her social life.
She was a different kind of woman, he thought. He wasn't certain if he knew how
to deal with a woman who enjoyed her social life just as well as she enjoyed her job.
He was used to women who were somber, cynical, bitter, and/or psychotic.
Women who had lived on the dark side too long, for whatever reason. Even those who worked with the team had their mental scars, their dark sides. They'd seen too much, 32
knew too much about the evil that existed within the shadows.
She didn't look like a woman who knew anything about evil. She would be the
type of woman that would provide a man the calm within the storm. Or would she remind him of everything he had never known or had and the innocence would be something to resent?
As Nik pulled into the Cantina lot he couldn't imagine that. He couldn't imagine
resenting the peace that could be found in her arms.
He shook his head. His father had once told him that peace came from within a
man. It was a peace Nik had yet to find within himself.
Securing the Harley, he strode into the Cantina, the loud music, weekend gaiety,
and dim lighting similar to nearly every other club he'd been in during his time with the Elite Ops.
The dance floor was packed, bodies gyrating to the music pounding out from the
surprisingly good country western group performing.
He scanned the room, searching for hair the color of wheat. Mikayla was a
creature of habit, so he should find her here tonight.
She worked diligently at her shop five days a week and most nights. On Sunday
she had lunch and dinner with her parents and she was available for her brothers and friends whenever they needed her.
She had a full social life and a broad base of friends. She truly was your everyday girl next door, from all accounts.
It was now Nik's job to delve beneath those accounts and find the truth. All he had to do was protect his soul in the process.
33
Chapter 3
Mikayla tapped her fingers against the table as her date, Thad Dawson, stood
beside the table talking to friends. He worked in a law firm all week and then socialized on the weekends with the same people he worked with which made little sense to her.
At thirty, Thad was charming, appeared sincere, and seemed to have all the
qualities of a Mr. Right. Not that she was looking for Mr. Right. She truly wasn't. But as her father often reminded her, she wasn't getting any younger.
She was his baby girl, and he just wanted to see her settled.
Mikayla just wanted to bring a killer to justice so she could get back to her life.
She had dresses she wanted to make, unfinished designs waiting for completion. She had a life to get back to.
She should be doing something besides sitting here on a date with a man more
concerned with the cases he'd been working on through the week than he was with hitting the dance floor, where she could at least expend some of the nervous energy still raging inside her.
At least she was still dating, she thought mockingly. It seemed people were
divided where she and Maddix Nelson were concerned. Those who believed her, or
simply considered her amusing, were inclined to allow her within their circle of friends.
The other side simply gave her a wide berth.
Thad, she suspected, only still asked her out because the owner of the law firm he worked for was still close friends with her father and hadn't, so far, seemed to take a side.
Things had definitely changed between her and Thad, though. The last few weeks,
the budding relationship had become strained, and after tonight she doubted seriously she would see him again.
She might as well have not been here for all the attention he was showing her.
"The bastard was so guilty, Emily." Thad chuckled, breaking into Mikayla's thoughts, and rather than angry, or with a sense of offended justice, Thad sounded merely amused and almost in awe.
The bastard in question had murdered his wife.
"Hey, baby, the prosecutor knew he didn't have enough evidence. I
She was a different kind of woman, he thought. He wasn't certain if he knew how
to deal with a woman who enjoyed her social life just as well as she enjoyed her job.
He was used to women who were somber, cynical, bitter, and/or psychotic.
Women who had lived on the dark side too long, for whatever reason. Even those who worked with the team had their mental scars, their dark sides. They'd seen too much, 32
knew too much about the evil that existed within the shadows.
She didn't look like a woman who knew anything about evil. She would be the
type of woman that would provide a man the calm within the storm. Or would she remind him of everything he had never known or had and the innocence would be something to resent?
As Nik pulled into the Cantina lot he couldn't imagine that. He couldn't imagine
resenting the peace that could be found in her arms.
He shook his head. His father had once told him that peace came from within a
man. It was a peace Nik had yet to find within himself.
Securing the Harley, he strode into the Cantina, the loud music, weekend gaiety,
and dim lighting similar to nearly every other club he'd been in during his time with the Elite Ops.
The dance floor was packed, bodies gyrating to the music pounding out from the
surprisingly good country western group performing.
He scanned the room, searching for hair the color of wheat. Mikayla was a
creature of habit, so he should find her here tonight.
She worked diligently at her shop five days a week and most nights. On Sunday
she had lunch and dinner with her parents and she was available for her brothers and friends whenever they needed her.
She had a full social life and a broad base of friends. She truly was your everyday girl next door, from all accounts.
It was now Nik's job to delve beneath those accounts and find the truth. All he had to do was protect his soul in the process.
33
Chapter 3
Mikayla tapped her fingers against the table as her date, Thad Dawson, stood
beside the table talking to friends. He worked in a law firm all week and then socialized on the weekends with the same people he worked with which made little sense to her.
At thirty, Thad was charming, appeared sincere, and seemed to have all the
qualities of a Mr. Right. Not that she was looking for Mr. Right. She truly wasn't. But as her father often reminded her, she wasn't getting any younger.
She was his baby girl, and he just wanted to see her settled.
Mikayla just wanted to bring a killer to justice so she could get back to her life.
She had dresses she wanted to make, unfinished designs waiting for completion. She had a life to get back to.
She should be doing something besides sitting here on a date with a man more
concerned with the cases he'd been working on through the week than he was with hitting the dance floor, where she could at least expend some of the nervous energy still raging inside her.
At least she was still dating, she thought mockingly. It seemed people were
divided where she and Maddix Nelson were concerned. Those who believed her, or
simply considered her amusing, were inclined to allow her within their circle of friends.
The other side simply gave her a wide berth.
Thad, she suspected, only still asked her out because the owner of the law firm he worked for was still close friends with her father and hadn't, so far, seemed to take a side.
Things had definitely changed between her and Thad, though. The last few weeks,
the budding relationship had become strained, and after tonight she doubted seriously she would see him again.
She might as well have not been here for all the attention he was showing her.
"The bastard was so guilty, Emily." Thad chuckled, breaking into Mikayla's thoughts, and rather than angry, or with a sense of offended justice, Thad sounded merely amused and almost in awe.
The bastard in question had murdered his wife.
"Hey, baby, the prosecutor knew he didn't have enough evidence. I
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