Page 43 of Between the Devil and the Deep Blue Sea

Finally my brain kicks on, I clear my throat and I tell them, “That’d be a big help.” We exchange numbers, then I pocket my phone and he pockets his.

“Right, then we’re off.” Dr. Grandville pushes up off the trunk, moving his arm to Georgie’s forearm. He guides her to the passenger door to help her sit. Then, rounding the hood, he stops to hold a hand out to me.

He throws me off again when I reach over to shake it. “Get her back,” he says right before opening the door and sliding into his seat.

I blink, then motion for my brothers to clear the drive for them to leave.

The brothers shuffle inside. It looks better, smells better than it did the last time I’d been here with Liv. The restoration company really know their job.

Busying myself checking out the scene, I watch my brothers acclimate themselves to the space. Boss walks around the front room and stops, picking up one of Liv’s paperbacks that apparently the bastard hadn’t destroyed.

“Any idea what kind of car he drives?” he asks, flipping the book over to read the back cover. “Give Blood and Hero a place to start.”

“No, none—wait. Michael first approached her at a restaurant. What’d she call it?” I pause to think, going over our conversations in my head like flipping back pages in an eBook until I get to that day. Dissecting the conversation, I highlight each word until I see it behind my eyes.Sea Breeze’s. “The restaurant is called Sea Breeze’s. If we can contact them, find out how far back they keep video surveillance… With any luck, they’ll have a shot of the dick leaving his car.”

“You see him?” Boss asks.

“Nope. But Liv gave a detailed description. I’d be able to pick him out, I’m sure of it. And even if a couple fit the description, it still narrows our search.”

“Send Hero. Fewer tattoos, none visible. Good-looking and charming, women always want in his pants.” Duke had been listening in on our conversation. “Hero,” he bellows, as if the kid isn’t standing in the room with us.

“Right here, prez.”

“Restaurant called Sea Breeze’s. In town?” Duke turns to ask me. I nod. “In town. We need to know how far back their video footage goes. And if it’s older than a week, we need to see it. Yeah?”

“On it.” Hero flicks us all a two-finger salute. But I stop him before he leaves.

“Remember, you’re a PI hired by Georgie Long and Dr. Grandville to find the man who hurt Smitty.”

Hero nods my way, then strides out the door. I don’t have to remind him to flirt—the man can’t help it.

At least we had a definite place to start. I’d been going crazy before my brothers showed. Now I wouldn’t exactly say I’ve calmed, more like carry a sense of cautious optimism. But I need to get out and do something. Grandville’s out talking to the chief. Hero’s at the restaurant. What the fuck am I supposed to do?

It feels like I’m an animal caged in by a shock collar. One wrong step any way and I’m zapped back. Stuck in this spot despite the wide open space. I hate the feeling of being caged. None of us much like the feeling. Sneak sits at the edge of the sofa, bouncing his knee up and down at a frantic pace. I get it. He left his very pregnant wife at home to be here for me. Duke left his woman, Dr. Brennan of all people, and her—I guess nowtheirlittle girl. Not to mention the way Boss left Elise. All vulnerable. We aren’t any closer to catching Houdini and yet they’re here helping get Liv back.

Fuck. I rake my fingers through my hair to keep from lashing out by picking up the closest whatever—I think it’s a single flower vase—and whipping it across the room. What if Houdini strikes while the men are gone? Yeah, they’re staying on the compound. Sure they’ve got guards in place at all times. We’d never leave the women unprotected. But I don’t know what I’d do if a brother’s old lady was hurt while they were here to help mine.

Just another thing to worry about.

To get a handle on myself, I lock my hands around the back of my neck and pace a path back and forth, trying to come up with some idea that could help us when my phone rings. Grandville.

“Got something already?” I ask withouthello.

“Where do you want me to send the files?” he returns—again, nohello.

While waiting for my brothers to arrive, I’d driven out to the hotel to check out and retrieve our shit, including my computer. As I rattle off my email address, I jog outside to my truck to retrieve the laptop. The summer sun’s heating up nice and I can’t help but hope that wherever this sick fuck has my woman, he’s treating her well and allowing her to soak in some of the warmth.

She gets chilled so easy. Always laying her cold-as-ice feet against my back or my calves, shocking the shit out of me when I don’t expect it.

The smell of the sea hangs thick in the air. The birds singing, hidden in the tress, are annoying as hell. Chances are I’m gonna end up going crazy if we don’t find something soon.

“Chaos…Chaos?Are you still there, son?” He asks in my ear.

“Here—thanks. I’m out.”

No goodbyes. We hang up. I continue inside the house to set up on the farmhouse style dining table. Right away my phone lights up with a second call. Hero. Shit, that kid works fast. He’s been gone, what, forty-five minutes?

“Sending the files to your email,” he tells me.

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