"Liv," Astrid said, voice a little firm for her. "Look at me," she demanded when I had been trying to avoid contact. "If there is anyone in this loft who can pick up on the sex undercurrents, it's me. And I am picking them up. Hell, even Cam is likely picking up on them. That's why he's grumbly."
"He's always grumbly."
"He's being grumbly in Roderick's direction," Astrid insisted. "He feels it. The sex between you two."
"There was no sex!" I insisted. And my unsatisfied body groaned in annoyed agreement.
"There was something."
"There was just like a little... kissing. Maybe a tad of... over-the-clothes grinding."
"Oh, be still my heart," Astrid declared, falling back on the bed, her hand to her heart. "You dry humped Mr. Puerto Rico out there. Is that a thing? Like a male Puerto Rican beauty contest? Because if there isn't, there should be. And your man out there would win every single time. He could be gray and still get the title. It's the dimples."
"It's weird to think of dimples as sexy," I admitted, falling back on the bed with her.
"They're cute on boys. But that guy out there, he isn't a boy. That is all man. And they are sexy. So why was it just making out and dry humping?"
"He went to roll me onto my back but his arm was under me..."
"His bad arm," Astrid guessed. "Ugh. That day just keeps coming back to fuck with you, huh? Well, what's the problem now, then?"
I felt my shoulders shrug. "When he woke up the next morning, he was in a mood."
"Blue balls will do that to a man."
"No. It's... it's like he's over it."
"That man is not over it," she told me, head turning to me on the mattress so I could get the full effect of her eye roll. "His eyes find any excuse to go to you. And he was totally watching your ass while you walked down here. I mean, of course. It is an epic ass. But still. He wants on. He's probably picking up on some vibe from you."
That was likely.
I blew hot and cold.
If he was looking for some kind of reaction, he had likely figured I was not into it.
"Want me to send him in here? Get your jollies on?"
A snort moved through me. "And what would you tell him as you shooed him in here?"
"That you have cobwebs in your lady business that need clearing out."
"I missed you," I told her, meaning it.
"I missed you too. When I found a few minutes where I wasn't working. But all that working got me this," she said, digging into her pocket to produce a piece of yellow lined paper with her all caps writing on the lines. "Apparently, they have one of the Double Triggers that you are looking for. I don't know who this contact is, so I don't know how solid their information is, but I figure it is worth a meeting since every other lead has gone cold. I mean, that isn't a vote of confidence, but we really aren't in a position where we can overlook even the shady leads."
"Yeah," I agreed, sighing.
"You don't want him getting in trouble with his club," Astrid guessed.
"No," I agreed. "He takes care of his mom and sisters with the money he makes from that club. He doesn't deserve to be kicked out because I stole from him."
"You bleeding heart, you," she said with a smile.
"You like him too," I accused, bumping her hip.
"I do. And I think we have all learned our lesson about stealing. Hopefully, we will get the gun before his time is up though."
"Yeah," I agreed, patting her thigh as she sat up.
"That guy - JB - is expecting to hear from you by tomorrow or he says the deal is off."
I exhaled a breath, wondering when - or if - things were going to calm down.
Even after tracking down this gun, it wasn't over. I was going to be out nearly twenty grand. We would be okay, sure, but I didn't just want to be okay. I wanted us to be comfortable, to be able to take a step back when we wanted or needed it. So we were going to have to make up that money. After Christmas. Start the new year off right, hit the ground running and all that.
I rolled the cricks out of my neck and shoulders, climbing deeper into my bed, throwing the blankets over me, feeling the night of near sleeplessness catching up to me after all the hours of watching the road.
Before I even got a chance to roll around much, I was out cold.
"Livvy," Roderick's voice called, low, tentative, seeming like he was sorry to wake me up. A grumbling whine came out of me as my arm swung out, slapping his leg, finding he was sitting on the side of my bed, something that made my eyes slowly slit open. "I know, sorry, mami. But if I didn't come in, Astrid said she was going to wake you up with ice water. I don't know her that well, but I get the feeling that was no empty threat."