Page 63 of Last Seen Alive

Larry’s arm dropped. “Get a room?” He swallowed so roughly his Adam’s apple bobbed heavily.

“Yeah. I mean if you’d like to get to know me better.” She traced a fingertip down his arm and felt him shiver under her touch.

He hopped off the stool and slapped two twenties on the counter.

They stepped outside, then he looked around like he was lost. “I don’t live near here. You?”

“No, but we could go there.” She pointed to a motel sign just down the street.

“Uh… yeah… sure.” Larry frowned. “Though I probably shouldn’t. I need to get to work in a couple of hours.”

She slipped her arm through his and fawned over him with her eyes. “I bet you have a very important job.”

“Yeah, I…” He put his hand over hers. “You really want to be with me?”

“I sure do.” She grinned.

Larry’s eyes dipped to her lips, lowered to her chest. “All right then.”

He got them a room while she waited outside in the parking lot. She was in disguise, but she still didn’t need to flaunt her face everywhere.

Larry emerged from the lobby dangling a key from his hand. “Let’s do this.” He held out his arm for her to loop hers through. “Number eleven. My lucky number.”

Or not so lucky… She said nothing but smiled again.

He got the door and let her enter first. When he shut the door behind them, he came right for her. Any reservations or qualms about sleeping with a stranger were certainly gone. He wanted in and out and off to work.

“Hold it, cowboy.” She inched back and held up a hand before he could put his disgusting mouth on hers. She pushed against his chest.

“What, baby? I thought we were gonna… You know.”

“Drink first? I don’t usually do this.”

“I’ll never say no to a drink.”

Something she’d observed. She reached into her jacket and pulled out a flask, unscrewed the top and handed it to him. “Bottom’s up.”

“What is it?” Just a glimmer of hesitation.

“Whiskey.”

“A girl after my heart.” He tipped back the flask, and she watched as he gulped greedily.

Everything was going perfectly so far… She reminded herself not to become cocky and overconfident.

He lowered the flask and gave it back to her. “Your turn, darlin’.”

The drug didn’t take long to work. His eyelids appeared heavy, and he was squinting. His body swayed, and he reached for her to keep upright.

“Did you put something in that?” he slurred.

“Just whiskey.” One teeny lie to keep the situation under control. She put the flask back in her pocket.

His eyes fluttered, and he stumbled. She helped guide him to the bed and just made it there before his body went limp. He’d wake up with one helluva headache and no memory. But he would wake up.

She rifled in his pockets and came out with the all-access key card. This would give her and Nick free rein over every square inch of Lawson Investments.

“Got it,” she texted into her burner phone.