Page 50 of Necessary Roughness

“We did. I wish I had a better excuse for this, but the truth is always good. I forgot to change the codes. I never dreamed she’d do something like this, either.”

“Are you mad I hit the button for the cops?”

“Hell no.” He rubbed his face with one hand again. “The cops told me that Barb isn’t really a nurse, either. They’ve been working on this case for a while now. They’re still not sure how she knows Star, but she usually robs people’s houses and disappears.”

“Barb told me that her daughter went to college with Star, and she was here to check up on you.”

“When did this happen?”

“The day she left.”

Tanner’s cell phone rang. “Shit,” he bit out as he got a look at the phone’s screen. She started to get up, and he reached out for her arm. “Please stay. I want to keep talking, but I have to answer this.” He hit the button to answer. “Mom. What’s up?”

Jordan could hear his mom without the speaker button. “Your dad says there’s something about a break-in and an arrest at your house on TMZ. He got an alert on his phone. Is this true? Are you hurt? What happened?”

“Nobody is hurt. Everything is fine. Don’t worry.”

“What do you think I’m going to do, Tanner? You didn’t call me. Why didn’t you call me?”

“I didn’t think it was national news.”

“We’ll be up there by tonight. Your dad still has those tickets you sent us, and there are several flights this afternoon. We have packed suitcases, and we can be in the car in fifteen minutes. I can’t believe you didn’t call me. You could be dead or something. Why—”

“I wouldn’t answer my phone if I was dead.”

“That is not funny, young man. Not at all. I’ll see you in a few hours.” She hung up.

“Let me guess,” Jordan said. “Your parents are coming to visit.”

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