AllFreeNovel
Share Us
“Is Chase here?”
“Umm…”
She looks over her shoulder and then the door opens fully. A tall skinny guy comes to stand behind her. “Can I help you?”
“You’re Chase Winburn?”
He cocks his chin. “Who are you?”
Huh. Well he can’t out-tough me. “No one you want to mess me, that’s who.”
I feel a hand on my arm, soft, but the fingertips sort of dig in. “What he means is, his name is Marco and he’s a DEA agent and he very much needs to talk to Chase…if he’s around?”
Why that little…
Lifesaver. I’m overused to the mean streets, I guess.
The kid glances between me and Annalise. Mostly at Annalise, can’t fault him for that. “Chase has classes this morning. He’s on campus somewhere.”
“Any chance you can be more specific? It’s important I speak with him.”
He shrugs. “Sorry, I don’t know his schedule, but he’s an engineering major, so you might start there.”
“Could I get his phone number from you?”
The kid skips a beat before answering. “Show me a badge and I might be able to find it.”
I expand my chest. “I’ll show you—”
The hand squeezes again. “Easy, tough guy. You’ve got his picture, right?”
I gape at Annalise.
“I’ll take that as a yes.” Another squeeze. “Come on. We’ll find him.”
She smiles a sweet goodbye and thank you, then trots down the stairs in front of me, more spring in her step than I’ve seen from her yet.
“We’ll find him?” I ask once behind the wheel. “Exactly how is that going to happen? Because the answer to your question is no.I do not have the guy’s picture.”
“You’ve heard of the internet, right? I searched him a little while ago.” She swipes open her phone and holds it up for me to look. “See?”
What I see is a headshot of Mr. Average Joe All-American. Brown hair, brown eyes. “Oh, that’s helpful.”
“Actually, I think it is—and if not, we know where to find him later, right? We can come back and do a real live stakeout.”
After a morning—heck, days—of doom and gloom. Annalise’s cheeks are pink, and…and I think she’s enjoying herself. “This isn’t a game, you know?”
“Are you kidding me? I love this. Maybe I should go into law enforcement.”
If my facial expression is as insulting as the response whiling through my brain, I’m about to get slapped.
She sighs. “I’m joking, Marco. And, for the record, I do realize what’s at stake.” Eyes of sapphire, filled with compassion, rest on me, and she lays that incredibly soft hand above my wrist. My insides go gooey, though I’m denying it, right along with the cat videos.
Across the street, a man in some sort of blue-collar uniform is kissing his wife and toddler goodbye. I can tell he would rather spend the day with his small family than go make a living. I’ve never gotten that mindset before, but in this moment, I don’t give two hoots about my job. It’s meaningless. When you’re doing them alone, most things are. How have I not noticed until now?
“Let me show you something else.”
Annalise’s words bring me back around.
