Page 10 of Tangled Threats on the Nomad Highway
He disconnected the call, quit the app, andlocked the phone, shoving it deep into his pocket before he liftedhis gaze to meet Mike’s across the desk. The man looked away first,fleeting expressions of regret and pain flashing across hisface.
“Got our orders. Good job you brought thatin, Mike. Now we just gotta find out a little more.” Einsteingestured towards the door. “Send Buzzkill in, would ya?”
The speed with which Crazy Mike vacated theoffice said a lot about how uncomfortable he’d been, and Einsteinshook his head. It was the same for a bunch of the members. Theyloved him like a brother, had his back without question, butcouldn’t look him in the face without flinching. He knew the cause.His unhealing presence was a reminder that life was fleeting, andin him, they saw their own families lost and gone. He probablyseemed a token of death itself.
Knuckles rapped on the doorframe, andBuzzkill peeked inside. Einstein lifted his chin, calling Buzzkillin wordlessly. They’d done their prospect periods together, andhaving spent so much time working alongside the other man had donea lot to develop Einstein’s respect for him. Something had buggedEinstein, though. He couldn’t wrap his head around how one of themhad risen quickly to officer status and the other remained a steadybrother, seemingly content to stay in the background.
“Crazy Mike said you wanted to see me?”
Einstein searched Buzzkill’s face for anytrace of discontent or jealousy, finding none. He tried to forceaside the memories that once the beatout was done, Scar hadn’tshown any ire directed his way back in Philly, either. Then the manhad shown up in Einstein’s house, having put his hands on Lauren,and was the catalyst for both Lauren’s and Makayla’s deaths.Buzzkill isn’t like that, though.
“Einstein? You okay, brother?”
Nodding, he banished those thoughts to theback of his brain, determined not to go looking for trouble.Ifit finds me, however, that’s a different fight.“Yeah, wantedto know if you had time to do a long watch squatting at Retro’shouse. Could go into a few days. Just while we look up some info.”Einstein didn’t look too closely at his reasons for not divulgingthe rationale behind the additional security. “Can I count on you,brother?”
“Uh, Retro’shouse?” Buzzkill shookhis head. “Not sure I’m the right man for the job, brother. Hestill hasn’t forgiven me for Nelda’s crush and shit.”
“That was two years ago, man.” Einsteinstared at him, disbelief lifting his eyebrows to his hairline.“Surely Retro doesn’t hold you responsible for that shit.”
“Uh, yeah, he does.” Buzzkill leanedforwards, shoulders square with tension. “There’s a reason I stilldo my oil changes at the shed here on the lot, brother. I don’t goto his house unless there’s a big group of us going over. Not worthit, not even close. All it would take is for Nelda to say some shitabout me being there, and Daddy Retro’d have my balls on a platter.He wouldn’t even knock me out before he cut ’em off.”
“Are you for real?” Einstein couldn’timagine the crush still being an issue. He’d noted it back whenthey were both prospects, but a summer away from Birmingham hadcured Nelda of her attraction to Buzzkill. He was certain ofit.
“Yeah. Oh, hell yeah. I’m partial to all myparts stayin’ where they’re supposed to be. I’m happy to take overwhatever other jobs you got, but you putting me at his house whenhe ain’t even home is askin’ for shit. Sucks, but it is what itis.” Buzzkill’s eyes were wide as he nodded, and it was hishopeless frustration that convinced Einstein.
“Well, shit. Okay. I’ll figure somethingelse out.” He choked on a laugh. “Seriously? After all this time?You’re shit-scared of Retro losin’ his mind?”
“Have you seen him when whatever’s going onhas anything at all to do with his family?”
Einstein winced and nodded. “Yeah, I have. Iget your point.” He flipped his hand towards the door. “Marlinshould be near the pool table. Tell him I’m lookin’ for him,yeah?”
“Yeah, I can do that, brother. Sorry aboutthe other.” Buzzkill turned for the door. “Just never want to getin the midst of family shit like that again.”
Chapter Four
Dolph
Dolph Chulpayev leaned his head back andrested it on the headboard as he closed his eyes.
His arms were loosely wrapped around hislove, as they’d been since he walked through the door four hoursago, drawn there by her voice on the phone. Quavering, the soundhad put the lie to her words about being okay with him needing tocancel their dinner, that need caused by business she would neverknow about. So Dolph had made a call, delegated work he shouldalready be delegating and knew it, and driven straight to her.
He’d loved her for longer than he’d knownher, knocked on his ass with his first brief glimpse of DelorisFainburg seated at a long table in the library, a place he’dfrequented not for the same reasons as she for her homeworkresearch. She’d been bent over a book, reading while her hand moveda pencil across a piece of paper. Her long, delicate fingers haddriven a pace of writing that didn’t flag even when she reached herother hand out, exposing the soft curves of her flesh more, to turnthe page.
Her gorgeous, thick hair was pulled into atwisted mass over her shoulder. He’d only had a moment to take inthe promise of beauty in her profile before he’d been called awayby his associates. Just that single glance and Dolph had been gonefor her, needing to know all about the woman who had so easilyobsessed him.
Months followed with more of the same. Dolphhad made the library a second home on the off chance he’d catchsight of her. He’d spent nearly as much time digging gently intodetails about her on his own dime to find out every known aspect onthe woman who’d so captured his heart and mind. Everything heuncovered, he liked. Deloris was smart and well-liked, and had beenspoken highly of by everyone he cautiously interviewed. At thetime, she’d been only weeks away from her high school graduation,giving rise to the only thing he didn’t like: a realization thatthere was nearly a decade between their ages.
Deloris had proven herself consistent in heractions and attendance, reenforcing the vast differences betweentheir lives and worlds. The routine was the same every time shecame to the library, with her choosing an out-of-the-way nook thatafforded a semblance of privacy. That same kind of solitude he’dquickly decided he also wanted immediately, but for wildlydifferent reasons.
Standing in the shadows of the librarystacks, he’d consistently talked himself out of making an approach,successful on a half a dozen tries. But the heart wanted what itwanted, and even after telling himself he wouldn’t, one day foundhim boldly walking towards her table.
Dolph had been only yards away when shelooked up, and at the first close-up view of her face, he’d been ata loss for words. Figuratively knocked on his ass, Dolph stared ashis cock stiffened in his pants and his heart jumped to a racingbeat previously only experienced during a chase. This was a chase,too, but of a very different kind.
Distance viewing andphotos had not done justice to her loveliness, and he’d beenmesmerized while beauty unfolded in front of him as a slow smileblazed up at him. She’d stared back at him, lips curved inamusement, the pink of her tender tongue dancing behind whiteteeth. Chin, nose, cheekbones—everything fit together in a waythat rendered her magnificent. Eyes snapping and dancing, she’dgiven him a nod, then said, in her always-direct way, “I wonderedif you’d ever come talk to me.”
They’d talked that day. Only spoken to eachother, something she told him later had disappointed, because she’dbeen as attracted to him as he was her. But in a conversation thatwaxed and waxed, never waning, not even when the library attendantscame around to shoo them out at closing, during the times oflistening to her musical voice, he’d found love. Four o’clock inthe morning had seen them sitting in an all-night diner, himlaughing at her gravy-covered fries when she’d cut a glance up athim, a subtle unease in her gaze.
“What, beauty?” He’d reached across thetable and covered her hand with his. “What is it?”
