Breaking Steele (Sarah Steele Legal Thriller)

Chapter 31

I had to stop by Mandy’s before I left the city. We’d texted throughout the day, but I needed to see her and catch her up on everything face-to-face.

As I pulled into her driveway, I got a text from Angela’s mom. “Is Angie with you?” it said.

“Nope,” I wrote back. This was a normal question for her—Angela often slept over at someone else’s house without letting her mom know. She shouldn’t do that to her mother, but she was almost as stubborn as I was. I texted Angela. “You’d better let your mom know where you are! Now!”

When I got inside, Mandy was in the shower, but Rick was at the kitchen table with a deconstructed motorcycle engine in pieces before him.

“Having spare parts for supper?” I teased after giving him a side hug.

“They taste great dipped in grease,” he said. He was one of the most popular real estate agents on this side of Boise, but he was another guy behind the walls of his home. He wore a white V-neck tee, and I could see his tattooed sleeves and chest tats. Besides going to concerts with Mandy and hanging out with their bike gang, his hobby was reconstructing vintage motorcycles. He had a workshop in the back with every tool imaginable.

“Mandy said I was hanging out with the bikes more than her, so I brought the parts inside.”

I smirked. “I’m sure that’s exactly what she wanted you to do.”

He frowned in consternation. “She didn’t seem that pleased with it.”

Poor guy. I hid a grin. Men were clueless.

Mandy came up behind me and tackled me in a hug. “You’re here!” Her wet hair sprinkled my face with water.

Then she grabbed me by the shoulders, her normal reaction when she wanted to be serious. “Tell me everything.”

I sat down, and in the simplest way possible, told her I was off the case. I was expecting her to be glad. After all, just a few days ago she begged me to quit. But she hesitated before she replied. “Are you sure that’s best?”

Swallowing, I nodded. Which was a lie. I definitely was not sure. Doubt and shame plagued me.

She cocked her head at me, her eyes filled with compassion. “It’s just not like you,” she said.

“What?”

“It’s not like you to quit.”

I thrummed my fingers on the table. It wasn’t quitting—it was backing off. Then I bit my lip, knowing I was lying to myself again. I quit because I wanted to take Hank Williams down. Literally.

Mandy nodded as if something finalized in her mind. “Well, I’m glad you’ll be safe. I hope he gets what he deserves, after what he’s done to Tracy.” She looked me over. “After what he’s done to you.”

I didn’t want to talk about it. “I’m just looking forward to being my own person for the next few days. I have nothing to do. And I love it.” It was another lie. I hadn’t had free time since before law school and I had no idea what I’d do with myself.

“You’re still going to meet us at the Ru tomorrow night, aren’t you?”

“What?” Rick and I exclaimed at the same time.

“The Ru!” Mandy almost shouted and then rolled her eyes. “Come on. Am I the only one who cares about getting a life? We’re all going to the new club tomorrow, remember? I spent a heckuva lot of time and money to get in and I’m not letting you flake on me now.”

The Ru. I’d seen that somewhere … My mind flew back to the meeting I’d had with Hannah Williams, in which she’d lied to me the whole time. The note on her desk said RuSat 11. Would she be at the Ru on Saturday?

“What time?” I asked.

“11:30,” Mandy said.

Interesting. I might be there at the same time as Hannah Williams, might have another chance to talk to her and follow up on Heather’s story. The familiar curiosity that usually got me in trouble started to nag at me.

No. I couldn’t think that way. The case was behind me and I couldn't get sucked into it again. I’d go with Mandy, dance, have fun, and not give another thought to anyone with the last name of Williams.

“I’ll meet you there,” I said.