Whisky on My Mind (18 page)

“I got your message,” he told her, dryly. “Take a seat,” he offered, standing politely. “Can I order you something?”

“No, thanks. This won’t take long,” she said, taking a seat.

“Let me guess…you’ve found out something helpful to the case and you’re here to tell me?”

Whisky ignored his droll announcement. “Just what do you think you’re doing?”

“You’ll have to be a little more precise.”

“With Bella.”

“I know you don’t believe me, but this has nothing to do with you or the club.”

“You have no idea how fragile she is right now.”

“I know she’s been through something bad, and no, she hasn’t told me what it is, but I know it’s got something to do with the club.”

“No. It doesn’t actually,” she snapped. “And it’s none of your business. If you’re only interested in digging up dirt on the club, then you better break this thing off with her right now.”

“If I didn’t know better, Sky, I’d say you sounded a little bit jealous.”

Whisky bit back her initial urge to knock his cup of coffee into his lap; instead, she sat back in her chair and took a calming breath. “Sorry to disappoint you, but whatever we may have had was over a long time ago. I think it’s time you let go and moved on,” she suggested with fake sincerity.

“That’s what I’m doing, but apparently you’re the one who can’t let go.”

“If you
hurt
her, you
will
be sorry,” Whisky said, lowering her voice as she glared across at him.
How had she once had such a huge crush on this guy? Had she been as blind as Bella?

“Threats Sky?
Really?
”

“It’s not a threat,” Whisky promised quietly, as she stood up then turned away, walking out of the shop with a calm she was far from feeling.

****

Sawyer watched as Whisky paced their bedroom floor. He’d known something was up the minute she’d slammed her car door out in the car park. He’d been watching from the office and had given her a few minutes before following her into their apartment. He’d hoped she’d have calmed down a little from whatever…or whoever had pissed her off so bad. He knew this time it wasn’t him. He’d been stuck in the damn office all morning and hadn’t done anything he could recall that would make her that angry.

“I don’t get why you’re so mad.”

As soon as she pierced him with that look she reserved for drunken idiots
hassling her waitresses, he knew he’d said the wrong thing.

“Are you forgetting who this guy is? Let me jog your memory…he’s the man who’s trying to send you to prison.”

Sawyer gave a snort. “He’s got nothin’. Look, it’s none of your business, Babe. You said yourself Bell said she had no intention of telling him about the photos. Just leave them to it.”

“What if she ends up with him?”

Sawyer felt something sharp and painful stab at him inside. “So what if she does? Why are you so worried?”
Sonofabitch,
he thought as jealousy tried to eat him from the inside out
.
“Do you still have feelings for this guy?”

“What?” she demanded, turning around to stare at him, and a little piece of his fear eased somewhat when he saw her reaction was more incredulous than surprised or guilty. He knew how to read people—knew when someone was lying and when someone was bluffing, Whisky could do neither and he relaxed a little at the knowledge.

“Then why are you so worried about her being with your ex?”

“Because it’s going to ruin everything.”

Sawyer stared at her
, lifting an eyebrow curiously.

She gave a low growl before turning to continue her pacing. “It was part of our plan…when we were kids,” she added
, then sent him a look as though he was probably going to think she was stupid but he could see beneath it she was genuinely upset.

He reached out and caught her hand, making her stop. “Tell me.”

“I always thought we’d do all the important things together, you know like getting married, we’d be each other’s bridesmaids…our kids would be best friends…both our families would go away on vacations together, stay in cabins on a lake somewhere—if she ends up with him…if this thing gets serious, we won’t be able to do any of that.”

Did she honestly think he was the kind of guy who would be into lakeside vacations
?
This was all sounding far too white picket fences and church on Sunday. He thought she was over that. “Maybe it could still happen,” he tried for a diplomatic answer.

She gave a small scoff and that look, like she were looking at a moron
, crossed her face again.

“You can honestly see yourself standing out in the backyard, making small talk over the barbe
cue with Caleb Santiago?”

Okay, maybe she had a point.

“She’s my best friend. I just don’t want to lose that.”

“I think you’re jumping the gun a little bit. They’ve only started going out…it’s probably a little too early to be marrying them off.”

“Yeah. I know.” She didn’t sound completely satisfied but at least she’d stop pacing.

“Bella’s smart and besides—she wouldn’t want Santiago knowing anything about that video, so she’s not going to say anything to him about Sorenson.”

“He just better not be using her to get to you and the club,” she frowned, and he smiled at the mama lion protecting her cub look.

“I know what you need,” Sawyer said, pulling her down onto his lap.

“Is sex your answer to everything?” she groaned.

“Pretty much.”
Sex with
her
was the answer to everything. No matter how much crap he had hanging over his head—how bad his day had been, Whisky always made him feel better.

****

Nothing kept Whisky’s attention for long lately. She was miserable. Everyone seemed to be picking up on it and that made her feel even worse. Everywhere she went people were acting as though they were all walking on eggshells around her. A knock on her office door brought a weary sigh to Whisky’s lips as she waited for whoever it was to enter. A reluctant smile flittered across her face as Cindy poked her head in and asked if it was safe to enter. “It depends,” Whisky said. “Are you bringing me bad news?”

