Breanna turned toward him. “I think the problem is that they’re being ripped off by getting half or less for the amount of their EBT card. Also, the money is used for drugs, and most probably is being taken from their children’s mouths. It’s not a victimless crime by any means.”
“I think it is, and I’m not gonna be part of this fucked-up investigation. Don’t the feds have bigger crimes to solve?” Joel ran his hand through his mop of hair.
“I’m with Breanna on this one. I feel sorry for the children whose parents are selling their cards on the black market for drugs. Also, the retailers who are crooking the clients are giving them a double whammy by making them pay four times the prices for pop, meat, and other things in their stores,” Janet said. Breanna and Joel stared at her. She blushed. “What? Okay, I was eavesdropping. I couldn’t help it. We don’t really have walls.”
Breanna laughed, but Joel continued to scowl. “No one’s forcing anyone to go to the high-priced markets.”
“Yeah, maybe not in bigger cities like Durango or Pueblo, but in Alina and the neighboring towns, there aren’t a lot of choices. Roy’s Market is the closest one near the rez and it’s damned overpriced. Just saying.” Janet crossed her arms.
“I agree with Janet. Sorry to break up the discussion, but I really have a lot of work to finish. I don’t want to be here until seven or eight tonight.” Breanna turned back to her monitor.
“Whatever,” Joel grumbled as he sulked away.
“What the hell is his problem?” Janet whispered when he’d turned into his cubicle.
“Beats me. I think he wishes he was the big rugged agent instead of the social worker.” Breanna smiled and Janet chortled. “Gotta get to work.” Janet nodded and scampered away.
At five thirty, Breanna rubbed her aching eyes and turned off her monitor, then raised her arms high above her head and stretched. She was tired and stiff, and she couldn’t wait to soak in a nice hot bath when she got home. Janet and Joel had already gone home, and when she went into the parking lot, her car was the only one there. Apparently the agents had also left.
On the way home she tried calling Nicholas for the fifth time. As before, there was no answer. She punched in her sister’s number and asked if she’d heard from Nicholas. Shelby told her that she hadn’t seen the fucker and didn’t care if “he rots in hell.” Breanna decided she’d pass on calling Jeremy to see if he’d heard from Nicholas. Since he’d been released from jail, he’d been laying real low, and he and Nicholas hadn’t gotten along since puberty anyway.
She pulled into her garage and slipped into the kitchen, checking her answering machine just in case Nicholas had called her landline. Ever since he’d started using drugs, she set up a landline in case her cell phone didn’t work and he—or worse yet, the police—ever had to get a hold of her. She went to her bathroom, turned on the bath faucets, and stripped out of her clothes. She couldn’t wait to shut out the world.
An hour later she shuffled into the kitchen, her pastel yellow bathrobe snug around her. She opened the refrigerator and pulled out a berry-flavored wine cooler. She grabbed a can of mixed nuts from the cupboard, went into the living room, plopped on her couch, and switched on the TV. As she finished her wine cooler, someone knocked on the door. Wrapping her robe around her tightly, she walked over and looked through the peephole. Shock jolted through her when Steel filled her field of vision. She swallowed hard, then opened the door a crack.
“What do you want?” she asked.
“I need to talk to you about Chenoa.” His voice was gruff and his eyes bored into her.
“Did something happen?” She opened the door a little wider.
“Nah. She’s good. I just wanna talk to you about her situation when she gets out.”
Her heart raced and her mouth was as dry as the desert. “I’m exhausted right now. I don’t get paid for overtime. Come to my office tomorrow and we can talk. I’ll be there all day.”
His green eyes flashed. “Open the damn door or I’ll kick it in. I went by your fucking office today and you weren’t there.”
“Maybe next time you can do something unusual, like make an appointment. I told you I’ll be there tomorrow, so come by then.” She started to close the door when his deep voice stopped her cold.
“You’ve got one last chance to open the fucking door or I’m coming inmyway.”
She gasped. “You wouldn’t dare.”
He grabbed the screen door in his large hands. She heard it groan as he pulled it from its hinges before he busted through her front door, pushing her backward. She fell on the ground, her robe opening and revealing her nakedness. His eyes slowly traveled up her body. Crimson stained her cheeks when his gaze landed on her chest. His stare was hotter than the embers of a glowing fire.
Regaining her composure, she tugged at her robe and covered herself, then struggled to get on her feet. He extended his hand and she smacked it away as she pulled herself up, brushing her tousled hair from her face. “I hope you’re proud of your Neanderthal actions. What the fuck is the matter with you?” She tightened the tie around her robe. “You’re going to pay for a new screen door, a front door, and to fix the door frame.” He laughed, which just pissed her off more. “You actually think this is funny? You asshole!”
“You’re real cute when you’re pissed. Fuck, you got a fire in you. I’d love to see how it spills out in other ways.” He pulled her to him. She struggled and squirmed, trying to get out of his arms. She had to; being that close to him was making her body heat up, and she couldn’t havethathappen. “Settle down, will you?”
She gathered all her strength, placed her hands on his chest, and shoved him away. “I don’t want to settle down. I want you out of here. Now.” She placed her hand on her hip.
“Just wanna let you know that you’re beginning to cross a line with me. I don’t take orders from anyone.”
“Not even when you’re trespassing?”
“Especially when I’m doing illegal shit.” He smiled and cocked his head. “Sorry ’bout your door. It was a shitty one. Not safe at all. I’ll make sure I reinforce it before I leave.”
The way he looked at her, with his head to the side and a boyish grin on his face, melted her panties.Tread carefully, Breanna. Don’t do anything stupid.She rolled her eyes and waved her arm toward the couch. “Have a seat. Do you want a beer?”
