Page 82 of Protected By Duval
She heard a whisper of sound in her ear and knew that someone had breathed into the microphone back at the office.
"If he touches you, you can break his hand." She almost smiled at Duval's instructions.
Jack knew she couldn't break the man's hand for just touching her, but she could dream about it.
Fantasize about it or-
"And you can sit here, my dear."
She looked over at Hayden and saw the same pull of strain at the deputy's temples. Jack had to admit that Hayden handled the smarmy tone better than she had.
Smiling as she settled into the seat that Bradley Coolidge had pulled over.
"So," Donal gave them a wink, "I hear you want to know about that woman who disappeared. Ana... Amma..."
"Aracely," Jack nodded, hoping her slight smile didn't slide right off of her face and onto the floor, "Aracely Rodriguez."
The two elderly men looked at each other and for a moment, Jack wished she had half the skill her parents purported to have. She'd love to be able to get inside of their heads and find out what they were thinking.
She could guess, but she had a feeling that whatever it was she might just have to clock one or both of them for those thoughts.
Donal managed to keep his expression fairly neutral, but Bradley's mouth was tipped up at the corners in a smile. Jack sucked in a breath through her clenched teeth.
Bradley spoke first. "We can't tell you much about her. She was pretty."
"Real pretty." Donal smothered a smile on his face, wiping his hand over his mouth. "I guess that's not acceptable to saythesedays..."
Thank heaven that Hayden spoke up, because Jack wanted to reach across the table.
"We're not here to police your words, gentlemen."
Jack admired Hayden's sweet tone, it was something she couldn't manage to do at the moment. This is why she wasn't good for any kind of public facing policing that involved assholes.
Both men seemed to take her words as permission to relax.
Or maybe it was the alcohol in their systems.
Either way, they started talking and Jack had to hold back her smile when they started to admit to all kinds of shit.
"She was pretty," Donal shrugged, "but she wasn't as good as that woman who worked in the bakery next door."
Bradley grinned. "Marie... Maria something. She had that round ass."
Donal almost snorted his sweet tea through his nose. "But Aracely had those tits."
Jack heard Hayden choke on a breath at that.
"That was the real shame, wasn't it?"
Jack heard Bradley's words and knew that the real shame was that she couldn't knock his teeth out with her fist.
"The real shame," his brother chuckled, "was that she disappeared before we could really have a good look."
"Or," Bradley opened his damn mouth again, "a good feel." He lifted his hands like he was cupping an orange in each of them. "We've had some sweet, sweet girls working for us over the years."
"A lot of them," Donal agreed. "And we had a little fun with our share, too."
Jack heard someone swearing through the ear piece she was wearing.
