“Look, mister, you’re either going to help me or you’re not. Which is it going to be? Don’t waste my time!”

Natalie was livid. She’d come all this way on a recommendation from her brother. And this is what she got. Unkept. Unshaven. A definite lowlife, she decided. Even so, there was a dangerous element lurking in his dark eyes that made her shudder. Maybe this was the kind of man she needed to find Audrey. Nevertheless, when she got her hands on her brother, she was going to hurt him bad if this was another one of his silly jokes.

She eyed the man who sat at the table pouring another shot of Jack Black into a glass, tossing it down his throat like water and wondered what Justin had been thinking. It wasn’t like him to steer her wrong. But this! This poor excuse for a man was supposed to be a professional private eye. Instead, he looked like something the cat thought about dragging in but decided it wasn’t worth the effort.

Deliberately, Johnny reached for the pack of Marlboros lying on the table. He’d promised himself that he wasn’t going to take another drag of the nasty things but this babe was stretching him to the limit. He took his time lighting his cigarette, studying her through the blue smoke he blew out as she planted her palms on the table where he sat. She was hissing like some bad-ass alley cat. He took a deep drag just to irritate her, his lungs welcoming the nicotine it had been deprived of.

He poured another Jack and downed it, lifting a brow in inquiry. Angry. Nervy. He wondered what other qualities dear Justin’s sister possessed.

Justin had been his salvation in the old days, rescuing him and putting him back on his feet. For that he was grateful. Knowing he no longer wanted to practice law, Johnny became a private detective as his career alternative.

And now this walking dream needed his services.

The only thing he could do was comply.