Page 35 of Nails

Riley grinned.“You know what, though, I’m really glad I got to meet you.You’re the best part of my day so far.And from what it sounds like, I don’t think your Uncle Nails will have a hard time finding his perfect lady friend.”

Amira lit up.“I still think it should be you.”

Riley laughed as she stood up straight.“Well, I have to get going.It was nice meeting you, Amira.And if it’s okay with your mom, you can have the rest of the quarters on the machine.”

Amira grinned and then looked at her mom.“Please, mommy?!”

Jocelyn laughed.“Of course, it is okay.But what do you say to Ms.Riley?”

“Thank you, Ms.Riley!”Amira shouted and hugged her.

“You’re welcome, kiddo.Have fun, okay?”

“Okay!Bye, Riley!”Amira called out as Russell steered Riley toward the exit.

Riley waved over her shoulder, still smiling as she walked.

Russell glanced over.“What’s got you grinning like that?”

“Just met a little girl who was dead set on hooking me up with her Uncle Nails.”

“What?!”Russell asked, with a slight chuckle.

Riley laughed, shaking her head.“Don’t ask.Long story.But honestly?This night has been nice.”

Russell smiled at her.“I’m glad.Now, come on.We’ve got files to go over.”

“Sure thing, boss man.I live for the sound of your motivational grumbling and coffee slurps.”

They both laughed as they walked to the SUV.

Nails sat in the backseat of Bear’s truck.His eyes were focused on the documents in his hands.He barely registered the road noise or the occasional jabs between Snow, Duke, Bear, and Jay Bird.Instead, his attention was buried in Riley’s mom’s case file that Riley had shared with him.

His jaw clenched the farther he read.Riley had only been six years old when it happened.One second, they were leaving the movie theater, her small hand probably gripping her mom’s.Next, a masked man came out of nowhere and fired the fatal shot.Riley’s mom had dropped right there on the pavement, while Riley clung to her, until people ran over to help.The file read like a damn ghost story.There was no attempted robbery or argument.Hell, Riley’s statement said that the man never said a word, just stared at her.

It was just a clean, cold execution.There were no witnesses to the actual shooting.There were no solid leads, and no known enemies.It didn’t make sense.It was either a random hit or someone with just enough power and precision to make it look that way.Either way, Riley had lived through hell.Nails wasn’t sure how she’d survived it, let alone become the woman she was now.

“What’s that?”Snow leaned in, eyeing the stack of papers in the folder.

“Riley’s mom’s case,” Nails muttered without looking up.

“What case?”Snow asked.

Nails hadn’t told him about what he and Riley had discussed over their lunch.He quickly explained what he knew from what Riley told him and what he had read so far.

Snow’s eyebrows shot upward.“Damn.And she witnessed it?”

“Yeah.Imagine being six years old and watching your mom get shot and dying in front of you.”Nails exhaled.“They never caught the guy.I was thinking about asking Tink if he could have one of his people take a look at it.”

Snow nodded.“It couldn’t hurt.”

Jay Bird turned in the front seat.“Wait, who’s Riley?”

“Oh,” Snow drawled, a shit eating grin covering his face.“Riley is the woman who’s got our boy Nails here acting like a whole different man.”

Bear let out a deep laugh, looking at Nails in the rearview mirror.“You?Interested in a woman for more than one night?That’s got to be some kind of world-ending prophecy.”

“Sounds like we should stock up on canned goods,” Jay Bird added, smirking.