Sweet Dreams (Colorado Mountain #2)(64)

“She let me in,” Brad replied.

“I did not!” I snapped. “I thought it was Tate back from running and he forgot his keycard so I opened the door. You just came right on in, I didn’t invite you and you’d surprised me considering at the hospital the day before I told you to go away. Not to mention I could not believe you were at my hotel room door at six thirty in the morning, knowing Tate was running because you saw him and you were taking advantage because he was gone.”

I felt that scary energy start to emanate from Tate but before I could react or even process the even scarier look I saw Tate directing at Brad, Caroline spoke.

“She did say that, at the hospital,” Carrie backed me up and then helpfully shared more information. “Dad had a heart attack and Brad just showed. We all tried to get rid of him seeing as he cheated on Lauren with her best friend then divorced her now he wants her back but she doesn’t want him back because she’s got a bounty hunter hot guy and Brad’s a dick, he just wouldn’t go.”

The policeman looked at Tate with wide eyes. “You’re a bounty hunter now?”

Tate didn’t get to reply because something occurred to me and I spoke to Brad.

“How did you know about Dad?” I asked and Brad started to look uncomfortable. “Brad,” I prompted.

“Tina heard from somewhere and she called me,” Brad told me.

“Tina?” I asked softly knowing he meant Tina Blackstone, a woman I grew up with in that ‘burg. She was a girl I didn’t like and she grew up to be a woman I didn’t like. She had her eyes on Brad from the minute I brought him to town on a visit and we’d bumped into her at a party. Then again, she always had her eyes on every guy she encountered if they were good-looking. Brad struck up a friendship with her that he said was totally innocent but it always made me uncomfortable. I had no idea they still talked. We’d been out of Indiana for years. Why would he stay in contact with Tina?

“Tina?” the policeman asked Brad. “You mean Tina Blackstone?”

Brad’s back went straight and he looked at the policeman. “Yes, she’s a friend.”

“I bet,” the policeman muttered, obviously knowing all about Tina Blackstone and I knew then too.

Tina wasn’t just a friend and my ex wasn’t just a dick, he was a screaming ass**le dick.

Tate brought the matter back to hand by asking the cop, “He tell you he was accosting Lauren in our room?”

“Nope, didn’t mention that,” the policeman replied.

“I was hardly accosting her,” Brad spat.

“Heard her shoutin’ in the hall,” Tate returned. “Got into the room and you had your hands on her, she was strugglin’ and shoutin’ for you to let her go. If that ain’t accostin’, what is it?”

“We were talking,” Brad declared.

“Bud, a woman’s strugglin’ in your arms and shouting ‘f*ck you’, that ain’t talkin’,” Tate educated.

Brad gave up on Tate and looked at the cop. “He still put his hands on me, shoved me out of the room.”

“He strike you?” the cop asked.

“Not exactly,” Brad answered.

“Did he strike you?” the cop repeated.

“No,” Brad snapped.

“You get injured?” the policeman went on.

“No, but that doesn’t matter! He –”

“When I was a cop,” Tate cut in, “we frowned on folks givin’ false statements. Now that was in Colorado.” Tate crossed his arms on his chest and leveled his eyes on the cop. “You might do things different here in Indiana.”

The policeman looked at Tate. “You were a cop?”

“Jesus!” Brad shouted. “Stop acting like he’s some kind of God! This is a serious situation! I was assaulted!”

The cop turned to Brad and he must have looked at him in a particular way because Brad clamped his mouth shut. Then the cop turned to me.

“You wanna make a deal outta him harassin’ you?” he asked.

“This is insane!” Brad cried.

“No, I just want him to go away,” I said to the cop.

“I can do that,” the cop replied and turned to Brad.

“Are you serious?” Brad asked the cop.

“Deadly,” the cop replied. “Jackson’s right. I’m a cop in a small town but I got things to do. The IMPD got things to do. We don’t got time to run around doin’ errands for some guy who got his pride stung.”

“I –” Brad started but the cop leaned in.

“You’d be advised to keep your trap shut,” the policeman interrupted him. “They make a big deal outta this,” he jerked a thumb at Tate and me, “trust me, way it sounds, you’re not gonna come out on top.”

Brad glared at the policeman then he glared at Tate. His angry eyes swept through Caroline, Mack, back to the policeman and then rested on me.

“You said we could work it out,” he accused.

“Yeah, Brad, I said that over a year ago,” I reminded him.

“Bud, move on,” Tate advised. “And clue in, Laurie already has. You’re history.”

“Piss off,” Brad hissed.

Tate sighed.