Total pages in book: 71
Estimated words: 68867 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 344(@200wpm)___ 275(@250wpm)___ 230(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 68867 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 344(@200wpm)___ 275(@250wpm)___ 230(@300wpm)
“Maybe Kage doesn’t trust us enough. I understand the hacker worked for whoever took over when Grigor Janković left Vegas for Boston a few years ago. Maybe the hacker is a bigger deal than we thought.”
“More likely it’s the opposite and not a big deal,” Sharpe chimed in. “It’s probably an easy routine transfer that he’ll give to another team. The human remains, however, that could be related to the Venezuelan gang you tangled with last night that’s been turning up here and in other cities, or it could be related to something else, like”—he glanced at Etta and Talia—“you know.”
We did. We all did. So far this person, or persons, had killed two men, both high-end escorts, and were disposing of them in pieces. The reports given to news outlets had downplayed the heinous nature of the crimes, relating words like human remains instead of body parts and skin, bone, and muscle covered in various fluids. If Kage wanted a team of his marshals there, along with CPD and the medical examiner to look over the crime scene, it meant he was prioritizing these findings.
“Interesting that he’d choose us,” Lang stated, glancing at Sharpe.
“I don’t think so,” he replied. “You and McCabe have shown yourselves, like Richards and Baylor, to be a strong partnership as well as both good marshals separately. He needs to get you guys ramped up to investigator status so he can ship you out, like he does me and White, Dorsey and Ryan, and Callahan and Redeker to other parts of the country, plus have you supervise cops and other agencies on site.”
“I hope that’s what he thinks,” I told him. “But whenever I see him, he looks at me like I’m a dumb”—I looked at Etta—“idiot.”
Sharpe chuckled. “It’s his default. But at least he doesn’t yell like Ian.”
I nodded. “I can do without the yellin’.”
“Well, speaking from experience, I can tell you that when Kage does yell, you’ll hear it wherever you are in our office. He’s not loud often, but when he is, it’s like an air siren.”
“It’s because he’s so big.”
“Funny,” Talia said with a smile. “Having met Hannah, I thought he was probably a smaller man.”
“Oh no.” Lang chuckled. “He’s got to be, like, six-four, and he’s just massive.”
“Like heavy or…”
“No,” Sharpe said, chuckling. “Like covered in muscle. He could snap me in half if he wanted.”
I nodded. “Yes.”
“That’s so interesting. Not what I pictured at all. Tell me about him.”
I didn’t want to do that, but it looked like Lang and Sharpe were ready to tell her stories. From Lang’s hand on my shoulder, he wanted me to stay there as well. So I cheated—I looked at Etta and sighed. Loudly.
“Love?” She sounded so concerned.
“I’m sorry, but I’m about to pass out. I’m so hungry,” I said as pitifully as possible.
“Oh my goodness,” she said, taking hold of my arm. “Did you have breakfast?”
“No, ma’am.” I whimpered a bit. “Your son didn’t feed me.”
Her glare at Lang made him groan.
“Are you kidding me?”
My stomach growled then which was perfection. I couldn’t have planned it any better.
“My poor baby,” she soothed me, though I didn’t need soothing, just food. “Come with me, love. We’ll fix you a big plate with some biscuits that I put away for you.”
“There are more biscuits?” Talia asked her mother.
“For Ethan, so he sees I can feed him,” she said, beaming at the man who was smiling at her. “And for Del because you all know he’s my favorite.”
“Oh, for heaven’s—”
“No,” she chastised her son. “My Lord, Lang, it’s almost one in the afternoon and you have not fed this man.”
“Mother, I am not his keep—”
“Are you not? Tell me if you’re not.” She glared at him for good measure.
I tipped my head and arched an eyebrow at him.
“I am,” he grumbled, and when she turned back to me, as I was still looking at him, I caught his mouthed threat. “I’m going to murder you.”
I scoffed.
He would have come after me, but Talia caught his arm, trying not to laugh.
“Ethan, sugar, come on,” Etta called over her shoulder.
And he moved quickly because he was not a stupid man.
NINE
We stayed at the house until five, when Duke and his family left. Lang wasn’t comfortable leaving his mother with her ex, and neither was I. No amount of her saying we were being ridiculous was going to change either of our minds. Sharpe thanked us for staying because he wanted to show Talia his condo, where it was, all the great restaurants around it, and the bookstores, cafés, and yoga studio. These were, conveniently, all things she loved.
“I’ll see you at Miro and Ian’s later,” Sharpe called over to us as he was walking Talia out of the house. “Don’t forget food and a bone for a really big dog.”