Page 75 of Like You Know
“You four should know not to bullshit me.” Shady shook his head like a disappointed parent, but I didn’t miss the malice in his gaze. He was pissed. I wasn’t too proud to admit that scared me. He was a dangerous man.
“It’s OK.” Jet waved his hand dismissively. “Yeah, I’m a cop. But the reason why Donna reached out to you stands. My occupation is irrelevant.”
Shady scoffed. “The fuck it is. I’ve got nothing to say to any of you.” Both the chihuahuas barked. Then one of them sniffed the ground and squatted to start pushing out a poo.
“I’m not interested in whatever petty shit you’ve got going on,” Jet snapped. He stood with his hands in his pockets, casual to anyone looking over from a distance. But his shoulders were back, his feet planted, his eyes hard. The air of authority about him had my heart skipping a beat. “I’m not here to arrest you. We just want some information. Give it to us, and we can all get on with our days and pretend like this little picnic never happened.”
Shady folded his hands in front of his body and cocked his head to the side. The two men shared an extended stare-off, sizing each other up or whatever. The girls and I shared exasperated looks.
“What’s in it for me, pig?” Shady finally asked, licking his bottom lip as if he could taste the leverage he was about to have over a cop.
“How about I don’t arrest you?” Jet said.
Shady threw his head back and laughed. “For what? I’m just out here walking my buddy’s dogs, enjoying this glorious day.”
“Refusing to assist a police officer.”
“I’ll be out before dinnertime.”
“Not picking up after your dogs.” We all looked down at the little pile of poo next to Shady’s foot. The chihuahuas cocked their heads and started wagging.
“Not an arrestable offense.” Shady produced a poo bag from his pocket with a flourish. He bent down, scooped the poop, and tied the little baggie off expertly.
“True. You clearly know the laws.” Jet nodded, and Shady shrugged with a smug smile. “And since you’re so knowledgeable about the laws, then I’m sure you’re aware of the ones around carrying a concealed weapon. How about I arrest you for that handgun tucked into your ugly shorts? Hmm?”
Shady ground his teeth.
I had an irrational urge to drag Jet into the bushes and get him naked. The way he was handling a man who scared the crap out of me was such a turn-on.
“Have you got a permit for that weapon? Anything else on your person I should be aware of before I search you? How about that black SUV with your two buddies sitting in it watching our every move? Anything inside that vehicle that might be illegal?”
“What the fuck do you want?” Shady snarled, glaring at us girls.
Jet removed his hands from his pockets and got in Shady’s face, any semblance of casual calm gone. “Don’t look at them. Don’t even fucking think about them. Look at me.”
Shady glared at Jet instead but didn’t step back. The dogs barked and growled, getting worked up.
“Call off your dogs,” Jet demanded.
Shady clicked his fingers. “Sit.” The little doggies sat and calmed down immediately.
“The other ones.”
With a sigh, Shady gestured dismissively over Jet’s shoulder. I whipped my head around just in time to see two men climbing back into a black SUV.
“Now, you give us some information, and you’re free to go. It’s as simple as that.” Jet stepped out of Shady’s space and stuffed his hands back into his pockets.
“What information?”
“Two nights ago, a woman was kidnapped from downtown Devilbend. I want to know where she’s being kept.”
“Are you out of your goddamn mind?” Shady scoffed. “You know how many people get snatched every damn day? How am I supposed to know where one bitch is?”
“She was taken from outside Raine Clayton’s private residence. She’s dating Raine’s son, Calvin Clayton.”
Jet didn’t spell out the obvious, and Shady’s expression didn’t give anything away. But we all knew that Calvin owned Davey’s—the dive bar where Shady conducted a lot of his “business”—and that Shady had connections to BestLyf.
My heart hammered in my chest as Shady stood there with a stoic expression, probably weighing up who he feared more—BestLyf or the fucking police.