Page 33 of Hard to Hold
Chapter 17
Harlon picked it up and offered me a hand up off the floor. He frowned in confusion until his gaze shot up to Ruby. “My sister doesn’t do drugs either, Ruby.”
Ruby snapped her mouth closed. “It’s not polite to read my mind without permission, Harlon.”
“Your thoughts were too loud to be ignored,” Harlon said before clearing his throat. “You two should go now. I’ll take care of this. Ruby, buy her whatever she needs and wants. Put it on the company card.”
“But, Harlon, I didn’t mean—” Ruby began to say.
“Dean is outside, waiting to drive you into town.” His tone held a sharp edge: chilly, unwelcome, with a hint of despair. His face turned stone cold as he relieved her of the clipboard.
I squeezed his arm in passing. “I would say to call if you need me, but I don’t have a phone.”
His sea-blue eyes darkened and clouded with gray as his gaze settled on mine. “Ruby will buy you one while you’re out.”
My shoulders sagged. I didn’t want to leave him like this, even though he clearly didn’t want Ruby or me there. Drugs were so out of what I’d thought we’d find while searching for his sister. “You going to be all right?”
His tight expression relaxed. His eyes softened. He pulled me into his arms and pressed a tender kiss to my lips. “I’ll be fine.”
“I can stay.”
“Don’t be silly. You and Ruby go shopping.”
“I’m sure there’s a good explanation.”
“When we find Suzie, I’m sure she’ll have one,” he said, holding my gaze.
Across the room, Ruby cleared her throat.
“Go on.” He pulled open the door, done with the conversation. “You have a busy day.”
I nodded and walked through the open door. Resting my hand on his chest, I met his gaze. “We’ll find her.”
“I know. I just hope it’s not too late.”
I gave him a slight nod and headed back down the stairs to where Ruby was waiting with Dean.
He held the back door open for us. “Ms. Davis. Ms. Bennett.”
She climbed in first, and I patted Dean’s arm. “You can call me Nina.”
“Yes, Ms. Bennett,” he said with a smile as I climbed into the backseat.
I grabbed my sketchbook and pen case off the seat and clutched it on my lap. “I’m sure he knows you didn’t mean it.”
Ruby turned her assessing gaze on me. Her cheeks held a faint pink glow. “If you believe that, then you don’t know him at all.”
I shrugged. “You’re probably right, but cut Harlon some slack. His sister is missing, and his stepdad was injured. I’m sure he’s a bit stressed right now.”
Ruby’s lifted her brow and tilted her head. “There’s only ever been one thing that can get Harlon to drop his job mid assignment and return home.”
“His family,” I said.
“Exactly,” she said, turning her gaze out the window. “Harlon doesn’t need the assignments to pay his bills, and yet he stays gone three-quarters of the year. He never stays long in any one place.”
I sat back and let her vent. It was obvious she’d been storing it up.
“Derrek Fields and his sons play an active roll in the daily operations. Quinton helps train the security specialists. Milton travels twice a year to locate guard dogs and set up vendors, and even Suzie trains dogs when they get here, and what does Harlon do?” she asked, crossing her arms over her chest. “He puts himself in danger by working security.”
