Page 82 of Ricochet

CHAPTER THIRTY

The lights were dim in the nerve center of Titan HQ, and the quiet hum of electronics whirred as Colin stepped into Parker’s tech haven. A low growl made him drop his gaze. He’d been too in his head to think about anything, much less a dog with as much personality or protectiveness as Bacon the Pug.

“Easy, killer. Looking for your dad.”

“Behind you.” Parker breezed passedColin, tossing a treat in the air. Bacon leaped to get it, settling back onto a bed by the door.

“Titan has a guard dog covering for you?”

“She didn’t let you in here without a warning, did she?” Parker dropped into his black leather chair and rolled to the desk behind him. “What’s up?”

Ryder stepped into Parker’s office, and Colin paused. Anything he said about Adelia would make it to Victoria,and the last thing he wanted was to cause gossip like he had with his sister. But this was different—though maybe Ryder was job related. “Hey, man.”

Ryder settled into a chair. “Not much. Killing time.”

Or, not job related.

“Parker.” Colin crouched to face Bacon, petting her head. “Can you locate a cell for me?”

“Sure.” He spun toward his console. “Whatcha working on?”

Ryder’s interestedperked. “We have a job?”

“No.” Colin shook his head. “More of a side project than anything else.”

A new screen appeared on his monitor. “My specialty. Number?”

Colin rattled off the number, and Parker typed then leaned back and pointed to a screen. Zeroing in on the east coast. “Why are you tracking Lenora?”

Great. Of course, Parker knew her number by heart. “She’s with Adelia.”

“What’s upwith them?” Ryder asked.

“I dunno,” Colin mumbled. “Just getting into something I guess.”

Maryland zoomed on screen under Parker’s keystrokes. “That’s not much of an answer.”

He grinned flatly as Ryder watched him avoid eye contact. “How much of one do you need?”

Parker chuckled as a mark pinged on the map with coordinates near Baltimore. “The phone’s near Baltimore. On the water, not quitethe tourist district.”

“What the hell are they doing there?” Ryder studied the screen over Parker’s shoulder.

“Thanks.” He didn’t want to ignore Ryder but had no idea what the answer was.

“You’re headed up there?” Parker asked.

“Soon as I talk to Brock and then, yeah, probably.”

Parker shook his head. “He’s with Jared. A new job just came in.”

Damn it.

“Don’t look so glum.” Parker shookhis head.

“I don’t know.”

Parker answered his desk phone, rolling to another computer as he switched to a headset and immersed himself into the call.

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