Tipsy by Cambria Hebert Read Free Book Online Page A

Jacksonville, they’re going to take
over the entire area from here all the way to Myrtle
Beach.”
    “ I’m on it.”
    He gave a brisk nod. “Their last victim
was a thirteen-year-old on vacation. Died of a drug overdose.
They’re preying on kids now.”
    Fury radiated up from my bones. Punks
who pick on kids made me sick. I might not have gotten these
assholes last time, but this time… this time they were on my
playing field. This time I had the upper hand.
    “ We have another officer
from Raleigh down here working the case. He showed up about the
same time we found out about the underground ring here. His name is
Slater. He’s been informed about you. He’ll be at the club tonight.
He’ll make some introductions.”
    Cramer handed me another slip of paper
with the address and name of the club I was to go to tonight. It
was one of the rowdiest in Jacksonville. Figured.
    I committed the address to memory and
then dropped it onto the desk. I couldn’t take it with me. Then I
committed my new address to memory and left that paper behind too.
After I unloaded my pocket and keys, I noticed Watson watching
me.
    “ There’s some clothes in the
back. Change. You don’t look like a thug. Hell, you like you’re
going on a date.”
    “ I was,” I said, annoyance
in my voice.
    “ They’ll be plenty of time
for dating later,” Cramer said, clapping me on the back.
    I wanted to laugh. This was the second
time I’d screwed up with Julie. Sure, I might have dates in the
future, but they sure as hell wouldn’t be with her.
    I glanced at the clock. It was already
after eight.
    Yep. All my chances with Julie went out
the window over an hour ago when I stood her up.

7

    Julie
    “ No way,” I said when Craig
turned into the parking lot of a club that I had only heard about
but never been inside.
    Dee peered at me from the darkened
front seat of Craig’s black Hummer. “Come on,” she
begged.
    “ Don’t you know the
reputation this place has?”
    She shrugged. “I’ve heard it. But
sitting at the bar at Chili’s isn’t going to help you forget about
being stood up.”
    “ Neither will you reminding
me every five seconds,” I snapped. Then I pressed my lips together.
That was bitchy. “Dee—”
    She held up her hand. “Save it. I know
you’re sorry. You gotta take your anger out on someone.”
    But not on my best friend.
    “ Look, this place is known
for a good time. It’s loud; it’s busy. There’s dancing. You need a
couple shots and to shake it on the dance floor with some
hottie.”
    There was something wrong with me. That
didn’t sound like fun at all. I thought longingly of my ice cream
and sweatpants while Craig parked the Hummer in the nosebleed
section where there weren’t even any street lights. I decided to
appeal to his manliness.
    “ You’re going to let your
girlfriend go into this bar? It could be dangerous.”
    He turned in the seat and looked at me.
“So am I.” Then he winked.
    Clearly he wasn’t going to be any
help.
    “ Come on,” Dee cajoled. “One
drink. It’ll be fun.”
    “ Fine,” I groaned. We were
already here and I looked hot (if I do say so myself).
    She squealed and we made our way across
the parking lot, my heels teetering unsteadily against the layer of
gravel coating the ground. The loud bass of the music thumped
through the night air, practically vibrating the ground. The club
was up ahead, a large, unassuming building. All the windows were
dark—probably being blocked by some sort of covering or a coat of
black paint. The entrance looked small compared to the vast empty
walls. It was just a single door with one of those push bars across
the front and a neon EXIT sign on the front.
    As we approached, someone came out and
the music grew even louder. Inside there was a bouncer at the door,
taking money for the cover charge. Craig handed over some cash and
we were invited inside by the grunting bouncer.
    Classy.
    The music was so loud I could barely
hear