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“Aw, how cute, Fighter,” Jordy quips, tapping Callum’s shoulder condescendingly. “But you can put your dukes away and shut off that alarm.” He shoos Callum away with the flick of his wrist.
“Jordy, be nice,” River chastises him, narrowing her eyes with familiarity. My spine stiffens at their camaraderie. What does she have with him? Have they known each other for long?
“Me? Not nice? I’m always a joy.” I snort at his words, earning a stare. “Anywho, got some updates, Dollface. But first,” he grins, holding up a pink tablet.
“My tablet!” Lyric shrieks, abandoning me for the piece of technology and snatching it out of Jordy’s hands. “Thank you, Uncle J.” She grins up at him as he pats her head.
“No problem, kiddo. Now, do Uncle J a solid and go rest in your bed and watch some TV. I even have your favorite all geared up and ready for you. I need to have a big discussion with your parents—all of them.” His eyes roam around the room when he says those words.
“Okay,” Lyric says without a fight, skipping off into one of the back bedrooms and disappearing from view.
“All right, kiddies. Time for a discussion. And uh, pants are mandatory,” he says, gesturing to Rad, who still only has his boxers on.
“Pants lovers,” he grumbles, disappearing into the hall and returning with sweatpants as we approach the kitchen island.
“What’s going on?” River asks with a pinched expression. “You’ve got that serious constipated look about you.” I don’t see it, but she obviously knows him better than I do.
Fuck.
I wonder if they’ve ever slept together or…
“Right. It is serious,” Jordy sighs, bringing out another tablet. “The lab worked all night unscrambling the mess your little stalker made with the cameras. We were able to scrub some manipulation away and get a visual of the asshole who painted your porch in real blood,” he says, cringing when he clicks a few times and stares at the screen. “Cow’s blood, before you all ask.”
“Do you know who it was?” Asher asks, leaning against the cabinet near the stove as the pancakes he promised to cook are on the griddle.
Jordy’s eyes drift to Asher with a grim expression pulling at his features. “We got a look, but it’s not perfect…”
“Can I see?” River asks as Jordy turns the screen toward her. “No... I… How?” she stutters through her words. A despondent look takes over her face, glazing over her eyes. Like she’s losing herself in the abyss of no return.
“Pretty Girl. It’s okay. We got you both. Okay?” Rad mumbles, wrapping an arm around her shoulders. Her nose scrunches when he forces her head to lean against his, but she doesn’t push him away.
It’s progress.
“Sorry, Dollface. I know it’s fucked up to think that someone was lurking around outside your house. Here, I have the footage,” he says grimly. “It’s not perfect. There’s still some static over the picture, and it jumps with lines. But It’s the best we could do.”
“Okay,” River says, clearing her throat.
Jordy sets the tablet out on a stand and presses play. Collectively we hold our breath as someone walks onto the distorted video, huddling near the front door with supplies in his hands. He keeps his ball cap pulled low over his eyes, hiding his face from the cameras.
As he maneuvers around the porch, he carefully lays out the scandalous photos. Vomit rests in my throat as my eyes flick to a paling River, frozen as she watches. If I could scoop her up and protect her from everything, I would. But this seems to be the one thing I can’t handle here. Except by being here in this house and ensuring no one but this asshole agent enters.
“Wait.” Callum reaches for the tablet with urgency, holding it close to his face. “I know this guy,” he says, pointing to the larger-statured man, positioning photos on the porch and throwing blood from a bucket everywhere.
He snarls, looking around River’s property in the dead of night. Only illuminated by the night vision, highlighting his pockmarked face.
“Seriously, Genius?” Jordy quips in awe with wide eyes.
Callum glares in his direction but nods. “I remember his face. He’s the one who knocked River down at the fights,” he says, elbowing Rad, who stares at the screen, blinking rapidly. “He came every weekend with a group, always in the shadows. Ruthless told me once his name was Adrian Spencer.” His brows furrow.
“Holy hell. That’s the giant who looked like he would eat us for dinner. And not in a sexy way, either,” Rad says.
“I remember that,” River grumbles. “Knocked me right on my ass, and then I lost my phone that night. You almost got into a fight with him.”
“Wait,” Jordy says, holding up a finger. “You lost a phone? Liv never tells me anything.”
“Yeah. I don’t know where it went, but it disappeared after he knocked me over.”
“It’s possible he stole it. In my book, there’s no such thing as coincidences. I’ll relay this back to Liv and see what she says,” Jordy says, clicking on the screen a few times and then turning it around. “Adrian Spencer. He’s been nothing but trouble in the East Point underground for a few years.” He shakes his head, scrolling through the contents. “Burglary, arson…looks like anything his boss tells him to do, he does.”
