Page 18 of Rattler
“Think you can find him?”
He glanced up.“I can find anyone.This is just a little more challenging.We also know he filed a missing person report on Lily, and as soon as I hack that sheriff’s office it’s a piece of cake.”
I hadn’t considered that.“How long will it take?”
He shrugged.“Go grab me a sandwich from the kitchen, and by the time you get back here I should have something on him.”
I was starting to feel like I’d been demoted to prospect.First, I was fetching cupcakes.Now I was fetching sandwiches?I stood up.“Any particular kind you’d like?”I meant it to sound sarcastic, but Shadow was too busy with the weird symbols flashing across his screen to notice.
“Whatever, as long as there’s some meat in it.”
I shook my head and opened the door to the hallway.He might be annoying as hell sometimes, but when it came to tracking things on the web, no one could beat Shadow.This Tim asshole didn’t stand a chance.
* * *
Mom looked up when I entered the kitchen.“That poor young thing sleeping now?”
I nodded.“She had a nice hot shower, and now she’s passed out cold.”
Mom shook her head.“The guy that did that to her needs a good talking to.”
I knew she didn’t mean talk.She meant something a lot worse.“I’m on it.Shadow’s looking into him for me, and then we can decide on a suitable plan.”
“Is he mafia or something?”Jake spoke up from his place by the window.
I shook my head.“Lily said no.Not cartel either, but we need to be sure.Shadow’s working on that.If he’s not connected, that’ll make it a whole lot easier to deal with him.”
Jake pursed his lips.“Sounds like you’re more than a little taken with the girl.”
“Yeah.I know she’s a little young in years, but she’s mature enough to know what she wants.”
“And you think she wants you?”Mom raised her brows.
“I sure as shit hope so.”The subject was getting too fucking close to hitting home.“Shadow sent me down to get him a sandwich.”
Jake let out a hoot of laughter.“You mean he wanted you to quit bugging him while he worked, so he made up an errand for you to run for him.”
I felt my mouth curve up in a wry smile.“Yeah.That’s about it.”
Mom nodded, opening the fridge to peer in.“I’ll see what I can whip up.There should be some roast beef left from the other night unless one of you already ate it all.”
I held up one hand.“Not me.I was all over those meatballs though.Definitely none of them left in there.”
“Glad you appreciate my cooking.”She pulled out a container with the beef in it.“You want to come slice this for me, Jake?”
“You need to learn how to use that damn meat slicer we bought you,” Jake grumbled as he lurched to his feet.Some days the old injuries bothered him more than others, and it looked like today was one of those days.Stomping past me, he handed me the kitten that had been sleeping in his lap.“Here.You can take him back to his owner.Mom stuffed him so full of food, he’s probably going to sleep for the rest of the day.”
“He wasn’t complaining, and why would I bother to learn how to use the meat slicer when I have you here to do it for me?”Mom grinned at him.“And it tastes better when you slice it with a knife.I didn’t ask for a meat slicer, and we don’t need one more dumb gadget cluttering up the counter.”
Jake shook his head and gave me a pointed look.“You see what happens when you let a woman into your life?You end up taking orders from them.They just don’t realize we’re the stronger sex and they should take orders from us.”
Mom rolled her eyes.“Less talk and more action here, boy.Shadow’s waiting for his sandwich, and poor Rattler here is going to get blamed for how long it’s taking.”
I grinned.Mom and Jake were forever grousing at each other, but they never meant a word of it.They’d been inseparable since the day they met and would do anything for each other.If I were really fucking lucky, Lily and I would sound just like them someday when we were both old.
The thought gave me pause.Right now the age difference between Lily and I seemed huge but years from now, it wouldn’t even be worth commenting on.Things like age gaps depend on how you look at them.Instead of our ages, I preferred to think about the trust that shone in her eyes when she looked at me, and the way my heart ached when I saw the bruises that asshole had dared to put on her.
“Here you go, woman.”Jake handed a plate of sliced roast beef to Mom, brushing a quick kiss across her lips before limping back to his seat.
