Page 55 of Dirty

I tried the innocent approach, but considering her level of anger, doubted it would work. “What are you talking about?”

She glared at me through narrow eyes. “You took my daughter to dinner at your mother’s house? Explain to me what you were thinking.”

“I went by to check on her, and we were both hungry. Settle down.” I motioned toward the door. “We can go outside and talk.”

“I’m not going anywhere,” she snapped. “They can hear what I’ve got to say. Maybe they ought to hear it.”

“Look. We went to eat. That’s it. Nothing happened.”

“Her eyes light up when she talks about you, Adam.” Her gaze fell to the floor, and she shook her head. When she looked up, she was crying. “She’s a child. You’re not. Go fuck with someone your own age.”

I would have never expected her to be so upset over my having taken Alexandra to dinner, but I wasn’t about to let the age comment go without me rebutting it.

“Hold on a minute,” I said. “She’s not a child. She’s 21. I’m 31. There’s 10 years between us. That’s it. Ten. If she wants to--”

“So, this isn’t innocent, is it? I can’t believe you,” she huffed.

“It isn’t anything. Come outside, and we can--”

She shook her head. “Stay away from her. Leave her alone. She needs to be comforted, not fondled by some tattooed musclehead that’s in a biker gang.”

“It’s a club,” Crip said with a low laugh. “There’s a difference.”

God damn it, Crip.

She glared at Crip, and then at Pee Bee. Her angry eyes shot to me. “Leave her alone. I mean it.”

She spun around and stomped toward her car.

Half rattled and half pissed by her visit, I turned to face Crip and Pee Bee. “God damn. Didn’t see that coming.”

“So, what the fuck happened?” Crip asked. “You throw the daughter some cock?”

“Fuck no,” I said. “Just like I said. Went by to check on her, and we went to dinner.”

His eyebrows raised. “At your mom’s place?”

“She offered, and it was a free meal. Why not?”

He shrugged. “Guess there’s no harm in it.”

The sound of screeching tires echoed through the shop. Pee Bee chuckled, and nodded toward the door. “See that?”

“See what?” Crip and I said at the same time.

“As she was peeling out of here, your buddy pulled in.” Pee Bee said.

Crip craned his neck toward the open door. “What buddy?”

“That detective.”

“Oh fuck,” Crip said. “Wonder what that fucker wants.”

“What detective?” I asked.

Crip nodded toward the door. “That one.”

I turned around. The detective that arrested Crip on the disappearance of Whip’s brother was sauntering toward us with a shitty grin on his face.