“Us?”
I shrug. “Regardless of if she's doing it for the right reasons or not, her cause is noble. I told her I'd help her, too. I'm asking you... whose side of this are you on?”
“Seems like an easy choice,” Nathan says after sitting still for a few minutes, watching the moon reflected in the black mirror of the pool. “On one hand, there's Peter, who's made me a rich man, a lot richer than I'd have been if I'd stayed in the Army, or if I'd gotten a job with a more legitimate employer as a real security officer. He's connected, and one of the most dangerous men along the Gulf Coast. On the other hand, I have a crazy twenty-two-year-old girl, with barely a dime to her name most likely, and my employer's son, who until just about an hour ago, I thought was more or less a spoiled little bitch.”
“Bitch, huh? I would have thought I at least rated being called a spoiled little prick, but all right,” I joke, not as offended by his words as I would have been even a week or so ago. Now, it means nothing to me. I have something more important than my ego to worry about. “It does seem like an easy choice.”
Nathan nods. “It does. So... how best can I help you guys?”
“Let me find out what Katrina wants to do, and I'll be in touch with you. Until then, I'd say just keep trying to distract Peter from finding her.”
“I can do that. Now, if you don't mind, I need some meditation and a little shut-eye. Goodnight, Jackson.”
“Goodnight. Oh, and Nathan?”
“Yes?”
“Would you mind if I joined you for tea tomorrow? I'd like to talk more about... things.”
Nathan nods and gives me half a smile. “I'd say that would be possible. But first, make sure you do your reading for your sister. I'd hate to disappoint her.”
“How'd you know about that?”
Nathan laughs. “I'm the head of security for this house. It's my job to know as much as possible. Goodnight, Jackson.”
Chapter 15
Kat
I've never been to Darcy's house since she and Jeff got married. It isn't that she never wanted me over. In fact, she's invited me multiple times. No, the reason that I've never been to this neat little two-bedroom house in the Leonidas neighborhood is that I didn't want to put Jeff in a bind. He's her husband, but also a good cop. Not that any cop can be totally clean in a town like this, and Jeff's helped out Darcy more than once, but I've never wanted to push it this far before.
So it's with no surprise that Bo, the three-year-old brown and white pit bull Darcy got as, for some reason, a baby shower gift from one of her friends, is wary of me as I stand outside the fence, waiting for Darcy to let me in.
“Hey little mama, you lookin' good enough to eat with a biscuit,” a young guy, maybe my age or maybe a little younger, says as he goes by before stopping to see if maybe he has a chance.
“Not interested,” I say. “I have a man,” I add, before letting him respond.
I’m surprised when he actually moves on, and Bo the pit bull watches the guy for a moment before turning his attention back to me. I think about the lie I just said, chuckling a little to myself. Maybe I do, or I will.
Darcy comes out just after the guy moves on, calling to Bo. “Bo... get your butt up here on the porch,” she hollers, still smiling as she walks down the short concrete walk. Bo immediately turns and runs up, wagging his tail and grinning at his mistress, begging for affection. “Okay, okay, you big puppy, you protected the house. Now, I’m going to let my friend in, and you are going to behave. This is my friend Kat that I told you about, okay?”
Bo wags his tail again like he understands and runs off to the back of the house, while Darcy watches him go. “He looks like a hundred and ten-pounds of badass, but he ain't nothing but a baby,” she tells me as she opens the gate. “You scratch him behind his left ear and he'll love you for life.”
“Hint noted,” I say, giving her a hug once I'm inside the gate. “Thanks for letting me come by.”
“I knew it would happen someday. Just wish you hadn't called when I have laundry in the living room,” Darcy half-jokes as we go inside. I see the basket, but it's mostly folded, except for some toddler's clothes. Henry is napping in a partially reclined chair, his chubby cheeks puffing out with every little exhalation.
“He's even cuter than the pictures,” I whisper softly, kneeling in front. He's a beautiful little boy, Darce.”
“Yeah, but hell in my workshop,” she says with a little smile. “That boy has an unbelievable knack for being able to crack the connections on video cards that I just got lined up.”
I chuckle and sit down in front of the laundry basket, taking out a tiny t-shirt and starting to fold it. “Then I guess I should be glad you haven't brought him by. He'd have a field day with my setup.”