Page 32 of Dark Encounter
"I get that, but really it's so bad that you had to steal money from someone..." I paused. "Did you have a gun with you?"
He snorted and stopped. "Yes. Most people don't give up money with the threat of a wizard wand, Grace. Fuck."
"Oh Lord." I turned to face the table and took a tentative sip of my coffee. "What do you need me to do?"
"Nothing. Just be here if I need you, okay?" He leaned over and gave me a quick hug. "Reassure me one more time that I'm not a walking target."
"You better not be." I glanced back as he walked toward the door. "Hey! What about breakfast or jogging."
"I can't. I need to get somewhere safe."
"Thomas." I got up, but he'd already left the apartment, slamming the door behind him. What the fuck had my brother gotten himself into, and how could I help?
Jenna. She was the only one I'd trust to tell Thomas' secrets to and help me figure them out. Her father was the DA of New York. Jenna would know how to get the information we needed.
It couldn't be a coincidence that Billy was gunned down in the streets a few days after he and my brother stole a chunk of money from a small business on the east side.
Crazy shit like that just didn't happen, right?
* * *
Erik wasn't at the library when I arrived later that day, and I did the full sweep of the place, looking for him. I was sick. Running after a man who was beyond my comprehension of dangerous and only wanted to use me.
Maybe talking to Jenna about more than just Thomas' fuck up would be smart. She'd slap me back into thinking right, but did I want that? No. I wanted to live in my fantasy that Erik would fall deep and hard for me.
It could happen. Maybe.
I ducked into one of the small conference rooms and closed the door behind me before sitting down and pulling out my phone. I hit Jenna's number, and she answered immediately.
"Hey. I miss you. Where the hell have you been?"
I smiled. "I'm sorry. I've been wrapped up in all of this library event bull shit."
"It's coming up soon, right? You need any more help?" She sounded needy. Maybe it had been too long. For both of us.
"Yeah, always. It's still a little over a week away, but everyone is starting to freak out about it. It's our once a year fundraiser event, so I can see why, but we pull it off every year without any issues." I leaned back in my chair and brushed my hand down my plaid slacks. "Anyway. I needed to ask you for a favor."
"Oh, so you only call when you need something." She chuckled.
"No, but I'm not sure where else to turn for this one."
"Sounds serious. You okay?" Her playfulness faded.
"Yeah. I'm good, but Thomas has gotten himself wrapped up in some shit that's a little scary."
"Thomas, your brother, Thomas?"
"Yeah." I smiled. "He's not the good guy everyone believes him to be. He's been in trouble more times than I can count over the last ten years, but this time... it's scary. One of his friends was murdered this morning at gunpoint." I swallowed hard. "I just want to make sure it wasn't related to something stupid he did recently."
"What did he do?"
"I'll tell you later if that's okay?"
"Of course. What do you need me to do, Grace? Just name it, and I'll do it."
"I just need to know who owns the check cashing place on the east side of town."
"There are several of those places over there."
