Page 89 of Keeping Guard

She took her purse and slipped the strap over her shoulder. Her gaze fell on the envelope. “What’s that?”

“Looks like a contract agreement, turning the brewery over to your ex.”

“He said my father would sign it if he wanted me to live. I should have shot all his toes off, although I still think he was the one to pull the trigger when we were wrestling for the gun.”

Noah still might kill the man.

“I need to call my father. He’s probably worried sick.”

“Yeah, do that. He is worried.”

While she was talking to her father, Noah stepped back inside. Jack was on his phone, and Dalton had moved from the floor to sit on a filthy couch. He had his shoe off and was rocking back and forth while holding his foot.

Dalton glared at him. “I need an ambulance, and when the cops get here, I’m filing assault charges on Peyton and cruel and inhumane treatment on the two of you.”

“Shut your face.” Noah turned his back on the man. Maybe he’d get lucky and the bastard would come at him.

Jack finished his call, then shoved his phone into his back pocket. “That was Nichole. She’s as bloodthirsty as you, Double D. Said we should have taught him a lesson when we had the chance.” He chuckled. “Damn, I love that woman.”

“Believe me, that we didn’t is my regret for the day. When’s Deke supposed to get here? I’d really like to get Peyton home.” He glanced around the nasty room. “I don’t think what happened here has really hit her yet, and when it does, she’s going to need some TLC.”

Jack smirked.

“What?”

“Nothing. I’ll let you figure it out for yourself.”

“You said that once before. If you’re implying there’s something between us, sure, we like each other. At the end of the day, though, I’m leaving, and she’ll go on living her life.”

Jack snorted. “Uh-huh.”

“Besides, there’s nothing for me to do in Asheville even if I wanted to stay.”

“You could work with me.”

“Thanks, but dogs are your thing, not mine.”

“Assholes, I’m bleeding out here.”

Noah glanced over his shoulder. “Good, but hurry it up, will you? I’m tired of listening to you.”

“Here he is,” Jack said at the sound of a car arriving.

“Great.” He walked to the window. A typical detective’s car was parked next to the Mercedes, and a patrol vehicle pulled in behind Deke.

Deke was already out of his car and talking to Peyton...rather, Peyton was talking a mile a minute, her hands moving around just as fast. He shook his head and chuckled.

“What’s funny?” Jack moved next to him and peered out the window. “Ah, she’s doing her rambling thing.”

“He just better not kiss her,” Noah muttered.

Jack laughed. “The bug has bit you, brother.” He slapped Noah on the back, then went out to join Peyton and Deke.

So what if it had...not that it had, or if it had, that it would make a difference. He wouldn’t know what love was if it stood in front of him waving a red flag. He’d certainly never learned about love from his father. Maybe his mother had loved her husband once, but in the years that Noah could remember, she’d only stayed because she had nowhere to go or the means to leave. And when she’d finally tried, she’d paid with her life.

Foreigner’s “I Want to Know What Love Is” played in his mind again. What would his head doc say about that? That his subconscious was trying to tell him something? Maybe, and maybe he really did want to know what love was, but...

He wasn’t even sure what the “but” was anymore.