Wilde Ink (Wilde Brothers Book 3) Read Free Page B

carton of cigarettes and a handful of cash from the till.
    The day they buried Alex, Lia had vowed she wouldn’t be selfish or irresponsible ever again. She owed it to her brother to live for both of them now, to do what he would have done if he had lived. She would live a good life and take care of their parents, be someone they could depend on, the way they depended on Alex. She’d even gone into police work, hunting down criminals and protecting families like hers, all while looking for some clue as to who had killed her brother. She’d seen the file, what little there was of it. No suspects, no leads, no witnesses.
    Everyone thought it was ambition that drove her, but that wasn’t it at all. She was fulfilling a graveside promise to her brother. She owed him that much. That’s why she didn’t have time to date, and when she did, she stayed far away from men like Nick. There wasn’t room in her life for bad boys or bad decisions. She’d already had enough of both.
    “Earth to Lia, come in Lia.” Danny intoned, snapping her out of her introspection.
    “Sorry, I zoned out. What did you say?”
    “I asked you if you had a mechanic in mind or if I could make a recommendation.”
    “Mechanic? Fuck, no. I have no idea. I was going to call my dad and ask him if he knew anyone.”
    Danny held out his hand. “Give me the keys. Once I drop you off I’ll head back and call a tow truck to haul that oversized Tonka toy you drive to a place I know of that won’t cheat you blind or charge you a hundred bucks to put air in your tires or something.”
    She shot him a dirty look as she fished her keys out of her purse and removed the keys to her Jeep from the ring before dropping them into his outstretched hand. “Are you implying I don’t know enough about my own car to avoid getting ripped off?”
    “I don’t have to imply, I know you don’t know a damned things about cars. I helped you check the oil once, remember? You didn’t even know where the dipstick was in your own vehicle.”
    “That is why we have mechanics. I don’t have to know where the dipstick is. That’s his job.”
    “Her job, in this case, but I see your point.”
    “Oh, a woman mechanic? I like her already. I really do appreciate this, you know.”
    “Great. To thank me, next week you’re buying lunch, and I get to pick the place.”
    “You’re on. I wasn’t sure how the hell I was going to arrange everything while working. You’re a lifesaver.”
    He gave her a sidelong glance as he pocketed the keys. “You don’t have to do everything yourself, you know. You’ve got friends and family who are dying to help you out, if you ever gave us the chance.”
    “I know, and I love you for it, but you know how I am.”
    “Yeah, I know how you are, independent and stubborn as fuck.”
    “Guilty as charged.” She couldn’t argue. She was willful, just like her father. She may have inherited her mother’s Hispanic looks, but she got her stubborn streak from her father.
    When they finally pulled up outside her precinct, Danny gave her a wave and smile. “I’ll call you as soon as I have things arranged. Can you take a cab tonight or will you need another ride?”
    “You’ve already done too much for me. I’ll call a cab to pick up the car after work. You enjoy Valentine’s Day with your girl. Thank you!”
    “Thank me with lunch!” he called after her as she fled the warmth of the car and dashed into work, praying no one would notice she was nearly twenty minutes late.
    ****
    The storm outside didn’t seem to slow down the criminals one bit, but at least the work kept her distracted her from the fact it was Valentine’s Day and she had no one to go home to, again. True to his word, Danny arranged for her Jeep to get towed to a garage, then called her with the address and phone number of the place. She had jotted down the information, tucked it into her pocket and gone right back to work. It was dark outside by the time she remembered