Page 27

Leonard was trying not to lose his shit. He hadn’t heard from Vince in two hours, and every time he tried to call him, it went straight to voicemail.

His mind raced with possibilities.

Had his best friend backed out of going after the girl? Nah, Vin had never had a problem with handling Leonard’s dirty work. Did he have trouble finding guys to help him out with the job? Could be, but he would’ve given Leonard a heads-up. Maybe he turned his phone off so he wouldn’t be disturbed while he was taking care of the Cavanaugh chick.

“Yeah, that’s gotta be it.” Satisfied with that answer, he grabbed his prized bottle of Macallan 18 Year Sherry Oak single malt scotch and poured another two fingers in his glass. “I just need to be patient.”

He lifted the heavy crystal glass to his lips and took a sip. His eyes closed as the smooth liquid warmed a path across his tongue, down his throat, and to his belly, filling his senses with the essence of dried fruits, spice, orange, and wood smoke.

He held the glass up and turned it in front of the desk lamp, enjoying the way the light sparkled in the amber liquid.

This particular bottle of scotch had cost a pretty penny, but Leonard was making bank these days and deserved to spoil himself.

Since coming back from her girls’ night, Melissa had only left the room one time. He’d heard her moving around in the kitchen, the pop of a cork, then her footsteps retreating to the bedroom again. That time, figuring she’d already made her point earlier, she hadn’t bothered locking the door.

He’d checked on her about an hour ago and found her passed out on the bed, snoring like a buzzsaw, not even having bothered to change into her nightgown.

He’d pulled her shoes off, tossed a blanket over her and grabbed the empty bottle of cabernet from the nightstand. Her wineglass had fallen from her hand and landed on the white carpet she’d insisted on getting. He put it next to the bottle. She could deal with the wine stain it left behind.

Before leaving the room, he’d stared at her for some time, wondering what had happened to the beautiful, funny, carefree woman he married. Then he shut the door and left her alone.

The scotch started to kick in, and he remembered back to when Melissa was all he wanted, back to when they were happy. Then life happened, and things changed between them.

Other women happened, you mean.

“That, too.” He chuckled, unrepentant, and raised his glass in a toast to the empty room. “To dames who give it up easily.”

Leonard finished off the last of the scotch in his glass and set it on the leather desk blotter with a thud.

He leaned back in his big chair and let his head settle against the soft leather. He threaded his fingers together and rested his hands on his belly. His eyes became heavy, and as his body succumbed to sleep, his last thought was, Vince will take care of everything .

Never in a million years would he ever guess how wrong he was.