this…”
Mike didn’t even know his name or anything about him. Within the hour, he
intended to have a full report on this dude, and if he had so much as an unpaid
parking violation, Mike would find a way to prevent her from going out with
him.
“Bryan Tate? Yeah, what’s wrong with that?
She’s been out with him lots of times.”
“Yeah, she’s probably been out with her
stalker lots of times, too. How the hell do you know they’re not one in the
same?”
“Come on, I checked this guy out myself.
He’s clean.”
It wasn’t often Mike went toe-to-toe with
his father, or had reason to, but he wasn’t backing down this time. “You guys
hired me to do a job, and you need to stay the hell out of my way so I can do
it.”
Josh raised his hands, obviously trying to
wipe the smile off his face. “I’m not tryin’ to do your job, kid. I checked him
out before you were even hired.”
Mike sighed. He knew this wasn’t his dad’s
fault. If he’d had a sleepless night thinking about Tori taking another man to
bed, he had only himself to blame. He had two longs years to make things right
with her, and he’d squandered every opportunity. “Look, I’m sorry, Dad. I
didn’t mean to come down on you. This is just so damn frustratin’.”
“I thought you were gonna be able to keep
your personal feelings out of this. If you can’t… ”
There was no way Mike was handing this
investigation off to someone else. At least now he was living in Tori’s house
where he could keep her safe. None of his colleagues would be willing to make
that kind of sacrifice, not that he intended to give them the chance. “Don’t
you think I know I’m breakin’ every damn rule in the book by letting my
personal feelings affect my judgement?”
“About what?” Trey asked, coming up behind
them.
“Nothin’, forget about it,” Mike said,
wishing he’d kept his big mouth shut. Before long, everyone in their inner
circle would know that he and Tori had slept together.
“Come on, I’ve known you since you were a
kid,” Trey said, nudging him in the ribs. “You can tell me what’s got you so
worked up.”
Any other time he wouldn’t have thought
twice about confiding in Trey. He’d been like an uncle to him most of his life,
but he couldn’t talk about his relationship with Tori until he knew where they
stood.
“It’s not what… it’s who,” Josh said,
chuckling.
Mike glared at his father. “Did anyone ask
you?”
Josh laughed. “Has that ever stopped me
before?”
Trey followed Mike’s eyes to the stage.
“Ah, I shoulda known. Man, if you expect to tame that little lady, you’ve got
your work cut out for you.”
“Don’t I know it. I tell her I don’t want
her goin’ anywhere alone and she takes off while I’m in the shower. I tell her
to make sure the house is secure at all times, and she leaves the front door
wide open. I tell her to keep a low profile, and she has a date for a charity
event tonight.”
Trey laughed. “I’m willin’ to bet that’s the
one that’s got you in such a foul mood today, am I right?”
“How the hell am I supposed to investigate
this case if I’ve gotta worry about babysittin’ her all the damn time?”
“You don’t have to worry,” Josh said.
“She’s in good hands with us. You go do what you need to do.”
Mike wanted to stay and talk to her,
hopefully convince her to reconsider her plans for tonight, but he knew in his
state of mind, it would likely escalate to an argument in no time. “Fine, I’ll
head over to Luc’s office, but I want you to email me everything you have on
that Bryan guy.”
Josh saluted him. “Yes, sir.”
“Don’t mess with me. I’m serious.”
“I know you are…” Trey said, grinning. “Seriously
messed up over the pretty little blonde with the big ol’ voice.” He looked at
his old friend. “You know what they say don’t you, Josh?”
“No, what’s that?”
“The bigger they are, the harder they
fall.”
Mike didn’t even know his name or anything about him. Within the hour, he
intended to have a full report on this dude, and if he had so much as an unpaid
parking violation, Mike would find a way to prevent her from going out with
him.
“Bryan Tate? Yeah, what’s wrong with that?
She’s been out with him lots of times.”
“Yeah, she’s probably been out with her
stalker lots of times, too. How the hell do you know they’re not one in the
same?”
“Come on, I checked this guy out myself.
He’s clean.”
It wasn’t often Mike went toe-to-toe with
his father, or had reason to, but he wasn’t backing down this time. “You guys
hired me to do a job, and you need to stay the hell out of my way so I can do
it.”
Josh raised his hands, obviously trying to
wipe the smile off his face. “I’m not tryin’ to do your job, kid. I checked him
out before you were even hired.”
Mike sighed. He knew this wasn’t his dad’s
fault. If he’d had a sleepless night thinking about Tori taking another man to
bed, he had only himself to blame. He had two longs years to make things right
with her, and he’d squandered every opportunity. “Look, I’m sorry, Dad. I
didn’t mean to come down on you. This is just so damn frustratin’.”
“I thought you were gonna be able to keep
your personal feelings out of this. If you can’t… ”
There was no way Mike was handing this
investigation off to someone else. At least now he was living in Tori’s house
where he could keep her safe. None of his colleagues would be willing to make
that kind of sacrifice, not that he intended to give them the chance. “Don’t
you think I know I’m breakin’ every damn rule in the book by letting my
personal feelings affect my judgement?”
“About what?” Trey asked, coming up behind
them.
“Nothin’, forget about it,” Mike said,
wishing he’d kept his big mouth shut. Before long, everyone in their inner
circle would know that he and Tori had slept together.
“Come on, I’ve known you since you were a
kid,” Trey said, nudging him in the ribs. “You can tell me what’s got you so
worked up.”
Any other time he wouldn’t have thought
twice about confiding in Trey. He’d been like an uncle to him most of his life,
but he couldn’t talk about his relationship with Tori until he knew where they
stood.
“It’s not what… it’s who,” Josh said,
chuckling.
Mike glared at his father. “Did anyone ask
you?”
Josh laughed. “Has that ever stopped me
before?”
Trey followed Mike’s eyes to the stage.
“Ah, I shoulda known. Man, if you expect to tame that little lady, you’ve got
your work cut out for you.”
“Don’t I know it. I tell her I don’t want
her goin’ anywhere alone and she takes off while I’m in the shower. I tell her
to make sure the house is secure at all times, and she leaves the front door
wide open. I tell her to keep a low profile, and she has a date for a charity
event tonight.”
Trey laughed. “I’m willin’ to bet that’s the
one that’s got you in such a foul mood today, am I right?”
“How the hell am I supposed to investigate
this case if I’ve gotta worry about babysittin’ her all the damn time?”
“You don’t have to worry,” Josh said.
“She’s in good hands with us. You go do what you need to do.”
Mike wanted to stay and talk to her,
hopefully convince her to reconsider her plans for tonight, but he knew in his
state of mind, it would likely escalate to an argument in no time. “Fine, I’ll
head over to Luc’s office, but I want you to email me everything you have on
that Bryan guy.”
Josh saluted him. “Yes, sir.”
“Don’t mess with me. I’m serious.”
“I know you are…” Trey said, grinning. “Seriously
messed up over the pretty little blonde with the big ol’ voice.” He looked at
his old friend. “You know what they say don’t you, Josh?”
“No, what’s that?”
“The bigger they are, the harder they
fall.”
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