Stitched Up Heart (Combat Hearts Book 1) (2 page)

She opened the corner hutch. Empty. “Do you have any alcohol?”

“I might. What do you need?”

“Vodka. Or whiskey. Both if you’ve got it.”

“Uh…do I need to bring a shovel, too?”

Brianna let out a short laugh. “No. I avoided doing anything that would land me in jail. Just come over when you can and I’ll fill you in then.”

“Dude. You gotta give me a clue. You never drink liquor.”

“Oh no, you’re going to want to hear this in person.” Her wine rack was bare as well. “Where is my wine? How do I not even have any wine?”

“Pretty sure we drank it last weekend. I’m heading out the door now. Don’t break out the mouthwash before I get there.” The phone disconnected.

Where the hell are Charlie and Polly?
She set her phone on the counter and opened one of the french doors. Her two dogs, Charlie and Polly, came running from across the wide lawn. Bree sat in one of the loungers on the deck and leaned against the back with her legs on either side of the long seat, feet on the floor. Polly jumped up onto the lounger and lay down with her head on Bree’s hip, staring up at her. Bree scratched Polly’s ears. “Well. That sucked.” Polly raised her head. “I know what you’re thinking. I should have broken up with him a long time ago.” Polly lowered her head back to Bree’s hip and huffed. “Especially since he never really liked you and Charlie. Should have been all the warning I needed.”

Charlie bound up the steps of the deck. He stood with his paws on the armrest of the lounger and tried to lick the side of Bree’s neck. “Eww! Gross. Quit.” Bree pushed him off the chair. “There’s no telling what you’ve been eating out here. Where’s your ball? Go get your ball!” Charlie leaped off the deck in search of one of the many tennis balls in the yard. She threw the ball until Charlie spread out in the shade of the large magnolia tree her grandfather had planted when he built the house for her grandmother.

Bree let out a sigh and pushed up from the lounger. The dogs trailed after her as she returned inside to her bedroom. She stood on the threshold of her room and sighed. She didn’t want to touch the sheets, but there was no way in hell she was ever going to use them again. Later. After she’d had a few drinks and checked to see whether Amazon sold hazmat suits. She changed her scrub top for a t-shirt and her yoga pants for cut-off shorts. Back in the kitchen, she poured a glass of water and made sure the dogs’ bowl was full.

The side door opened and closed. “You here?”

“In the kitchen.”

Denise walked around the corner holding a bottle of mandarin-flavored Absolut and a bottle of Jameson Irish Whiskey. “I wasn’t sure what you were in the mood for.”

“Well, I don’t have any cranberry juice for the vodka, so whiskey.”

Denise set both bottles on the counter. “You mixing it with soda or Bailey’s?”

“It’s a cut-my-alcohol-with-more-alcohol kind of night.”

“Right. So, what happened? And why is your car in the front of the house instead of on the side?” Denise pulled her long, honey-blonde hair into a bun and secured it with a hair tie.

“Chad. Chad happened.” Bree spared no detail as she poured their drinks. By drink three, she’d managed to fill Denise in on all the gory details.

“I have to ask again, because I’m having a hard time with this. In your bed?” Denise asked as they lounged in the living room.

“Yup.”

“What a dick. What was wrong with his place?”

“I have no idea. He said he came over to surprise me, she followed him, and one thing led to another.”

“How the hell does one thing lead to another?” Denise’s voice rose. “And how did she not realize a woman lived here? This house doesn’t exactly scream bachelor pad.”

“Your guess is as good as mine. Maybe he told her he had it decorated. I can’t work up the energy to care at this point.”

“What did she look like? Please tell me she didn’t look like you?”

Brianna considered the lock of her long, dark auburn hair she was twisting around her finger.

“Nope. She was short. Like, oompa-loompa short. She barely came up to my shoulders. Fake blonde hair and her boobs were fake.”

Denise gave her a crazy look. “Is that a guess or did you see more than you needed to see?”

“Oh my god. She had no shame. Chad whipped the sheet around him like he was Caesar on the Ides of March and left her naked as a jaybird. No one’s boobs are that perky unless they have supporting infrastructure. That chick had more plastic than a Hasbro factory.”

