Echoes of Unrequited Love

Chapter 99

After he finished speaking, he took Cecilia and left; even his retreating figure screamed “cold

fish“.

I never expected we’d end up at each other’s throats, ready to duke it out in court. And I was totally blindsided by the fact that Hogan had his ear to the ground about us secretly chatting up lawyers.

“We can’t rush these things.” Darren comforted me before we parted ways, “I’ll dig a little deeper on my end and hit you up when I’ve got something.”

Thinking back to the way Hogan was all up in Darren’s grill at the dinner table, I diplomatically said. “You’ve helped us a lot. I’ll handle the rest on my own.”

Darren did a double–take, hesitated for a hot second, and then said, “Sure, it’s your call.”

After seeing Darren off, night had just started to light up the town, and before long, Wallis was on the horn with me.

“Come scoop me up at the Bluebell Bistro & Bar.” Her voice was all stumbly–bumbly, clearly liquored up, “It’s an emergency.”

I didn’t drag my feet; hit the gas and bee–lined there. Busting through the door, Lsaw her, one woman hemmed in by three or four dudes, and my heart just went out to her.

I had to knock back three drinks before I could get her out.

the parking garage, Wallis dropped her act and started griping, “If I wasn’t fishing for info on that FreeMan, I wouldn’t bother shooting the breeze with those clowns.

time you’re in

scooted over, threw an arm around me and said, “Chill, I can take a little booze. What’s lit

in two days, FreeMan would be making a low–key appearance at

want to drag Candy into anything that would

off at her place, I chewed it over and decided we absolutely couldn’t let Candy’s thing blow up into a courtroom circus.

neck on the line

had already thrown its cloak over the city. I took a deep breath and stepped into the building. But

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Chapter 99

duty.

I bluffed with a straight face, “My

gave me the side–eye, half

times, I went all in, “Don’t sweat it. Mr. Zade and I

suddenly snapped to attention

wanted to crawl into a hole. There stood Hogan and

expression, he’d caught