“Nope.
Just thought it was time someone approached the grizzly bear and tried to take out the thorn.”

“I think you’ve got your fables mixed up…wasn’t it a mouse and a
lion?”

“Yeah, I know…but you’re more bear than lion lately.”

“Gee thanks.”

“Hey, I’m just
bein’ a friend here.”

“Have I been that bad?” Whisky asked with a small wince.

“Well, you’ve managed to scare the crap outta’ a club of old bikers…so yeah, you’ve been pretty bad.”

“I’m sorry,” Whisky let out a long breath wearily and laid her head on top of folded arms.
I don’t know what’s wrong with me.”

“I got a fair idea.”

Reluctantly Whisky lifted her head. “Great, would you mind filling me in then?”

“Oh
, please. Like it’s that hard to figure out. You’ve been running yourself into the ground with work here, school, and then dealing with all this airport shooting stuff. Not to mention whatever’s going on with you and Bella.”

“You’ve been talking to Sawyer,” Whisky guessed tonelessly.

“He’s a guy. He has no idea how to figure out how to make things better. You know what they’re like. They’re useless if there isn’t something physical to
fix
. He’s worried about you.”

“Everything feels like it’s falling apart.” Cindy sat on the other side of the desk and waited, making Whisky sigh irritably when she realized she wasn’t going to leave until they got everything out in the open.
Why was it everyone around here thought they were all God damn psychiatrists? Dr. Phil and Oprah had a lot to answer for!
“Sawyer’s got stuff going on with the club and this Switchblade thing,” she started. “I can’t get a loan from anywhere to get my coffee shop up and running. I don’t even
know
Bella anymore—she’s suddenly having some kind of secret romance with my…with the cop who’s trying to bring down Sawyer and the club,” she corrected quickly,
“and Sawyer keeps watching me like I’m about to lose it and need a damn straightjacket.”

“Well, I can’t offer any suggestions on the club stuff or the loan…but this whole Bella thing, maybe that I can help you with.”

Whisky shook her head. “She’s been through so much lately, it’s understandable that she’d going to be different…but it feels like I’ve lost my best friend.”

“Because she’s with your ex?”

“He’s not my ex…well, not really. I mean we weren’t together long…anyway, that’s not important,” she waved off the conversation quickly.

“I’m thinking it is important. You’ve got a right to feel upset by that…I’m pretty sure no one likes the thought of their best friend suddenly with a guy they once thought they loved.”

“No. I never loved him…that much I know. I know love, and what I had was just some kind of silly infatuation. No, I’m definitely not jealous.”

“Maybe not, but it’s still understandable that you’d feel weird about it. I mean a guy who knows you pretty well…and your best friend?”

“He’s a good person…in fact, he’s the kind of guy you’d want your best friend to be with,” Whisky said, after a few minutes and tilted her head slightly as she looked across the table at Cindy. “But then, that’s exactly what you thought I’d say, wasn’t it,” she accused with a rueful grin.

Cindy’
s smug expression confirmed it.

“That was probably the cheesiest reenactment of a Hallmark movie I’ve ever seen.”

“Hey, don’t knock it…I thought it was very touching,” she defended. “Besides—it worked didn’t it?”

“Whatever,” Whisky said
, shaking her head slowly. The fact was it had helped a little and not for the first time since she’d met Cindy was she grateful to have her in her life.

“Look, I’ve seen you and Bella…you missed her like crazy when she was overseas. You guys can’t let this thing come between you
; that would be a crime and a waste of a beautiful friendship. Is that what you want?”

Whisky gave a low groan. “No,” she sighed. “Yeah, I know…you’re right. I need to go tell Bella I’m
okay with it.”

“Personally, I’ve seen the guy…and I think Sawyer is way hotter…just
sayin’,”Cindy grinned as she stood up.

“I think I would have to agree with you there. Now, stop picturing my man naked, you sad old married woman and go home to your own man.”

“Oh fine. Spoil sport. Although you have no idea how kinky Ted can get—I know he doesn’t look it, but the man has some moves.”

Whisky laughed, and tried not to picture the lanky, rather quiet Ted with whips and chains and wearing leather. “Great, now I’m never going to be able to look Ted in the eye again.”

Cindy waved at the door and disappeared, leaving Whisky with a lot to think about.

Chapter 17

The spare room Bella had been staying in was in desperate need of a good clean out, and Whisky felt like taking her mood out on something other than her employees and Sawyer for a change.

She stripped the bed and washed the sheets,
then vacuumed the carpet. When that room was done, she decided to keep on going and worked her way through the rest of the apartment. After her father had died, Sawyer and Whisky had moved from Sawyer’s one bedroom apartment to this bigger two bedroom. For a long time, this had been her home when she was a child. They hadn’t done much to it, their lives had been too busy to start any renovations and Whisky hoped they wouldn’t be here much longer to warrant any changes. She still dreamed of having a house of her own away from the club, so that she and Sawyer could at least for a little while, pretend they were a normal couple and have some time alone. The way things were going, that wasn’t looking like it would happen any time soon. Life seemed to be one major crisis after another around here lately.