Page 32 of Cold Hard Cash

Jimmy swayed slightly, trying to hold as still as possible while the tailor made one last measurement. He frowned, curious, but cautious enough to wait before he inquired about Rowena’s odd reaction.

He stripped off the suit and started pulling his own clothes back on, waiting until Worley left before asking, “Who’s Dickie?”

“Dickie White,” Rowena said with a faint snarl curling her lip. “My ex-boyfriend.”

Jimmy scratched his head, asking out loud, “Why does that name sound so damn familiar.”

“Oh? Hadn’t you heard? It’s all over the news.” Rowena chuckled sourly. “That’s the guy whose murder they’re trying to pin on Roddy.”

Jimmy’s heart stopped. The case Augustus was investigating.

“Are you all right?” Rowena asked, sounding concerned. “Drink too much?”

“Yeah, just a little woozy,” Jimmy said lamely.

“Hey! Worley?” Rowena called out sweetly.

Worley poked his head in obediently, asking, “Yes, Miss Legrand?”

“Would you please be a dear and send someone over to Wendy’s for us? We need some grub to soak up some of this booze,” she purred, batting her eyes.

“Of course, Miss Legrand,” Worley said, the two of them sharing a small smile as they glanced at Jimmy. He felt positively green.

Jimmy sat down quickly in one of the plush chairs, swiping a hand through his hair. Crap, he was sweating. The murder case Augustus was looking into was Rowena’s ex-boyfriend. This couldn’t be good.

He stared nervously at Rowena, trying to smile. She had said something about the relationship not ending well. Well, crap, of course it hadn’t ended well if Cold killed the guy.

“Are you sure you’re okay?” Rowena asked, frowning. Even drunk, she could tell something was amiss.

“Just too much to drink,” Jimmy replied with a weak smile, wishing for once he was a better liar.

“Don’t sweat it,” Rowena said, either not noticing the weak fib or ignoring it. “So! Excited about tonight?”

“Totally,” Jimmy said, and this time his smile was genuine.

They chatted about the party and Jimmy listened to Rowena’s gossip about the Gentlemen until the food arrived. Jimmy had never been so happy to see food, eagerly devouring two cheeseburgers by himself. It helped settle his stomach, and he was starting to feel much better.

Worley came back with the finished suit, claiming it was a masterpiece, and Rowena started cursing when she realized what time it was.

“Your masterpiece took longer than an hour!” Rowena wailed. “Fuck! We’re gonna be late!”

Rowena went out to the car to fetch some of Jimmy’s new shoes and socks, commanding him to get ready with a quickness. She left the room this time, taking Worley with her.

Jimmy quickly changed, but frowned at his underwear. They were another ratty pair of boxer briefs like the ones Rowena had teased him about. It didn’t feel right to wear something so awful with such a nice suit. He decided to be daring and skip undergarments all together, smiling proudly to himself as he finished getting dressed.

When Jimmy looked in the mirror, he saw a completely different person. He was happy.

He ignored the heaviness creeping into his heart thinking about Augustus’ investigation. He knew Cold was a murderer, no doubt about it. Rowena had even said he served time for killing their father. But when they were together, none of that mattered. Cold became his whole world, and Jimmy found he didn’t care about the terrible things the man had done.

Being with Cold made him feel complete.

Taking a deep breath, he nodded at himself resolutely. If this deal with Cold was going to amount to anything more, he had to be honest with him. He was going to tell Cold the truth about Augustus. Tonight.

Jimmy balled up his old clothes and stepped out of the room for Rowena’s approval. She squealed in delight, quickly fussing with his hair. After a spray of cologne, she deemed him fit for the party.

“So, just how late are we going to be?” Jimmy asked once they were back in the limo.

“Mmmm, late enough to make an entrance,” Rowena said with a wicked smile. She had dragged her new golden dress into the back with them, pointing at Jimmy and giggling, “Now, I’ve gotta get ready! No peeking!”