Hard Kisses: Dark & Dirty

2. Gavin

GavinThe strongest of all warriors are these two — Time and Patience.

I glare into my whiskey.

Thanks, “War and Peace,” that’s going to be a real help now. Patience is just what I need, now that my sister may be missing and it might be my fault.

I take a long swig of my whiskey, enjoying the lightness slowly seeping over my mind. That’s the most I’m gonna get, after all. That’s the rule – one drink and one drink only.

I take out my phone, stare at my sister’s text again. Off on vacation. No need to contact me.

The more I drink, the less plausible the message seems.

Hannah is all exclamation points and emoticons. She’s a planner. She gabs about anything she’s going to do for months in advance.

I shove my phone back in my pocket. I don’t want to look at that message anymore.

It’s weird, is all, Hannah going on vacation all of a sudden. Especially after how things have been going with the Piccolo family. Sure, we’ve been fighting the Piccolo family as long as I’ve been breathing, but lately it’s escalated.

Please God, don’t let it have escalated that far…

I take another drink, and, over the rim of the cup, see my plans for tonight striding on up to the other end of the bar.

Sex on legs. Red dress, one zipper pull away from naked; thick wild curls down her back; black eyes on me. Now, that was a “come hither” look if I ever saw one.