Easton shared with Luke what he knew about Bailee’s encounter with the stranger at the grocery store and how it hadher instincts on alert. Luke polished off the remainder of his lunch and pushed his plate away.
“I’m on it. But do me a favor? Watch yourself. Something tells me this woman could tie you up in knots without you realizing it. I ought to know since that’s what Melody did to me.”
Easton chuckled. “That’s not what this is. I admire what you have with Mel and what Jackson has with Ray. That’s not for me.”
Luke shrugged. “So you say. But what I have with Mel and what Jackson has with Ray — it’s not something you see coming. Like I said. Just watch yourself.”
Easton waved off his brother’s warning, but inside, he wondered if Luke’s advice had some merit. Kissing Bailee hadn’t been planned, but if he’d known it was going to be as explosive as it had been, he’d have done it sooner. He’d relived the moment many times during the waking and sleeping hours since, and he couldn’t regret seizing the opportunity. It felt right.
“Don’t worry.” Easton pulled his plate back in front of him, eating the food despite the fact that it was cold. “My eyes are wide open when it comes to Bailee Maxwell.”
∞∞∞
Easton had the bar ready to open with a good hour to go before the first customers arrived. He took a rag and wiped down the already shiny bar just to have something to do. His eyes kept straying to where Luke sat with his laptop open.
When Luke wasn’t pounding on the laptop’s keyboard, he stared at his screen, sometimes using the touchpad to scroll, sometimes scowling at what he saw. Hell, Easton couldn’t really be sure if what his brother read caused his expression. Luke’s default setting was a scowl with some grumpiness mixed in.
There were moments when Luke’s stoic personality and unshakable poker face were assets. This wasn’t that moment. Easton would have given his right arm to know what Luke was thinking, and that was a scary thought in and of itself. Only a couple of minutes ticked by before Easton caved to his impatience.
“So have you found anything?”
Luke scowled, typed a bit more, and closed his laptop. His clear eyes gave nothing away as he stared at Easton, and Easton blew out a frustrated breath.
“Shit, Luke. Talk already. I’m dying here.”
“Your girl’s in trouble.”
Easton stiffened. “She’s not my girl. And I kind of already suspected that. How about telling me something I don’t know?”
“There’s a contract out on her. Chatter on the dark web said there’s a hefty price for her, dead or alive.”
Easton couldn’t have been more stunned if his brother had kicked him in the balls. “What? A contract? Like for an assassin to kill her?”
“Dead or alive. Which means whoever is bankrolling it wants their hands on her if possible, but if she makes that difficult — and I’m guessing she would — then killing her is the next best thing.”
Easton blew out a breath. “Well, hell. I wasn’t expecting that. According to the news articles, she practically dismantled the gang she was undercover with. I doubt they have the resources now to call in a professional. Could it be the cop she took down?”
“I don’t know who. Yet. They’re covering their tracks well. I’m going to need more time to figure that part out,” Luke explained.
Easton nodded. “Okay. So what about the guy she saw at the store? Could he be here to take her out?”
“I don’t know, but we need to find him. Having him in town can’t be good.”
Easton raised a quizzical brow. “You found out who he is.”
Luke nodded. “But I don’t know how he’s connected to your girl. He’s not affiliated with the gang or any known cartel. As far as I can tell, he’s never had a run-in with her or anyone at the Louisville PD.”
“She’s not my girl,” Easton repeated almost as an afterthought. “So who’s the guy?”
“Clive Melvin.”
Easton’s eyes widened a second before a loud belly laugh escaped his throat, shaking his frame. “You’ve got to be kidding me. What the hell kind of name is that?”
“Shit, I don’t know. It’s the name his momma gave him. It’s probably why he’s got the reputation he has, to keep assholes from picking on him.”
“And what is that?”
“Dangerous. Stealthy. He’s been connected to a lot of racketeering and extortion cases, with none of the charges sticking. He doesn’t work for anybody of record. He’s a loner who won’t hesitate to take out anybody in his way. He’s a killer,but not a contract one. He operates out of larger metropolitan areas — New Jersey, Chicago, New York, Detroit. Melvin being in Fire Creek doesn’t make any sense, but I hacked into the security footage from the grocery store’s parking lot. I found a clear shot of him leaving in a rental sedan.”
