Page 89 of Betraying Bexley

“Did you find out more about your case?” Jack crouched in front of Midget and scratched the goof ball’s chin.

“Yeah none of its good.” Calvin sighed. “Raul’s dead.”

Jack stood. “Well, damn.”

“Tell me about it. We’ve been here three days and I’ve yet to see a trace of Blair Reed or our mark, Ambrosia McCall.” He glanced out over the growing crowd. “I’m not sure we’re in the right spot.”

“You’re in the right area,” Jack said. “Don’t worry. Sometimes you have to shake a few trees before you find the answers you’re looking for.”

“Do you memorize idioms as a hobby?”

Jack laughed. “Nope. They’re on my tear off daily calendar in the office.”

Calvin smirked.

“Look, why don’t you take Midget here for a walk. Maybe the fresh Texas air will get you out of your head for a while.” Jack was right. Calvin needed to relax.

“Sure. Why not.”

“If you’re still knotted up by the end of the night, I’ll make a few calls tomorrow and see if we can’t find more trees to shake.” Jack patted him on the shoulder then took off toward the food booths.

“I’ll be mingling with Midget,” Calvin said.

“Don’t do anything we wouldn’t do,” Wayne teased.

“And if you do, tell us about it later.” Paul winked at him.

The horny little freak. Of the three of them, Paul had a wild streak a mile long. He had the tattoos and piercings and a harem of cosplaying women he affectionately called waifus, who were, by the way, knock out gorgeous. Jealous was a strong term but he and Wayne were envious of their baby brother. Paul had bad boy rock God written all over him. Yet, he was a geek. The fucker was obsessed with everything anime, manga and comic book related. He lovedLord of The RingsandThe Hobbittoo. It was hard to believe they were all related.

“Right.” Calvin laughed. “You keep wishing.”

Wayne grinned as he finished off his bottle of water. “He gets more action than us, and he still wants details.”

“Don’t hate me because I’m beautiful,” Paul teased. “Besides, the both of you are legends. I learned everything I know from watching you.”

“And, now the shit’s getting deep over here. I better head out before I need my waders.” Calvin whistled at Midget and started for the game area first.

Midget ate the attention he received up. When Asher handed the pup over to Calvin, he wasn’t sure he could do the job. His first and only companion, Ajax, had died saving Calvin’s life. Of course, he didn’t come out of it unscathed, he’d lost a portion of his leg in the process. So, being given a dog to train to sniff out explosive material triggered some deep PTSD shit Calvin had pushed aside. The dog though... God, as much as Midget was a pain in the ass, it was like he knew. Of the both of them, the yellow lab had the patience of a saint. He also swore the dog did stupid shit just to make Calvin laugh. Within six weeks of Midget joining him at the base, they were inseparable and a damn good team.

“Can I pet your dog?” a little girl asked, coming up beside Calvin.

“Sure. He loves scritches behind the ear.” Calvin rubbed Midget’s head.

The little girl giggled then scratched midget’s ear. The damn dog acted like she hit his favorite spot, flopping down onto the ground like an oaf and stuck his tongue out of the side of his mouth. It only made the little girl giggle harder. The sound was a balm to Calvin’s tattered soul.

“Thank you,” the girl said, before booping Midget’s nose.

“You’re welcome. Although, I think Midget is the most thankful.” Calvin winked at the girl before she skipped off back to her mother. “Come on, you crazy mutt.”

“Well, aren’t you a hard man to find,” a woman said coming up beside him.

“Depends on why you’re looking for me,” he replied.

The woman was a beauty. Dark, silky skin with gorgeous brown eyes and long pink and brown boxer braid. She stood out in a crowd, but also blended in. It was a weird dichotomy, yet somehow worked for her. “I’m Blair Reed, Mr. Drake.”

In the midst of shuttering the Emporium of Monsters and finding Raul, Ambrosia went on the run, escaping the compound in El Dorado, Texas with a little help on the outside. The contact Tex introduced Asher to, Blair Reed—a known ex-member of the FLDS, and the owner ofOne Hope—a safehouse dedicated to assisting those who were in abusive situations, cults, or the FLDS. Controversy surrounded her. She’d been one of the loudest detractors of the FLDS compound in El Dorado, Texas and also called child protective services more times than not, making her too hot to approach in an organic way.

Some in the area, according to the intel Asher gathered condemned Blair for her tactics. Others called her a Godsend, returning family members who’d been missing for years. She also came to Asher’s aid when he needed to find the parents or loved ones of all those held within the Emporium of Monsters. For weeks she and Asher reunited family members while also setting up living arrangements for those who might not have anyone to return to.

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