Denise laughed so hard she nearly toppled off the couch. “Oh my god, stop. All I can picture are her boobs in the shape of toy trucks.”

Denise’s laugh was infectious and Bree joined her. Then Denise snorted and they both lost it.

“The worst part is they were screwing on my favorite set of sheets.” Bree’s laughter faded to chuckles. “I’m going to have to buy a whole new mattress now.”

“Did you already burn the sheets?”

Bree dropped her head back against the sofa. “Ugh. I could barely look at the bed when I changed clothes. I’m going to need a full hazmat suit to get rid of them.”

Denise smiled before asking, “How’re you really doing?”

“I should have cut bait a long time ago. Hell, I never should have said yes when he proposed.” Bree raised her head back up.

“Kind of hard to say no when he blindsides you at your gran’s big birthday bash in front of all your friends and family. What I don’t know is why you didn’t break up with him before then.” Denise raised her eyebrows as she looked at Bree over the rim of her glass.

“Honestly, I don’t know either. Laziness?” She shook her head. “I’ve been trying to figure out a way to break it off for a while without being a complete bitch about it.” Bree sighed and sipped her drink. “I didn’t want to cause a big scene at Gran’s birthday.”

“You really think she would have cared?”

“No,” Bree admitted. “But I panicked when he got down on one knee. Plus, he drove.”

“Hmm…I can see how that would have been a problem.”

“Yeah. I’m not even hurt. I’m fucking pissed. It’s just so freaking disrespectful. Seriously. Who does that shit?”

“Uh, a narcissistic asshole.”

“True story.” Bree finished off the rest of her drink. “We’re not doing this. I refuse to sit around and brood over what an asshat he is. Let’s go out.”

“Go out where? It’s eleven o’clock and I did not come dressed to go out and drink your cares away. I dressed to bury a body in the backyard.”

Bree looked at the cut-offs and t-shirt she had on. “We’ll go to The Deck. No need to change clothes. And I would never bury a body in my own backyard. That’s just asking to get caught.”

“The biker bar? Are you nuts? There’s a stabbing there every night.”

“Don’t be dramatic. I’m sure it’s only every other night.”

“Ha ha. Not the point.”

“Come on. My old boss used to go there and was always trying to get me to go. He said it was a cool place to chill and hang out.”

“He told you that because he was trying to get in your pants.”

“Yeah, well, I’ve got no argument for that. Get your shoes, I’m getting us an Uber.”

“Fine.” Denise let out a disgruntled sigh but grabbed her shoes. “Who knows…maybe you’ll find the love of your life tonight.”

Bree stood and pointed at Denise. “Don’t jinx me.”

J
ase set the parking brake on his truck and switched off the ignition. He sighed and stared at The Deck.

Fuck, it’d been months since he’d been here. Probably closer to a year. He didn’t want to be here now, but Brandon had asked him to come celebrate his separation from the Army. The promise he’d made himself warred with his desire to be anywhere else but here. But a buddy called. He answered. Even if it was to go to a bar.

He shouldered the door open and slammed it, thumbing the lock button on the fob over his shoulder. Gravel crunched under his boots as he crossed the parking lot. He took the steps two at a time and yanked the door open.

Nate rose from the tall stool with a grin. “Jase, my man.” He grabbed his hand and slapped him on the shoulder. “Haven’t seen you in forever. Where’ve you been hiding?”

Jase smiled to hide the wince from the pounding he took. “Getting my company off the ground. Staying out of trouble.”

Nate sat on the edge of the stool, one foot on the floor. “I heard about that. You still looking for guys to help you on trips?”

“Yeah. Anytime you’re interested, let me know.”

“I’ll give you a call next week. We’ve got block leave coming up before we head out next month.”

“Where’re you going this time?”

Nate stood and nodded behind Jase. Jase stepped to the side as a guy and two women, all dressed in riding leathers, held out their IDs. Nate checked them and handed them back to the group. “Have a good night, folks.” He sat back on the stool. “The HOA. Six month rotation.”

