Page 14 of Caged

“Follow you like a puppy dog. Got it.”

Sweet baby Jesus this man tries my patience.

“It’d be best if you hover near the door instead of coming in.”

“You want me to just stand there and look pretty?”

“No, Sheppard, I want you to observe Darling while I’m analyzing the room. I need you to see what I can’t.”

“No need to get snippy.” He grinned, goading me into a reaction.

I tapped my fingers on my thigh.I won’t let him get to me.I won’t let him get to me.

“Once I’m done in her room, I’ll ask to use the bathroom.”

“You’re assuming she doesn’t have her own.”

“No. I’m making an educated guess based on his clothes, car, and greasy fingernails.” I held up my phone and turned the screen towards him. “And Google Maps.” Darling was a working class man and the house was far too small for more than one bath.

“It’s not like I could look it up.” He held his hands up and pointed at the dash.

“You do understand the concept of teamwork, don’t you?” I huffed out. So much for not letting his shitty attitude get to me.

“I’m a Raider, a team guy through and through. Or have you forgotten?”

I wanted to say, ‘could have fooled me’, but let it slide. I’d never seen a Special Forces guy so reluctant to work with or trust others.

I bet someone seriously fucked him over.

“Then act like it,” I said.

“Yes, ma’am.” He saluted with two fingers.

God, I hate it when he does that. I didn’t care that I was a First Lieutenant in the Marines and he was enlisted. We were civilians , which meant he did it to annoy me.

Jaden parked on the street, giving us a chance to observe the neighborhood and yard as we approached the front door. The house fit in with the rest in the neighborhood. Darling had a clean yard but no landscaping, and the house could use a coat of paint. Unlike the others, there were two cars in his driveway.

Was one Wendy’s?

Darling opened the door before we knocked. “Come in.”

“Thanks.” Jaden stepped back and held his hand out. “Ladies first.”

He was working the plan in the most irritating way possible.

“Thank you.”

Did he just fucking wink at me?

I made a mental note to stop at the gym before going home. Hitting a bag would work off my frustration.And help me keep my sanity.

After leading us down the short hall to Wendy’s room, Darling stepped back. I observed the room from the doorway to get a general feel for her environment and mindset.

Unfortunately, the only thing that stood out was how little her room stood out. If she’d left for the weekend voluntarily, she would’ve taken her phone, clothes, and makeup, and maybe her laptop.

But she hadn’t.

There were a few posters on the wall—Wendy had a thing for Taylor Swift—but nothing else. The floral comforter was pulled up to the pillows, but the bed wasn’t made. Dirty clothes were piled up in the far corner, near the closet. Her small desk was cluttered with her closed laptop, a reusable water bottle, a pink make-up train case, and at least a dozen bottles of fingernail polish.

---