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TWELVE
Decima
As I walkedwith the men back to the car, my mind spun through the possibilities. I couldn’t tell whether I’d gained any real trust by abandoning my stash of stolen jewelry. Julius was stonewalling any attempt I made to find out more about their potential suspects, which to be fair was probably what his job required. I’d hoped he’d be more flexible on that policy like he had with certain others, but it’d hardly been a guarantee.
For now, I also had a little more freedom than when I was shut up in their basement apartment, which was where I had to assume we’d head right back to if I didn’t come up with another idea quick.
What would I want to do with this freedom? Where would I want to go?
My thoughts drifted to the few contacts Noelle had introduced me to during various assignments—people she’d told me I could turn to for supplies or a little assistance, though she’d warned me never to reveal too much to them. The main ones weren’t located anywhere near this suburb, and I couldn’t see any easy excuses that might let me get to them without drawing too much attention from the cops around me. But there was one about a half hour’s walk from here.
If I couldn’t drag any information out of the guys, I might as well turn to my own sources. I might have gone to this one in the first place if it hadn’t been the middle of the night. I only knew where to find him when he was at work.
It was mid-afternoon now. I could make this work. I’d better make it work, or what the fuck had all my training been for?
I rubbed my mouth as if I was thinking hard and then spoke up. “I don’t know if what I saw around the house was helpful, but if it was at all, we could try retracing the route I took to get to the house the other night. Maybe something else will jump out at me that could be connected.”
Garrison’s head whipped toward me. “Awfully confident already, aren’t you? We didn’t sign up for a walking tour. What are you going to want next—your own badge?”
I narrowed my eyes at him. It was obvious that out of the four men, this one was going to be the least likely to ever warm up to me.
“A little less snark from you would be great,” I replied.
Garrison let out a huff. “It comes with the package, sweetheart.”
Julius had tipped his head to the side, considering. “We’re already out here,” he said. “I don’t see how it could hurt. We wouldn’t want to leave any stone unturned, would we, Garrison?” He shot the younger guy a pointed look over the top of his sunglasses.
Garrison grumbled under his breath, but Blaze piped up from behind me too. “It might also be good to know where Dess was coming from, in case the murderers figure out she was involved and try to track her down.”
There was something odd about his tone even though he was technically supporting me, but I couldn’t put my finger on it. And it didn’t really matter, because Talon nodded, and Garrison shut up with a resigned sigh.
“You’re at the wheel,” Julius said to me.
“Okay, take the next right.”
We wandered along the sidewalks, turning here and there, with me making a show of stopping to “remember” which way I’d come or to examine an occasional signpost or front yard. After several blocks, Julius deemed it safe enough for me to step right into the lead, relying only on my cap and my sunglasses to hide me. I hadn’t spotted any more illicit cameras since we’d left the mansion behind, so I wasn’t particularly worried.
If we ran into the murderers, I’d be happy to show them just how sorry they should be.
When the stretch of small shops I’d been watching for came into sight up ahead, I slowed down. I stopped a few doors down from my intended destination and looked around with my hands on my hips, blowing out a frustrated breath.
“No luck, huh?” Garrison just had to say.
“I’m sorry,” I said, biting back the sharper words I’d have liked to aim at him. “I really thought there might be a chance… but then maybe the pricks responsible never came anywhere near here.”
“This is where you live?” Blaze asked, coming up beside me. His thumb kept flicking over the screen of his phone even while he was gazing at the buildings around us.
“Not quite. I figured if I haven’t seen anything yet, we’re out of luck. I don’t want to get too close in case my boyfriend—if he saw me—” I hugged myself, hating playing a wimp but knowing it’d work in my favor.
“We’d make short work of that prick,” Talon muttered in an unexpected show of protectiveness.
“I’d still rather not have to deal with him.” I winced and looked around, pretending to notice the bakery for the first time. “I could try to make it up to you for wasting your time. Moe’s has the best cookies. I don’t know about you, but I could really use a pick-me-up right now.”
The guys exchanged a glance. “We don’t need anything,” Julius said, “but you can grab something for yourself. You’re not going alone, of course, so if you were thinking about making a run for it—we’re sticking with you until we know exactly what and who we’re dealing with.”
I rolled my eyes as if it didn’t matter to me. “You made that clear already. Fine, come in and enjoy the heavenly sweetness. No skin off my back. You can protect me from any murderous psychos who might be lurking between the donut racks.”
Blaze snorted and ignored Garrison’s glare.