Horn of Africa. “Fuck, man. Stay safe.”

“Easier to do in Africa than Afghanistan.”

“Yeah. I’ll let you get back to work.”

Nate stood again, taking the ID held out to him. “Good to see you again.”

Jase waved and strode into the bar. He scanned the crowd, looking for Brandon and Gary. The bar wasn’t to capacity yet. Brandon, Gary, Evan, and Nick were easy to spot standing around a couple of tables in the middle of the room. It helped they were one of the few groups not dressed in riding leathers. Brandon spotted him and raised a hand. Jase waved back and pointed to the bar.

He hooked a foot over a stool and waited for Brian to notice him.

“Holy shit! Jase — where’ve you been hiding?” He held out his hand.

He shook Brian’s hand. “Out in the woods. How’ve you been?”

“Livin’ the life. What can I get you?”

“Killian’s. Draught.”

“Sure thing.” Brian knocked on the bar and pushed away.

Jase spun on the stool and scanned the crowd. He recognized a few faces. Recalled fewer names. It hit him in a rush — he didn’t miss this place at all.

A flash of blonde caught his peripheral vision and he turned. Tight jeans and a cropped halter showed off all her assets, leaving little to the imagination. They’d had a few hot and heavy nights when he’d been partying all the time.
Shit. What was her name?
Something that ended with a ‘y.’ Maybe an ‘i.’ Only stripper names were coming to mind.

She pushed her way between his legs. “Jase, where’ve you been?” Her red lips pouted as she ran her hands up his chest.

“Popular question tonight.” He kept his hands on his thighs. He had no desire to encourage her. Literally, none.

“I missed you.” Her long nails, painted to match her lips, pinched his nipple.

He curved his chest and covered his chest with a palm, dislodging her hand. That’s right. She liked to pinch.

“Jase,” Brian said behind him.

Thank god.
“Sorry to hear that.” He put his hands on her hips and pushed her back far enough so he could turn on the stool.

He stood and reached in his back pocket for his wallet.

Brian waved him off. “First round’s on me. Welcome back to civilization.”

“Thanks.” He pulled his credit card out and threw it on the table. “I’ll start a tab anyway. Put Brandon’s drinks on it.” A small hand roamed up and down his back, full breasts pressed to his side.

Still no reaction. If he hadn’t jacked off in the shower that morning, he’d think something was wrong with him. He stepped away from her touch and turned. “Good to see you again.” He lifted his glass as he walked away.

“
What?
”

He doubted a guy had ever walked away from her, but he didn’t do random anymore. He walked across the bar, feeling the weight of her gaze the entire time.
Mandy? Candy? Cindi? What the hell was her name?

He set his glass down on the table and Brandon grabbed him for a back-thumping hug. “Glad you made it.”

“Congratulations.” Jase thumped him back.

“I see Tiffany found you.” Brandon thrust his chin out, using it to point across the bar.

Tiffany.
He spared a glance over his shoulder. She was running her hands over the chest of the guy now sitting in front of her, in much the same way she had with Jase. She glanced up, found Jase, and licked her lips. He turned his back to her. “Yeah. She found me.”

“Dude. As soon as we sat down she came over and asked about you. It was like she had Jase-dar or something.”

Jase grinned. “Gary, your California is showing.” Gary threw his head back and laughed.

“You here for the night or just popping in?” Evan asked.

“The night.”

Brandon raised his empty bottle, catching the waitress’s attention. “You gonna drink or just nurse?”

“Your night. You wanna drink, I’ll drink with you.”

The waitress stopped at their table, tray and pad at the ready. She pulled a pen out of her ponytail. “Ready for another round?”

Brandon flashed her a smile. “We sure are. Another for everyone.”

She looked at the table, then scribbled notes on her pad. She pointed at Jase’s glass. “You want another?”

“Please.” He leaned close to her ear. “I gave Brian my card. Put the first few rounds on my tab.”

“Sure.” She shoved the pen back in her hair and picked up the empty glasses, setting them on her tray. “Be right back, boys.”