Chapter 8

Love smirked as he pressed send on a text. 

 —Sending you a present, not sure if it's related to the case but this guy attacked Hart outside a club, it seems like they dated in the past. Maybe he will have an idea of who was at the studio? Kisses—

—A Present for me? You shouldn't have….no, really… I just took a shower and made a fresh pot of coffee but sure I'll go interrogate your boyfriend's ex-boyfriend…. It's a good thing you're my favorite— Kram signed it with a winking kiss emoji.

Love smirked at the text as Hart walked up beside him. 

"Sorry, you had to get involved with that" He smiled sheepishly. 

"No worries, always happy to help" Love tipped his imaginary cowboy hat to Hart who smiled and slapped his shoulder. 

"You are so lame." Hart rolled his eyes. "Are you still going to buy me a drink tonight or is he your new date?" Hart pointed toward Múd with his chin. 

Love scoffed, "Nonsense, I came on a bike so I'm waiting for a local officer to pick him up then we can continue on our adventure, if you don't mind waiting you can ride with me?" 

Hart looked down at his outfit. "You want me to ride on a motorcycle in this skirt?"

Love scrunched up his face to show he was thinking extra hard. 

"No, no of course not. "He shook his head as though the thought never crossed his mind. 

"Uh-huh, I'll tell you what my car is nearby, why don't I wait for you, and you can ride with me instead." Hart put his hand on his hip. 

"I would but the bike isn't mine, so I can't leave it, you know, protocol and all that" He pointed to where he parked the Triumph.

"The Bangkok police department bought a Triumph motorcycle! What a waste of money!" 

"Mmm, technically no, we confiscated it from a drug dealer." Love smiled, as though he had outsmarted someone. 

"Well, I guess that's cheaper, but why do you have it?" Hart raised an inquisitive eyebrow. 

"Oh, well, would you believe me if I said I have it for a top-secret work assignment?" Love smiled.

Hart narrowed his eyes. "I'm not sure, but I'm willing to give you the benefit of the doubt." 

Where are we going on this adventure anyway?" asked Love.

"My favorite spot-on Soi 2 of course." Said Hart.

"Oi, if it's just soi 2 we could walk." Laughed Love.

"I don't want to, and didn't you say you can't leave that bike," asked Hart.

"It's true I can't leave the bike, but is it really worth driving your car less than 500 meters? Ride with me if you don't want to walk, I promise I'll be so careful the wind won't dare to shift your skirt." Love raised one hand as though he were swearing before the court.

"Fine" Hart smacked him playfully on the shoulder just as a police truck turned into the alley entrance with red lights flashing.

Love hauled his prisoner up by his elbow and walked him to the backdoor of the truck. forcing the guy to duck his head, he placed him in the back seat and closed the door. Walking to the front he leaned on the hood to fill out the paperwork, ten minutes later Hart sat on the back of the Triumph side-saddle, while Love drove carefully the short distance, to the where Hart had parked earlier. Leaving the Triumph next to the BMW they walked down soi 2.

 Love flashed his badge at security allowing them to skip the line at the metal detector. Hart grabbed Love's hand leading the way to the second floor of his favorite bar. It seemed like every other step on the path through the club they were stopped so someone could greet Hart. All of them seemed to have a piece of news to share or a question to ask. Thankfully, his friends had already nabbed the best round booth. Arriving they found cans of coke, buckets of ice, a bottle of vodka, and various shots that glowed in test tubes, neon, green, yellow, red, and blue. flavors ranging from lime to pineapple, covered the tabletop already.

 The stream of people from earlier didn't stop once they were seated. It felt less like they were in a club and more like he was witnessing Hart holding court. A King among commoners, he was undoubtedly impressed if Hart wasn't involved in the murders, he might just be the key to finding who was, it seemed he knew everyone in Bangkok. Love couldn't help feeling a stab of jealousy at the flood of men both Farang and Thai alike that were falling over themselves to get Hart's attention. Hart was polite for a while, flirting, answering questions, planting kisses on people's cheeks but when he had enough, he turned his back on the crowd and swung his boot-clad legs over Love's thigh half sitting in his lap. He poked Love between the eyebrows. 

"Jealous much?" he asked, amused. 

"Maybe a bit" Love conceded "sorry." 

Hart threw his head back and laughed, before slipping his arms around Love's neck, his slouchy jacket sliding down revealing his bare shoulder in the gap between the jacket and neck of his crop top. 

"Don't be jealous I turned down every drink they offered officer, I promise," he smirked, biting his bottom lip. 

Love gave a half-smile before leaning down. 

"Good boy." he purred in Hart's ear. He pulled back and smiled innocently at the look of shock mixed with desire on Hart's face. 

"Now what would you like to drink.?" Love asked, hoisting Hart up higher onto his lap.