Tough Guy: A Hero Club Novel by Jamie Schmidt (the reading list .TXT) 📗

sights, but when a convertible started beeping the horn at me it jolted me out of my thoughts. At first glance it was filled with obnoxious, but gorgeous men. I did a double take until I recognized Chance at the wheel. He pulled to the curb, pissing off everyone on the road, but he didn’t care.

“Want a ride, luv?” he asked, grinning at me.

“Are all Australian men hot? Is it like a requirement for living in the country?”

“Yes.” He nodded. “Get in.”

“I don’t think there’s room for me.”

“I’ll make one of these wankers walk.” Then he looked at me closer. “Have you been crying?”

“No,” I said.

Chance put the car in park and hopped out.

“You can’t park there,” I said.

The guys in the car did vehicular musical chairs and the new driver took off while the others gave Chance obscene gestures and called him vulgar names. He flipped them off as they sped away.

“They just stranded you,” I said.

“I’ll catch up.” He took hold of my elbow. “Now tell me who made you cry so I can kick his arse.”

“Miles,” I said.

“He’s a tough bloke,” Chance said. “And he hits like a fucking sledgehammer. Before I go toe-to-toe with him, do you mind telling me what he did?”

“I don’t know where to start,” I said helplessly.

“Where are you heading?”

“I was going to get something to eat.”

“Bonzer. I know the perfect place. Do you like drag queens?”

“Who doesn’t?”

A few minutes later, we were being serenaded by dual Chers singing Abba. I had an enormous iced coffee in front of me with shaved chocolate chips and real whipped cream. Our burgers and fries were on the way.

“Did you find Lisa?” I asked, wishing there were a way I could inject the caffeine directly into my veins. But that made me think of Miles and that horrid scene at Dalton’s.

“Not a trace, but I think that might be a good thing.”

“I’m heading up there today to see if I can get a lead on where she went. Miles was going to come with me for moral support.” I looked up at Chance hopefully. “I don’t suppose you want to tag along.”

He shook his head. “I can’t. We’re going to throw axes and joust.”

“Sounds like a great time.”

“I’m in it for the turkey legs the size of dinner platters.”

The food came quickly, and I was dunking a thick steak fry into a puddle of ketchup when Chance said, “So tell me about Miles.”

I quickly stuffed the fry in my mouth to give me time to compose myself while I chewed. “I went to Dalton’s and caught him making a drug deal.”

“That doesn’t sound like Miles,” Chance said. “He’s clean and hates the stuff. At least he did in ‘Straya.”

“People change,” I said, drowning my sorrows in the iced coffee.

“Tell me exactly what you saw.” Chance attacked his burger like he hadn’t eaten in weeks.

“Miles and some other guy were leaving his office. The other guy was carrying some baggies. I saw pills and weed. He told Miles to call him if he got more of the good stuff.”

“What was Miles doing?”

“He was on the phone. I heard him say something along the lines that he had to grovel to someone.”

“I can see why you thought a drug deal was going down, but there could be another explanation,” Chance said. “What did he say happened?”

“I don’t know. I ran out of there.”

“Has he called?”

“Yeah.” I looked into my purse.

“You owe it to him to hear him out.”

“Why?” I said. I didn’t want him to lie, and worse I didn’t want to believe some half-ass story because I still wanted the bastard.

“In all of the time I’ve known Miles, he’s never dated an exotic dancer. And I’ve seen them throw themselves at him.”

That didn’t surprise me.

“I’ve also never seen him come to personally escort a dancer who wasn’t in trouble out of a VIP room, so I’m going to go out on a limb and say I think you’ve gotten under his skin in a good way. And the way you’re feeling makes me think you’re in the same boat.”

I nodded, not trusting myself to speak.

“He’s a good bloke. Give him a chance to explain what you saw. If you still want me to knock him around after, I’ll give it a go.”

“That won’t be necessary.” I pulled out my phone. Three missed calls and two texts.

Where are you? Why did you leave? and Call me.

I showed them to Chance.

“He’s a man of few words. Put the poor bastard out of his misery. Tell him you’ll be over after we’ve finished lunch.” He checked his phone. “Can you drop me off at the Rio first though? The boys are hitting the tables and I’m feeling lucky.”

Chapter Fifteen

Miles Carvello

Jackie’s text said she’d pick me up in front of Dalton’s in a half hour and then she didn’t pick up the phone or respond to any of my texts. I was trying not to be pissed, but it wasn’t working. Thirty minutes later on the dot, she pulled up in her rental car.

“We’re taking my car,” I told her.

She opened her mouth to argue with me, but must have seen the look on my face. “Fine.”

Backing out of my parking spot, I gave her enough room to pull in and then waited for her to get in the car before ripping into her.

“What the fuck was that all about?” I had preset the Moondust Cherry Ranch into the GPS, so I didn’t need to think about directions. I pulled into traffic and glared at her out of the corner of my eye.

“Miles, are you selling drugs?”

“The fuck?” I whipped a glance at her. “Is that what you think you saw?”

“What did I see?”

I shook my head and tried to put a simmer on my temper. Normally I wouldn’t tell anyone about Grier, but Jackie was leaving in less than two weeks. “That was an undercover cop trying to get a hold on the drug trade this side of