Page 17 of Crossing Paths
What about Chloe?she asked, holding her breath, hoping he wouldn’t say anything incriminating about her potential friend.
She’s hot…but still a cockroach like the rest of them. We’re the only ones, Norah. That’s why we belong together.
Norah’s stomach churned as her fingers hesitated over the keyboard. Before she could type a response, he beat her to it.
I know you can’t see it yet, but I’m patient. I’ll help you realize the truth.
She knew she wouldn’t be able to get any location details out of him, but maybe if she made him mad, he’d slip. If he came after her, as terrifying as that would be, it would bring him out into the open and give her sisters the opportunity to catch him. It was obvious he wanted her to be with him, and as scared as she was, she was willing to act as bait if that would get him backinto jail where he belonged.
With shaking fingers, she typed,The truth is you’re a stalker and a peon, just like the rest of us. Quit hacking my computer. Bye.
After disconnecting the internet, she closed Cara’s laptop with a decisive click. Just as she usually did after ending a conversation with Devon Leifsen, she stared at the top of the computer. This time though, she was able to mute her panic enough to be able to think things through. She had no idea if what she’d just done would be helpful in bringing Leifsen in or if she’d just made things a hundred times harder for her and her sisters. Blowing out a puff of breath, she sat back in her chair and moved her gaze to the window. Her thoughts still churned as she stared blindly at the darkening sky.
Warrant, who’d made himself comfortable under the table, groaned and rolled over onto his back. Absently using one foot to rub the dog’s belly, Norah made herself take a long breath and release it slowly. Although her stomach was still twisted into a knot and her heart continued to pound too quickly, she felt a little calmer.
Glancing down at Warrant, who was wallowing in the bliss of her tummy rub, Norah gave an amused snort that sounded too loud in the quiet house. “It’d be nice to be able to hide under that table with you. All day tomorrow too.” At least then she could avoid her coffee date. Warrant thumped his tail at her words, making her smile again.
Maybe notallday tomorrow, a sly thought interjected, and she felt her face heat at the truth of it. There was no way she was going to miss her time with Dash.
She was looking forward to their training session a littletoomuch.
Five
When Norah walked into the coffee shop, the familiar smell of roasted beans and sweet things made her smile. The Java Bean wasn’t as cozy and familiar as Chico’s, but she needed a break from the latter place after Devon Leifsen ruined her last visit.
“Norah! Over here!” Laken waved from her spot at a tall table, and Norah’s smile threatened to turn into a grimace.
How did she beat me here?Norah took a surreptitious glance at her phone to see that she was, as planned, fifteen minutes early—seventeenminutes early, even. She preferred being the first to arrive so that she could pick a spot with her back to the wall and avoid the awkward few minutes as she ordered while the person she was meeting stared at her back.
By the time she made it to the table with her cup in hand, her stomach snakes had already woken up and were writhing around. Laken had taken the seat against the wall, so Norah slid into the chair opposite, already feeling squirmy from not being able to see the room without turning around. Even though her logical mind knew it was highly improbable that everyone was staring at her, the insecure part of her could feel dozens of pairs of judging eyeballs boring into her back. Resisting the urge to keep her backpack on her lap as a sort of squishy protective shield, she hung it on the back of her chair.
At least Laken hadn’t jumped up to hug her like she had the day before. Norah had been braced for that very thing and had even taken two precautionary puffs from her inhaler in case Laken’s perfume attacked her lungs again. Instead, the woman just beamed at her from her coveted spot against the wall as Norah settled in as best she could with every nerve on high alert.
“Sooooo good to see you, Nor!” Laken’s smile ramped up another few notches.
Although she eyed the woman across from her with some suspicion, Norah couldn’t help but wonder if she’d misjudged Laken. Maybe shehadchanged from her horrid teenage self. It wouldn’t be fair, Norah figured, to judge the woman on what she’d been like as a child. Keeping that firmly in mind, she gave Laken a cautious nod. “Thanks.”
“What have you been up to the past five years?” Laken gave her an expectant look over the edge of her coffee cup.
See, Norah told herself.She’s changed. The old Laken would’ve just talked about herself.Unfortunately, the question was one guaranteed to make her mind blank. It was just sobroad. A lot had happened in those five years since high school, and most of it wasn’t anything she wanted to share with Laken. She took a sip of her coffee, trying to use the delay to come up with a response, but all she managed wasn’t really an answer to that question. “I’ve been good.”
There was a pause that felt extraordinarily awkward, but Norah didn’t have any other words to use to fill it, so she just kept her eyes on her coffee cup and ignored Laken’s expectant gaze.
“Working with your sisters, that must be fun,” Laken finally prompted.
“Yes.” Norah knew it wasn’t enough, so she dug deep for more words. “It is.”
“And you’re a bounty hunter. How exciting!” This time, Laken picked up the conversational ball right away, and Norah felt a surge of appreciation.
“Yes,” she said, even though Laken hadn’t really asked a question. Honesty made her add, “I don’t really do any of the actual fieldwork though.”
“Still, you do research for your sisters, right?”
Norah studied the other woman’s animated and interested expression. Although her research duties weren’t a secret, there was no reason for a former classmate who lived in a different town to know her role in the family business. Even allowing for maturation and personal growth that could’ve happened between their teenage years and now, Laken’s behavior was odd. It was like her personality had changed completely, and Norah felt distrust push aside her appreciation for Laken’s new, personable ways. “Where’d you hear that?”
Laken’s eyes rounded. “Oh! Is it not true?” Her laugh rang a little too loudly, drawing the attention of a couple sitting a few tables over. “I should know better than to believe any Langston gossip I hear.”
Tipping her head, Norah frowned. “Who was talking about what I do for my family’s business? That’s really boring gossip.”
