With his street smarts and dogged determination, he didn’t disagree. There was only one problem…
“I appreciate the offer, but…” His focus bounced between the two men. “Last time I checked, felons weren’t allowed to become P.I.s.”
He also couldn’t carry a gun.
Considering this a moment, Jax brought his intense gaze back to Olly’s. “Are they allowed to tend bar?”
The unexpected comment took him a bit off guard. “Tend bar? But you just said?—”
“I know what I said, Olly,” Jax cut him off. “But what the great state of Colorado doesn’t know won’t hurt it. Besides, I really could use someone to fill in behind the bar now and then. I’m assuming you know how to pour a drink?”
“I do.”
Tending bar was actually a side gig of his while he’d been working construction in Oklahoma the past couple of years. A fact he didn’t doubt for a second the man staring back at him already knew.
“Great.” Jax slapped him on the shoulder. “When can you start?”
“Funny.” Olly held his expression steady. “I didn’t realize I’d accepted your offer.”
“Oh, come on, Ol. I know you saved up a shit ton of money while you were down there in the Sooner State. But I also know you’ve spent a good chunk of that paying off your own personal informants around town trying to find the Goodwin woman.”
What the fuck?
“You looked into my financials?” He scowled.
Because that really pissed him off.
“We check out everyone we associate ourselves with,” Ivan explained. “To protect ourselves and the business.”
To protect themselves and their business. Olly hated to admit he could respect that. But something these two needed to understand…
“My priority is finding Rose.” Full fucking stop. “Until that happens?—”
“Say no more.” Jax lifted a palm to stop him. “You do what you gotta do. We’ll be here if and when you’re ready.”
Though Olly tried like hell, he couldn’t seem to get a bead on the guy’s angle. So he decided to just ask him point-blank, “Why me?”
Rather than respond right away, Jax turned and slowly began walking toward the club’s front door. Olly and Ivan followed the big guy’s lead.
“Already told you,” Jax drawled. “You’ve got a passion for uncovering the truth. Add to that your street smarts and balls, well.” His lips curved into a sly smirk. “Let’s just say, when it comes to private investigating, those three things mean a hell of a lot more to me than a conviction that never should’ve happened.”
Olly wasn’t surprised the guy knew about his record. And though Jax’s opinion of his past shouldn’t matter in the slightest, he couldn’t ignore the slice of gratitude it carried with it.
They reachedSin’sfront door. He curled his fist around the handle’s smooth, cool metal, stopping just shy of pushing it open.
From over his shoulder, Olly offered a heartfelt, “Thank you.” And then, “I get Rose home…I’m all yours.”
He didn’t wait for a response before shoving the door open and stepping outside. The sky had grown darker since he’d first enteredSin, and the evening temp had dropped a handful of degrees.
With dusk already settling deep, he tightened his grip on the folder in his hand and headed straight for his car. Fifteen minutes—and one frustrating-as-hell detour later—he was pulling into the parking lot adjacent to Scarlett’s hotel.
After picking the first available spot, Olly cut the engine and reached for the door. He paused, glancing back to the folder resting in his passenger seat.
Scarlett’s entire life was right there at his fingertips. The urge to learn everything he could about the woman was stronger than ever. But his desire toseeher again…
That was more powerful than anything he’d felt in a long damn time. Powerful and confusing as hell.
With Jax’s findings momentarily forgotten, Olly started to open his door when movement near one of the hotel’s side exits caught his attention. His gaze turned that way just in time to see a flash of red hair blowing in the evening breeze.