Total pages in book: 95
Estimated words: 92043 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 460(@200wpm)___ 368(@250wpm)___ 307(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 92043 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 460(@200wpm)___ 368(@250wpm)___ 307(@300wpm)
For the first time in his life, Connelly ignored those instincts.
He stood, ready to leave. Ready to drag Raoul out of the club by his ear, if necessary. “Come on, we’re leaving.”
“Seriously?”
Connelly scanned the crowd. If he didn’t leave before Azariah came out again, he never would. That he knew for certain. For everyone’s sake, he needed to be gone, like, yesterday.
“Get your ass moving.” He didn’t dare glance at his friend because he’d really lose his shit if he saw pity there.
“Hold your horses, I’m not done with my soda yet.”
Just then he spotted the server he’d been tracking from the bar. The one he suspected of selling drugs. A flood of relief and adrenaline pumped through his blood. A distraction, thank God.
“Look,” he said to Raoul with a nod toward the stranger. “Anything seem off to you?”
Raoul followed his gaze. “The waiter?”
“Yeah.”
“You know him?”
“No, he was acting suspicious earlier. Watch.”
“Bro, are you trying to find trouble to distract yourself from what just happened?”
“Shut up, Raoul. Just look. See?”
The waiter stopped by a table and said something Connelly couldn’t make out. Frustration and urgency clawed at him. “We’re too far away. What’s he saying?”
The customer nodded and pulled out his wallet.
“Nothing, he’s just taking the guy’s drink order. Don’t get paranoid on me. Come on, I’m done. We can go now.”
“It’s not a fucking drink order.”
The customer pulled out cash. “That’s way too much for a few beers, don’t you think?”
Now Raoul sounded curious. “Yeah, okay, maybe.”
“Keep watching. I’m going to try getting closer.”
“No, hang on. We don’t even know what they’re doing yet.”
The waiter took the cash and shook the guy’s hand. It was smooth, Connelly had to give the guy credit. If he hadn’t been suspicious, Connelly would never have guessed there was anything more to the exchange than two guys shaking hands. But as soon as they separated the customer shoved a packet in his pocket and his whole table got up and walked toward the bathrooms.
“I knew it.”
“We should call this in. Which precinct are we in?”
“And say what? We don’t know what we saw. All I have is my gut.”
“We gotta do something.”
“We need more.”
“We’re outside of our jurisdiction. This needs to be handled by Narcotics.”
Connelly clawed at his collar, unbuttoned the top few and tipped his face to the ceiling as he sucked in air.
“Are you okay?” Raoul asked.
“No, Christ, I need to move.”
“Okay, okay. Let’s go.”
“We can’t lose track of him.”
But before Raoul could reply, the buzz of the room amplified to a dull roar as the Sassy Boyz, led by none other than Azariah, parted the crowd like royalty. Connelly’s heart stopped for a split second as Azariah passed right by the waiter they’d been about to bust.
Fuck.
Connelly was frozen. His mind was playing all kinds of terrible, delicious, ridiculous visions as he stared at Azariah strutting through the crowd, mingling with other men, kissing cheeks and laughing. Connelly’s fist tightened, as did his stomach. He couldn’t stay and deal with the potential sale of illegal narcotics. Not when he couldn’t go a single second without thinking about sex. Not while every muscle in his body was tensed to fight because there were too many eyes looking at what was his.
Raoul slapped his cheek. “Earth to Connelly.”
“I need to leave.”
“Yeah, I think that’s probably a good idea.”
“But you have to stay, gather intel. We can’t just let it go.”
Raoul’s face darkened. “How will you get home?”
“I can find my own way. Just get something we can use on that waiter.”
Connelly met his partner’s eyes. Raoul nodded. The message clear, if necessary he’d stay the whole night. No matter how crazy it seemed, Raoul always had Connelly’s back.
And Connelly had never been more grateful than he was as he left the club that night.
* * *
“Hey, princess, you were gorgeous up there tonight.” One of Z’s regulars grabbed his hand and tugged him down onto his lap.
“Thanks, sweetie.” He glanced to where he’d last seen Connelly near the entrance arguing with his partner.
“Let me buy you a drink and you can entertain me for a while.”
A drink was so tempting, but he couldn’t give in now. As soon as he’d spotted Hot Fudge in the crowd, his goal for the evening had changed dramatically. Getting laid had surged to the top of his list.
“Thanks but—” The words froze on his tongue because he spotted Connelly again.
In what seemed like slow motion, their eyes met. A dozen unnamed emotions transformed Connelly’s face. Z’s heart began an enthusiastic hora complete with “Hava Nagila” ringing in his ears. But before he could climb out of the man’s lap, Connelly turned around and disappeared out the door.
Disappointment dropped Z’s stomach and he had to bite back the automatic whine that tightened his throat. Why the hell did that simple thing feel like his chest was being crushed? And why the hell was he so willing to bend over for a man who continued to reject him? Z sucked in a shaky breath and tried to gather the steel back into his spine.