Killer Riff Read Online Free PDF Page B

said with a simplicity that knocked the wind out of me.
    I groped for something stunning and memorable to say in response, but all I came up with was, “So am I.”
    “I’m proud of you. The new gig.”
    “I don’t know.”
    “You’ll do great.”
    “Olivia Elliott thinks her father was murdered.”
    “Excuse me?”
    I’d said it before I thought it. Or at least before I was aware that I was thinking about saying it. Now I wasn’t sure what else to say, though “Oops” seemed like a reasonable option. Instead, I said it again. “She thinks her dad was murdered.”
    “Why?”
    “I want all my cards on the table. I don’t want to repeat mistakes.”
    “Not ‘Why are you telling me,’ why does she think he was murdered?”
    Although it would have been nice to blame the champagne for the sudden rush of blood to my cheeks, I sadly knew better. Guilt can do wonders for a girl’s appearance. “I don’t know yet, I haven’t actually interviewed her. I’ve just talked to her on the phone and she mentioned it and I thought I should mention it so I didn’t look like I was trying to hide anything because I’ve done that before and it was such a bad idea, but I’ve learned and I really don’t want this to be an issue for us.”
    His pressure on my hand increased slightly, just enough to make me realize I was going to run out of breath long before I ran out of justifications. Sliding into silence, I leaned back against the couch and tried to slow my heartbeat by sheer force of will. The fact that he then leaned over me, his mouth almost on mine, shot that plan to smithereens.
    “We can decide what comes between us, can’t we?” he whispered.
    “I hope it’s a very small list,” I whispered back.
    “Might come down to nothing.”
    “Even better.”
    He leaned in a little more, and his lips brushed mine. Goose bumps sprinted across the back of my neck, and I had to really concentrate to hear what he was saying. “Especially because it was an overdose.”
    “Say the papers.”
    “Says the ME.”
    “Says you.”
    “Says me. I pulled the file.”
    “You did?” I asked, forgetting we were supposed to be whispering.
    He sat back a bit, eyes moving carefully across my face to determine if I was happy or not. I was trying to decide the same thing. “My cards on the table,” he said. “I wanted to know what you might be getting into.”
    “And the problems it might cause.”
    He pulled back farther, and I sat up straighter. “Don’t get ahead of yourself. Or me.”
    “I’m not, I just want to understand.”
    “I want to, too. I don’t think I did a very good job with that before. Like you said, why repeat mistakes?”
    Forgetting everything I had ever been taught about the classless nature of public displays of affection, I grabbed him and kissed him as hard as I could without leaving permanent marks. Not that permanent marks would be a problem, since I didn’t plan to let him go ever again and I was willing to ignore marks of my own making.
    It was like that first chocolate egg you grab out of the basket before church Easter morning after giving up chocolate for Lent; you can’t wait another minute to remember how sweet and creamy and intoxicating it is, and you can’t believe you went so long without it. I was ready to gorge myself on the whole basket when Cassady’s voice cut tartly through the buzz.
    “I guess we could have fussed with our hair a bit longer.”
    We pulled apart and pulled ourselves together. Cassady was giving us a mock scowl, but Tricia was beaming. “This is going even better than I’d hoped,” she said, pulling on Cassady’s sleeve.
    “Are you taking credit for any of this?” Cassady asked her.
    “Ladies …, “I attempted.
    “Only for being supportive and hopeful,” Tricia told Cassady.
    “I was, too.”
    “I didn’t say you weren’t.”
    “God help me, I’ve missed all three of you.” Kyle helped me to my feet. “Let’s go get some