didn’t...didn’t say you were a cop. You said you owned a security firm. I was thinking more like home alarm systems."
"We have people who can do that. Mostly we do private investigation, personal protection. Security background checks. Things like that."
He didn’t miss the tremor that ran through her. "I need to go in. I’ve got to check on Lily." She started to turn away, but Ian caught her shoulders.
"Let me help you, Meri."
She pulled away from him. "The house is almost finished. In a day or two I’ll be leaving. Let it go, Ian. Please." Turning, she walked off into the shadows, heading back to the house.
Ian watched her go. His insides were twisting, churning with the knowledge that he had been right and Meri was in trouble.
He had to do something. He’d waited long enough. He had to find a way to help her.
Whether she wanted him to or not.
Joey moved off into the shadows, a smug smile on his face. He’d found her late that afternoon. Stupid woman had parked her car right in front of the house. Once he’d figured out Exit 287 off Interstate 90 was Argonne Road, he’d had a place to start.
First he’d gone south, but that had turned into shops and business and led nowhere. He’d worried maybe she’d just been filling up her gas tank or getting something to eat when he’d phoned, but he’d come too far to give up. He’d taken his time, driven till Kowalski started complaining, and he figured he’d gone far enough.
Then he turned around and headed north, driving back across the freeway to see what was up at that end of the road. The open country made it easy. A few miles north of I-90, in front of an older two-story white house, he had spotted her old brown Chevy.
He’d found a place to park down the road out of sight and just as dusk was falling, he and Ski had walked back to the house to check things out.
He’d seen her and the kid inside, seen the old man with the silver hair. He’d watched the two of them hanging stuff on the walls and setting things back on tables. It was clear the house had recently been painted. Everything was newly cleaned and repaired.
Joey wondered who the people were and how Meri knew them. He didn’t think she had any relatives, but maybe he was wrong. When Meri went in to cook supper, he and Ski had left for a while, driven back down the road to get burgers and fries. He’d needed a little boost, so he’d taken care of that with some of the tweek he had left, felt better now that he had.
They’d gone back to the house after dark.
He’d waited a while, watching them through the windows, then his blood got to pumping when he’d seen Meri walk out of the house and head into the darkness behind the barn. He and Ski had followed. He’d been about to approach her, give her a little of the treatment he’d given her friend in Portland, when he’d seen the man approach.
Joey hadn’t noticed the guy before, but he got a real good look at him tonight. Over six feet tall and buff. A muscle jock if he’d ever seen one. And the look on Meri’s face when she had seen him naked.
Joey leaned over and spit into the dirt. Made him want to barf.
"I think your old lady has the hots for that dude." Kowalski stood next to him in the darkness, watching first Meri, then the muscle jock, walk back to the house and disappear inside. "I’m surprised they didn’t get it on right there."
"Shut up."
"What are we gonna do, Joey? I ain’t got any more money and you don’t either. I bet you don’t even have anymore rock to sell."
"I told you to shut up."
Kowalski fell silent. He was dumb as a stick, but he could be useful. As they reached the car, moonlight shined on the big Pollock’s bald head, glinted on the earrings in his ears. Kowalski looked like a real badass, and he was even tougher than he looked.
At least he could be when he got riled. Joey was smart enough
"We have people who can do that. Mostly we do private investigation, personal protection. Security background checks. Things like that."
He didn’t miss the tremor that ran through her. "I need to go in. I’ve got to check on Lily." She started to turn away, but Ian caught her shoulders.
"Let me help you, Meri."
She pulled away from him. "The house is almost finished. In a day or two I’ll be leaving. Let it go, Ian. Please." Turning, she walked off into the shadows, heading back to the house.
Ian watched her go. His insides were twisting, churning with the knowledge that he had been right and Meri was in trouble.
He had to do something. He’d waited long enough. He had to find a way to help her.
Whether she wanted him to or not.
Joey moved off into the shadows, a smug smile on his face. He’d found her late that afternoon. Stupid woman had parked her car right in front of the house. Once he’d figured out Exit 287 off Interstate 90 was Argonne Road, he’d had a place to start.
First he’d gone south, but that had turned into shops and business and led nowhere. He’d worried maybe she’d just been filling up her gas tank or getting something to eat when he’d phoned, but he’d come too far to give up. He’d taken his time, driven till Kowalski started complaining, and he figured he’d gone far enough.
Then he turned around and headed north, driving back across the freeway to see what was up at that end of the road. The open country made it easy. A few miles north of I-90, in front of an older two-story white house, he had spotted her old brown Chevy.
He’d found a place to park down the road out of sight and just as dusk was falling, he and Ski had walked back to the house to check things out.
He’d seen her and the kid inside, seen the old man with the silver hair. He’d watched the two of them hanging stuff on the walls and setting things back on tables. It was clear the house had recently been painted. Everything was newly cleaned and repaired.
Joey wondered who the people were and how Meri knew them. He didn’t think she had any relatives, but maybe he was wrong. When Meri went in to cook supper, he and Ski had left for a while, driven back down the road to get burgers and fries. He’d needed a little boost, so he’d taken care of that with some of the tweek he had left, felt better now that he had.
They’d gone back to the house after dark.
He’d waited a while, watching them through the windows, then his blood got to pumping when he’d seen Meri walk out of the house and head into the darkness behind the barn. He and Ski had followed. He’d been about to approach her, give her a little of the treatment he’d given her friend in Portland, when he’d seen the man approach.
Joey hadn’t noticed the guy before, but he got a real good look at him tonight. Over six feet tall and buff. A muscle jock if he’d ever seen one. And the look on Meri’s face when she had seen him naked.
Joey leaned over and spit into the dirt. Made him want to barf.
"I think your old lady has the hots for that dude." Kowalski stood next to him in the darkness, watching first Meri, then the muscle jock, walk back to the house and disappear inside. "I’m surprised they didn’t get it on right there."
"Shut up."
"What are we gonna do, Joey? I ain’t got any more money and you don’t either. I bet you don’t even have anymore rock to sell."
"I told you to shut up."
Kowalski fell silent. He was dumb as a stick, but he could be useful. As they reached the car, moonlight shined on the big Pollock’s bald head, glinted on the earrings in his ears. Kowalski looked like a real badass, and he was even tougher than he looked.
At least he could be when he got riled. Joey was smart enough
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