath, Angel, and focus just on me.”
There was silence then he heard a breath then, “I’m listening.”
“We’re gonna sort this.”
“Mike –”
“We’re gonna sort this.”
He heard another breath then, “Okay.”
“I’ll be there in ten.”
“Okay.”
“Stay calm.”
“Okay.”
“I’m letting you go now.”
“Okay, honey,” she whispered.
“Later,” he said.
“Later.”
He touched the button and, his voice no longer filled with humor but completely serious, Mike heard Merry offer, “You want company?”
Mike’s eyes cut to his partner and his mind conjured an image of Debbie. Then it conjured an image of Dusty strangling Debbie.
Then he answered, “Yeah.”
Merry grabbed his jacket.
Mike jogged down the stairs.
Therefore, he didn’t see the three other men in the room follow Merry.
*
“Slow day for The ‘Burg’s PD?” Debbie called sarcastically, her makeup free face twisted with distaste as Mike and Merry with Colt, Sully and Cal bringing up the rear, walked up to the huddle outside the front of the Holliday farmhouse.