Hard to Fight (Alpha's Heart, #1)(20)
“You live around here?” he mutters.
“Ah, sure, close enough—”
“Fuck me,” he says, reaching up and running his hands through his hair. “I’ve picked up a psycho.”
My mouth drops open. “I’m not—I am not a psycho.”
“You drive a red convertible?”
My eyes widen.
“Fuck me,” he says again. “You were following me! You a f*ckin’ cop?”
“What? No!” I cry.
“Then you’re a loony.”
“I am not a loony.”
“You are a f*ckin’ loony. Listen, lady. I’m not interested.”
Oh boy, oh boy, oh boy.
“You’re real pretty and all,” he continues, and I want to curl up and die. This is not how things are meant to go. “But I don’t go for the crazy type.”
“I am not crazy!”
“Explain to me, then, why you’re everywhere I am?”
“I live here.”
He shakes his head. “Jesus, you’ve got issues.”
“I’m not stalking you!” I yell.
“Yeah, babe, you are,” he hisses low. “And you’re gonna f*ckin’ stop.”
With that, he turns, collects his coffee, and leaves. My mouth is still hanging open, and everyone in the café is staring at me. Great, just great. I stand, red faced, and rush to the door. Then I turn and yell, “I’m not stalking him!”
Chapter Ten
“He thinks I’m stalking him,” I groan, running my hands over my face. “I’m going to fail miserably at this, Don is going to be let down, Julio will do a happy dance around me, and I’ll never get another big case again.”
Kady pats my shoulders, but I can feel her body shaking with laughter beside me. “Grace,” she giggles, “it’ll be fine, we’ll work something out.”
“He thinks I’m crazy and obsessed,” I cry, spinning to her. “How do you suppose we can work that out?”
She bites her lip and tries to look serious. She fails.
“Stop laughing at me, Kady. It’s very, very serious.”
She nods, still biting her lip, still with that stupid look on her face. “Okay,” she finally wheezes. “Let’s think about this—”
“Think about it,” I huff, throwing myself back onto the bed. “I’m going to fail this. God, I thought it would be easy, but the more I do this, the more I wonder if I’m going to have to seduce every big case I get—and honestly, that shit will get old, considering I’m not very good at it.”
Kady bursts out laughing again. “Then there’s the problem of receiving a woman bounty hunter. I guess you should turn in your gun now and do something more gender appropriate. Do you think the office needs a secretary?”
I glare at her. “I know you’re just trying to rile me up, and it’s working. I’m just going to have to try and take him down in a direct confrontation. Let the chips fall where they may.”
“Or you can prove to him you weren’t stalking him.”
I roll my eyes. “Yeah, Kady, and how do you suppose I do that? Anywhere I show up, he’s going to think I’m stalking him.”
“Good point.” She rubs her chin. “Well, you have a little bit of time yet. We’ll figure it out.”
My phone rings before I can answer her, and with a sigh I lift it up and answer it. “Yeah?”
“Gracie.” It’s Don. Great.
“Hey, Don,” I say in my fake-happy tone.
“Need you tonight. Vance is sick and Julio has a case. You got time to bring down a smaller one?”
“Sure,” I say, needing the distraction. “When do you need me?”
“Now. We’ve got a location.”
“Text me the information, I’m on my way.”
“Thanks.”
I hang up and turn to Kady. “Duty calls.”
She narrows her eyes. “Raide?”
“No, another one. I’m still getting some smaller cases, which is good, it keeps me focused.”
She looks like she wants to laugh again. I point to her and say, “Shut up, Kady.”
She throws her hands up. “Sorry, I’m shutting up.”
I flash her a smile. “Call you later.”
“Laters.”
I head out to my car and read over Don’s information, which just came through on my phone. Male, early twenties, skipped bail for a drug charge. I stare at the picture. Skinny enough that I shouldn’t need anything else to take him in but what’s already with me. I shove my Taser and gun into my jeans and head on over.
I’m grateful for this distraction from the mess I’ve made with Raide.
*
The club Don texted me to go to is packed when I arrive. There are bodies everywhere, grinding and drinking. With a deep breath, I start pushing through the crowd, scanning each person’s face to see if I can locate Terry, the man I’m supposed to be bringing in. I scan the bar first, and see no one resembling him. If he’s on a drug charge, there’s a good chance he’s a junkie or knows someone who is.
I turn toward the darker parts of the club. The bathrooms, the halls, the back rooms, places like that. I check the toilets first, busting into the men’s toilet as though I’ve been in there a million times. Some of them curse, others smirk at me, but I ignore them, muttering, “Sorry, guys, ladies’ room is full, and so’s my bladder.” I check thoroughly—no Terry. “On second thought, I think I can hold it a little longer.”