Bounty Hunters: 03 Stay Hungry Read Free Page B

she announced, once again using her cheerful tone that apparently Jake didn't rate receiving.
    He slumped into a chair at the table, stared at the newscast on TV, and placed his beer on the table. He was tempted to down it quickly. Natasha was right, though. If he had to go back out today, drinking a beer wasn't a good idea. The damn thing looked really good, though.
    He pulled out his cell and glanced at the text messages he hadn't had a chance to respond to and blocked out Natasha as she slid into the chair alongside him and explained to a caller the policy of KFA. They were bounty hunters, not private investigators, although Jake and both his parents had their PI licenses for the state of California. It wasn't the first time Jake had heard Natasha explain to someone that KFA didn't track down cheating spouses. He could easily recite what she would say to the person on the phone but instead began reading the texts he had yet to answer.
    His love life was suffering. Jake started answering one text but paused. What was the point? He could use a booty call right now more than anything, and that was exactly what was being offered. God, when was the last time he'd gotten laid?
    Jake growled, tossing his phone next to his beer, then stood and stretched. Heading out for a night on the town and a good piece of ass would do him a hell of a lot of good but not when his father and mother were left holding down the fort. They would have his head if he went MIA just to get his dick wet. It was tempting to endure their wrath, though. He glanced back at his phone as Natasha ended the call.
    "Hey, what's that about?" She didn't comment on the call but instead pointed at the TV.
    "What?"
    Natasha grabbed the remote and turned up the volume as a hot news reporter in a snug sleeveless blouse and mini-skirt spoke seriously to the camera. Her light brown hair was cropped short around her cute, innocent-looking face. Jake preferred longer hair on his women, at least enough hair for him to grab and pull to encourage them to arch their back when he slid deep inside them. He quit dwelling on how the reporter looked and started listening to what she was saying when the words "Slave Juice" appeared across the screen.
    "According to bar owners Margaret and Steve Young, who own and manage the popular club Aristotle's, slave juice is quickly becoming the drug of choice amid the nightlife of L.A."
    Natasha waved her finger at the screen. "Isn't Aristotle's where you hang out?"
    He used to hang out there, when he had a life. "It's one of the clubs," he muttered, listening to the reporter.
    "Slave juice is proving to be one of the more dangerous drugs to hit the streets. The LAPD states that it isn't obvious when a person is high on this drug since it has no apparent visible side effects," the reporter continued, shifting to look at the club behind her as the camera scanned the scene. The reporter stood just beyond the yellow tape of a crime scene. "But we're seeing now how lethal this supposedly recreational drug can be. Two young men, who allegedly were high on slave juice, drove a stolen car into the side of the popular nightclub less than an hour ago. From what we know at this point, other than the toxic levels of the drug in their system, there is no known reason why the men gave up their lives when they drove into this brick wall."
    The reporter at the station broke in and the camera switched to show one of the main newscasters of that channel. Jake would have rather continued staring at the hot young thing in the miniskirt.
    "Jane, isn't it true whoever takes this drug will do whatever anyone tells them to do?" the reporter with his way-too-deep voice boomed in a somber tone.
    "That's why they call it slave juice, John." The cute young thing appeared again on camera, this time offering a small smile that made her appear even more innocent. It was an odd mix, considering the seriousness of what she talked about. Jane now stood next to two other young