Page 39 of Abra's Acquisition
“I was just about to call you…” He stutters.
“Then why were you willing to sell them to my woman?” I growl.
The pawnbroker licks his lips, and I can see his mind working as he tries to come up with an excuse Max will believe.
“Those aren’t the same items on the list,” he protests. “I’ve had those in the shop for years!”
“You don’t think I recognize the locket my parents gave me as a graduation present or the bracelet my brothers bought me when I passed the bar exam?” Rey snarls at the man. “They have my initials on them!” Rey shoves the items toward Max, who takes them and places them in an evidence bag. Rey stares at her brother in horror before reaching for the bags. “What are you doing?”
“I’m sorry, Rey, I need to keep these for a while. They’re evidence. I’ll make sure you get them back as soon as possible.”
Rey watches Max shove the bags into his pocket. The look on her face almost breaks me. I reach for her hand and pull her into my arms. Stroking her back, I whisper into her ear. “You willhave them back. I promise you. Even if I have to break into the evidence locker to get them back.”
Rey offers me a watery chuckle at my promise. “Thank you. But, don’t think I won’t take you up on that offer.” I use my thumbs to wipe the tears from her cheeks.
“You don’t have to worry. You’ll get them back,” I promise.
“You will,” Max assures her. “Now, why don’t you all clear out, so we can do our jobs? I would appreciate it if you could email me your statement. Can you do that for me?”
“Don’t you want me to look around and see if there is anything else that belongs to me?” Rey offers.
“We can handle it. I have the list of stolen items. I’m guessing we’ll find more than just your stolen goods in here. Seems like Mr. Bancroft here hasn’t been taking his civic duty very seriously.”
“Ready to go back to the clubhouse?” I ask Rey. She nods.
I lead her outside and over to my bike. As I fasten her helmet, I notice that she’s frowning as she studies the pawn shop. “What are you thinking?” I ask her.
“What? Oh, I was just thinking that we had a prime opportunity to search his records. I really want to find the original owner of those pieces. I don’t know how we’re going to get the information now.”
I smirk at her while tapping her on the nose. “It’s a good thing you have me. I had Zip sneak back there and do just that. You have the information, right?” I ask Zip.
Zip grins as he pats his kutte. “I took the originals. I considered making a copy, but thought better of it—no sense in anyone else having the information.”
“You got the information?” Rey squeals. “Let me see!”
“How about we wait and review the document Zip stole when cops don’t surround us?” I chide her.
She glances around and offers a weak chuckle. “Yeah, that would probably be a good idea. I can’t believe this! I’m so happy.” She can’t stop herself from squealing the last few words.
I grin at her enthusiasm as I help her onto the back of my bike. She wraps her body around mine and squeezes me in a tight hug. Her joy and happiness flow through me, and I’m grateful that I was able to make it happen. She’s had a rough few days. Her resilience is impressive, but not as remarkable as the fact that her joy comes from knowing she’s making progress toward someone else’s happiness. It takes a special kind of person to find joy in a stranger's happiness.
We make it to the clubhouse without any further trouble. I snag the helmet off Rey’s head before yanking her close so I can plant a kiss on her luscious mouth. She clings to me as I devour her taste and lose myself in the pleasure of her kiss. I’ve never felt this connected to a woman before, and I know that, even though it's only been a few days, I won’t be able to let her go. She’s burrowed herself into my soul, a place I always thought would remain empty. When I release her from the kiss, she pants as I, too, struggle to catch my breath.
“Wow,” she says as I smirk at the dazed expression on her lovely face.
“Definitely, wow,” I agree with her as I offer her my hand.
She slides her hand into mine so I can tug her inside the clubhouse. Zip has already gone in. I heard the disgusted sound he made while I was plundering Rey’s mouth. He and Pirate are the last of the single guys. Since he thought he found his woman in the form of Cleo’s best friend, Skylar Prince, I can’t begrudge him his discontent. Skylar came into our lives at the same time Cleo did. Only in Skylar’s case, she left almost as quickly, leaving behind a frustrated Zip. I don’t think either Cleo or Zip has heard from her since she took off to film another segment of her show, ‘A Prince Among Women.’ All Skylar told them was that she wasworking on a special project in another country and would be out of touch for several weeks. I hope Skylar returns soon for both Zip and Cleo’s cases.
“Where did Zip go? I want to see that document,” Rey says as I open the door.
“He’s inside. Probably getting a beer. Do you want anything?”
“Just some water. However, I wouldn’t say no to something to eat. I’m starving.”
“I bet Nora is making dinner,” I assure Rey. Nora is a Kutte Bunny who does all the cooking for our group. She’s studying to be a chef, and Cleo has plans to set her up with her own restaurant when she’s ready. We’ll all miss her cooking when she moves into her new position. I sniff appreciatively as I approach the table where everyone sits waiting for dinner. “We’re having Gumbo,” I tell Rey. “Are you okay with that?”
“I can’t have shellfish,” she tells me. “It isn’t good for the baby.”
