Asking for Trouble

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Authors: Anna J. Stewart
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the Cayman Islands.
    Of course that didn’t stop the
Lantano Valley Times
from reporting the break-in or running Nemesis’ latest thank-you note to the Cunninghams for making a meaningful contribution to society. Tate Cunningham was having a hell of a week after just having been accused of raiding his employees’ pension funds. Gage’s head throbbed, the result of unending hours of teeth grinding and a lack of sleep.
    Nemesis targeted the obscenely wealthy under the guise of helping the less fortunate—a Good Samaritan with a serious ego problem. Not that Gage gave a damn about Nemesis’ motivations. Doing the wrong thing for the right reason was something Gage would never understand. Or accept.
    What the hell did Nemesis have on these people that they refused to speak with anyone in law enforcement about the case? But none of that had to do with his brother’s visit.
    â€œI’ll forgive the intrusion if you plan to share those bottles.” Gage indicated the beer, then upon closer examination, cringed. “Christ, kid, root beer?”
    Jon grinned. “I’m not twenty-one for another month and a half. Wouldn’t want the cops to arrest me.”
    Gage grabbed a rag to clean his hands before giving his brother a hug and hard slap on the back. “Good to see you.”
    â€œYou, too. Mom’s been worried.”
    â€œMust be a day that ends in
Y
.” Gage snatched up a bottle, twisted off the cap, and gestured to the step stool by the workbench.
    â€œShe’s been calling you for three days.”
    â€œI am aware.” Hence the not answering. “I’ll call her today. But you didn’t walk two miles to tell me to call Mom. What’s up? Last semester before graduation, I’d think you’d be locked in the library cramming for finals. Don’t want to lose that valedictorian spot for Lantano Valley U.”
    â€œThat’s a lock.” Jon did the college student slouch as he took a seat and shoved his dark hair out of his face. “But I did want to run something by you. A kind of change in plans?”
    â€œWhose plans?”
    â€œMine and Mom’s. It’s about graduate school.”
    â€œLaw school, right? Going to add to the family fortune and follow in Rich’s footsteps?” Their brother, two years Gage’s junior at thirty-three, was moving up in a law firm in New York. The fortune was a Juliano joke. Rich was heading up the pro-bono division and was lucky to make rent.
    â€œActually, I was thinking of following in yours.” Jon gave him an “isn’t that great news” grin.
    Gage took care when swallowing as a tingle of dread wound its way up his spine. “Please tell me you’re referring to my unrequited love of architecture.”
    Jon’s grin widened, and Gage wondered if his kid brother was ever going to grow out of his baby face. Tall, a bit gangly, and with a face that had girls lining up from here to Tijuana, the entire Juliano family was waiting for him to pull his nose out of a book long enough to notice.
    â€œIf you apply to the academy, you’ll kill mom. Tell me you know that.” There wasn’t enough adrenaline in the world to kick-start Gage’s heart if his little brother was thinking about becoming a cop. Gage had learned the hard way that working for law enforcement wasn’t all it was cracked up to be. He didn’t wish his near-death experience—not to mention his subsequent trust issues—on anyone, especially Jon.
    â€œDo I look suicidal to you?”
    Gage let out a long, slow breath. Thank God. “Then what are you thinking?”
    â€œI, uh, told Mom the other night that I was considering computer forensics, cold-case investigations, primarily. Developing new programs to aid in law enforcement. And before you say anything, I’m sorry. She blames you.”
    â€œOf course she does.” Gage understood his mother’s

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