He shook his head and mumbled something under his breath.

I went on elaborating. “Slept good all night, but that cocksucker made her cry. She was pretty torn up when she got here,” I shared, not keeping the truth from Syd ’cause this was her girl and she deserved to know. I braced my hands on the island on either side of the magazine and leaned forward, keeping her eyes. “Showed up at her place sayin’ some shit about Tori wantin’ to keep what they had going even though she knew he was married. Like that didn’t matter to her.”

“Jesus,” Dash mumbled at the same time as Syd flinched.

“He said that?” she whispered.

I jerked my chin and watched her shoulders pull back.

“On second thought,” she began, raising her voice and lifting a finger to gesture. “I’m gonna light him on fire before I rip him apart. I want him feeling those flames.”

“You can do whatever the fuck you wanna do with him. But that first shot?” I jabbed a finger at my chest. “That’s mine, babe. First person he’s seein’ is me.”

Syd blinked, lowering her hand. She looked on the verge of tears. “You’re gonna defend her honor again,” she stated softly, not as a question but as if she already knew. “Just like you did when you messed up his car. You’re going for her soft.”

“I’m goin’ for her what?” I asked, brow furrowing as I lowered my hand to cool granite.

“Her soft. You want to hit it again.”

“What the fuck is her soft?”

“Her heart, Jamie.”

I stared at Syd, seeing she was serious. Then I shook my head, laughing under my breath and looking to Dash to watch him give his girl the same reaction I was giving her. I looked back to Syd and shared, “Sunshine, like what you’re tellin’ me, appreciate it, too. I’m glad I’ve hit that spot in her. Means I got a shot at hittin’ it again. Straight up, that’s good to know. But right now, the only thing I’m thinkin’ about hittin’ belongs to one dead motherfucker.”

“I understand that,” Syd replied. “I just want to make sure you’re aware of what this might mean to her since, you know, she might not tell you.”

Syd knew her girl. That was for damn sure.

I smiled. “I’m aware, babe. Thanks.”

“Good.” Syd smiled back. “Now, Trouble said you needed some information from me. What do you need to know?”

Syd always called Dash Trouble.

“Everything you know about this piece of shit. Startin’ with where he lives,” I said.

Her shoulders dropped. “I don’t know that,” she replied, sounding disheartened. “I never met him. I don’t even know what he looks like.”

“Don’t know what he sounds like either,” Dash added.

Syd smiled at him.

That was how they got together; she called Wes to tear him a new one for hurting her girl and ended up dialing Dash instead.

“Best mistake ever,” I heard Syd reply.

Didn’t see it, though. My eyes were pinched shut and I was gritting my teeth. I was hoping to get everything I needed from Sunshine. I didn’t want to involve Tori, but it looked like I might not have a choice.

Fuck.

“You know anything about him?” Dash asked his girl, drawing my attention. “Last name? Where he works?”

Syd nodded quickly, looking from Dash to me with brighter eyes. “His last name is Asher. And I know he sells cars. I don’t know where, though.”

Dash looked at me, and at the same time we both said, “Asher Automotives.”

“Motherfucker,” I grated. My hands curled into fists on the counter.

“Shit. We might actually know this guy,” Dash stated, verbalizing my thoughts.

“Really?” Syd asked, looking between us.

“Got our Jeeps from there,” he shared. “Jamie special ordered his. He worked with a guy for a few days getting that set up.” Dash jerked his chin at me. “You remember his name?”

I shook my head and straightened, bringing my arms across my chest. “Nah, but he had to be pushing sixty. He was old.”

No fucking way was that dude Wes. Unless Tori was into dating men old enough to be her dad.

“I think Wes is in his thirties,” Syd shared.

“Younger guy helped me. Could’ve been him,” Dash said, lifting his shoulders.

I looked at my phone on the counter, then I snatched it up, checking the time. It was too early to call and see if that asshole was working today. After dealing with them when I was buying my car, I knew they didn’t open until nine.

“What are you thinking?”

Dash’s voice lifted my head.

I rubbed at my mouth and along my jaw, shrugging. “Call ’em up in an hour and check if he’s workin’,” I said, dropping my hand. “He is, I’ll be takin’ my lunch there.”

Dash lifted his chin, hearing me, then he looked at Syd and told her, “Can’t meet up with you today, babe. I gotta handle this with him.”

Syd was nodding before he finished speaking. She turned into him and touched his arm. “Sweet of you,” she said.

Dash bent down and kissed the top of her head.

I heard water running upstairs, meaning Tori was up, and hearing that, I remembered the other thing I needed Syd for.

“Her parents, you know where they live?” I asked her.

Syd turned her head and then tilted it, looking confused. “Yeah, they live in Raleigh,” she replied, eyes searching for understanding.

“You know the address?”

“Why?”

I took that as a yes and rounded the counter with my phone, pulling up my notes app.

“Here.” I held it out for her to take when I stopped in front of her. “Put it in there for me. I might need it.”

Syd blinked up at me. She looked ready to throw a shit-ton of questions my way that I didn’t have time for and didn’t feel like answering, but that look slowly evaporated into one I’d seen on her a handful of times.

Typically stuff involving Dash, but she gave it to me the day I asked what type of flowers Legs was into.

“This has to do with Tori’s soft again, doesn’t it?” Syd asked, taking the phone and fighting a smile.

I wasn’t going to answer that. Planned on ignoring Sunshine and her probing, but it turned out I didn’t need to.

Footsteps on the stairs lifted my head and turned hers. I watched Tori move through the entryway.

Her hair was pulled back now and messy at the top of her head. Strands of yellow fell into her eye. She tried tucking them behind her ear as she stepped into the room, flushed face and bright eyes bouncing between the three of us. They settled on me.

I straightened and pulled in a breath, chest expanding as I looked at her where she stood.

Had all that beauty in my arms last night.

Jesus. Why the fuck did I ever get out of bed?

“Here,” Syd whispered. She pressed the phone against my chest and then turned, moving toward her girl. “Sweetie, are you okay?” she asked, wrapping her arms around her. “Jamie told us what happened. I can’t believe that jerk did that to you. God, I want to kill him.”

Tori was hugging Syd back but she was keeping her eyes on me.