“She’s not going to be unguarded or unprotected. I’m going in with her. I’m an unknown, I own the place, so it won’t be an issue to be there with her. You have my word.”
Highlander stared Ian down for several minutes before staring at his wife for a beat. Walking up to her, he grabbed her nape and kisses her hard and quick. “You keep yourself safe. Whatever it takes, you come back to me.”
“You’re stuck with me, ace.” Pratt winked before leaning up on tip toes to give him a quick peck on the lips.
13
Ian stood behind the bar, pulling a beer out from the cooler. “Want one? Might help you calm down a bit. You’re a nervous nelly right now.”
Pratt chuckled as she stopped moving her leg up and down. “Glass of ice water, with lemon if you have one available.”
“Got a cold bottle of water, that good? We don’t do the glasses of water here. Makes it harder for the women to be roofied by guests that visit.”
“Sure, that would be perfect. Nice move on the bottles though, makes sense. Wish more places did that. Granted it’s hard to do with alcohol though.” Pratt took a sip then tapped her water bottle with Ian’s beer bottle he had yet to take a drink from.
Pratt knew that Ian wasn’t going to drink the beer. She figured he opened it to give the appearance as being laid back and not giving a damn when Jackson showed up,ifhe showed up.
Five minutes before the time to meet, Jennifer walked in with an unidentified male, looking smug as she stared Pratt down, ignoring Ian. Jennifer walked right up to Pratt, glaring into her eyes, until the male touched her shoulder as if to pull her back.
“Stand down, Jen. No need for hostilities at this time. We are here for a civilized conversation, aren’t we Detective Pratt. Tell me…” The man said as he sat down in one of the chairs at the table nearby from where Pratt and Ian were standing. “Why have you not taken your husband’s last name?”
“Because…it’s none of anyone’s business?” Pratt answered, making it sound like a question instead of a statement.
“Ah, a feisty one, that’s for sure. Too bad my brother didn’t know how to properly kill that fire you have burning. Me, on the other hand, I have fun with that kind of thing. I love to keep it simmering while I slowly burn it out of you.”
“Hmmm let me guess, you’re one of the bastard sons of Senator Nations Harris, Jackson Stephenson, if that’s even your real name.” Pratt smirked at the man, seeing his eyes flare when she identified him.
“And who is this juicy specimen?” Jennifer drooled looking at Ian, finally.
“Someone who would rather put a bullet in your head than fuck you.” Pratt smirked as she continued to stare Jackson down.
“Bitch!”
“You keep saying that as if it’s a bad thing, Jennifer. Now, sit down and be a good little twatsnifflingpussy and let the adults talk.”
Ian walked from around the bar and took a bar stool next to Pratt, not taking his eyes off Jackson as he moved. The two men stared each other down ignoring the women, until Ian sat next to Pratt, touching shoulder to shoulder.
“Jen, sit down,now!” Jackson ordered when she started towards Pratt after her statement.
“Nice play contacting Jon to reach me, Laura. Now, I’m here.”
“Eh, you didn’t exactly leave your number. A little rat told me who you were, I know how daddy likes to teach his boys everything, so I called baby brother to deliver the message.” Pratt shrugged, smirking at Jackson.
“Now that I’m here, what is it going to take to get you to leave Tampa and leave this nonsense alone? You’re never going to find Dakota.” Jackson raised a hand, in a whatever gesture.
“Leave Tampa? Fuck that, you promised me I could kill her, take revenge for my mother!” Jennifer screeched.
“Aww Jackson here didn’t tell you? You see Jennifer dear, I’m untouchable thanks to daddy dearest. Anything happens to me, all of daddy’s deepest, darkest secrets come to light. Any other little bastards that daddy has doing his dirty work in the dark, like little Jackson here, becomes public knowledge. Daddy’s run as a Senator is over.”
When Jennifer looked over at Jackson, who was glaring at Pratt as if he wanted to end her right then and there nodded, Jennifer screeched. “That’s if he ends you, not me!”
“Eh potato, pah-tato!” Pratt shrugged, looking over at Ian. “Pretty much same coin or something like that?”
Ian smirked at Pratt as he nodded. “So, since you didn’t bring Dakota with you, I would assume you sold her since these ladies here were giving you grief?”
“No, Dakota is mine. Has been for the last three years. Granted, she was a spirited little minx, but she eventually learned who the master was. I’m sure you know how that goes Mr. Sawyer. I mean, after all you are a Dom who owns one of the most exclusive clubs in all of Tampa, hell in all of Florida for that matter.”
“Being a Dom doesn’t mean disrespecting woman or owning them. There is a huge difference between what I am and what you are.”
