Page 33 of Swerve (Boosted Hearts 1)

Neco’s eyes did a sweep of my body again. “I’m sure I can sort something.”

My belly flipped. What did that mean?

“Maybe you better ask Ruby what she wants?” Hunter said.

They both looked down at me.

“Well . . . I . . .” I felt myself wavering. I was also past the point of needing help to shower and dress. In fact, I was feeling a lot better. Neco was right, he did have more room. And Josh wouldn’t be kicked out of his own bed. But being up close and personal with Neco twenty-four/seven was not a great idea, not when I was feeling so vulnerable. I couldn’t afford to lean on him again, not anymore.

There was another knock at the door, saving me from having to answer the question. This time Lulu answered it, said something to whoever it was, then turned to me. “The police want to ask you a few questions.”

An officer walked in, a big guy with a buzz cut. He looked around the room, nodded to the guys, then headed to me. He had another officer with him, a woman . . .

The same woman who had given Neco her number when we dropped off the skip. I watched her take in the room, skimming the faces, then halt and reverse back to Nec. A slow smile curled her lips, and she started walking, her sights set on him. He moved suddenly, meeting her halfway. She touched his arm . . .

“Ms. Styles, I have a few more questions to ask if that’s okay?”

Neco’s friend didn’t join her partner as he questioned me—standard things like, have I heard from Scott? Do I have any idea where he could be? Does he have any family or friends in the area? I answered, but was struggling to focus, my eyes sliding back to Neco. We finished up, and the cop walked over to Van. The two seemed to know each other and I assumed he’d worked with Jude or whatever. Really, it was hard to pay attention when my heart suddenly felt like a lump of clay. Look away.

But I couldn’t.

She touched Neco’s arm again and I gritted my teeth.

Lulu slid into the seat beside me. “Hunter just told me she’s called Neco a few times, wants him to take her on a date.”

I stilled. “Is he going to?”

She glanced over at them, still standing close, and the expression Lulu aimed at me was sympathetic. “I’m not sure.”

He was interested. Why else would he be over there talking to her? “Right.”

“I’m sorry.” She squeezed my hand.

I hated that she knew how I felt about him. I’d tried to hide it, had never confirmed it, but Lulu knew.

“He’s a free agent,” I said, my voice sounding thick to my own ears. “Always has been.”

I looked away and noticed Van casting hostile glances at Neco, barely listening to the guy beside him. “What’s up with Van?”

Lulu shifted in her seat, suddenly looking uncomfortable.

“Shit, Lulu, just tell me. Something is definitely going on between those two.”

She leaned in, so only I would hear her. “You know what Van’s like—family first. When he heard Neco turned his phone off, he lost his shit.” She bit her lip. “But that’s not the worst part.”

I knew I wasn’t going to like this, not one bit, I knew by the look on her face, but I needed to hear it. If it would help me move on, get a hold of these feelings I had for him, these one-sided feelings, I needed to hear whatever she was about to say. “Just say it,” I rasped.

“The reason he turned it off . . .” Lulu was looking at me, so she didn’t see the moment Neco turned back toward me, eyes locking with mine. “He was in one of the private rooms at Stilettos with some woman that works the bar.”

I flinched, hard enough my whole body jolted, causing my bruises to throb.

Neco sucked in a sharp breath. He had no way of knowing what Ruby had said to me, but he knew something was wrong. He started toward me.

“Help me up,” I rushed out. “Please, I need to go to the bathroom.”

“I’m sorry,” Lulu said again as she stood. “I just thought you had a right to know.”

“I’m glad you told me.” I winced at the deep ache in my thighs, still sore from my tumble down the stairs.