The plane touched ground, waking me from my endless daydreams of Jade. I knew I had to snap out of it before my briefing with Rhett. He didn’t care what we did on our days off, but when we were on his time, we had to be focused. In this line of work, there was no room for error—especially the ones caused by lack of attention and concentration.
I was escorted to the hub, which was nothing more than an inconspicuous building or house for all team members to meet at while in the field. It changed depending on location, unlike the steel box and subsequent safe house. The hubs were basically hideouts, like any stakeout scene from a typical detective movie—except they were nothing like Hollywood tried to make them out to be. No one sat in front of a window with binoculars, and we weren’t left in the dark. It was far enough away from a target to go unnoticed, and pretty much made to look like a frat house full of bodybuilders.
Rhett met me at the back door and led me inside. At the end of a hallway, we entered what would’ve been a bedroom had it actually held any furniture. Now, it was crammed with desks that were lined with computers, wires plugged into monitors that were connected to surveillance cameras. Boxes of files and reports filled the closet, and the overflow was stacked in the bathroom. Only the toilet was accessible, as well as a bottle of hand sanitizer on the back and a roll of Charmin on the wall dispenser next to it.
And for the next two hours, he ran through every piece of information we had on my new target. There were files upon files filled with everything I needed to know about him, everything I needed to trail him. However, I barely heard a word of it.
“You should also know he’s into some sick shit.”
“Oh, yeah?” I flipped through a few more sheets of paper, keeping my head down without ever looking at him.
“Yeah. He likes it when big, beefy men shove their feet up his ass. He takes fistin’ to a whole new level.” There was not a trace of humor in his tone, and when I finally registered what he’d said, I glanced up, finding none on his face, either. “What’s wrong, son? Not get enough sleep last night?”
I shook it off and tried to play dumb. “I don’t know what you’re talking about.”
“I just told ya this guy likes feet in his asshole. And ya just sat there like there’s nothin’ wrong with it. Either you’re distracted, or you think it’s normal because you’re into the same shit. For my own peace of mind, I’m gonna go with you bein’ distracted. So…what is it?”
“It’s nothing. Really. I’m listening.”
“Are ya? Are ya really, Cash? If you’re listening, what pharmacy does he go to on Tuesdays?” He knew he had me, his raised brows proved that much.
“Walgreens.” It was the safest choice. Hell, I didn’t even know where I was. I’d been so absentminded on the entire plane ride and during the escort to the hub, I wasn’t even sure what time zone we were in.
“No, you asshat. He doesn’t go to a pharmacy. Ever. On Tuesdays, he never leaves his house.” Rhett groaned and pinched the bridge of his nose. “I’ve known you longer than most of the others here. I’ve never seen you so far in left field before. Even after you caught whats-her-face with a cock shoved down ’er throat, you came to work with a full deck o’ cards.”
I was going to correct him about what I’d caught Colleen doing, but I figured that was neither here nor there. Rhett was right. But I had no idea what to do about it. “I’m just tired. Didn’t get much sleep this weekend.”
“Ain’t my problem, son.”
I’d never understand why he bothered to ask us what was wrong if nothing was ever his problem. Though, I didn’t exactly have a right to argue with him.
“I’ll tell ya what…” He leaned forward with his elbows on his thighs and clasped his hands in front of him. “How’s about a week at the desk?”
“Seriously?” My anger peaked. “You’re going to punish me for being tired?”
“Nah. Don’t think of this as a punishment, Cash. Think of it as a vacation. If I were gonna punish you for anything, it’d be lyin’ to me. We both know you ain’t tired. There’s somethin’ else goin’ on inside that pretty little head of yours. Now, you don’t gotta tell me if you don’t want to…I just wanna know if it falls under the category of mental health.”
“No.” I shook my head. “I swear.”
He tossed a file on the table and leaned back, locking his fingers behind his head. “Ah, hell. Just go ahead and tell me what it is. I gotta wait for someone else to get here to fill in for you, so I might as well do a little Dr. Phil on your ass.”
I couldn’t hold in the unsuspecting laughter. “You do resemble him.”
“The fuck you just say, boy?” He dropped his arms and narrowed his gaze—it would’ve been alarming had I not already known it was a joke. “I’d beat his ass. Compared to me, he looks like he got eaten by a wolf and shit over a cliff.”
Unable to stifle my laugh, I said, “I don’t even know what that means.”
“It means he’s ugly.” His incredulous stare only made me laugh harder. “Stop gettin’ off track. What the hell happened to you?”
I didn’t want to tell him, knowing I’d only make myself look like a little bitch crying over a girl. But Rhett had a way of pulling things out of me. And by the end—after telling him the entire conversation I’d had with Jade on Friday night—he appeared engrossed in it.
“So you don’t know who this guy is?” He scratched his chin, as if this were life’s biggest mystery.
“No, sir. She won’t tell me, and as far as I know, she’s never told anyone.”
“Hmmm…interesting.” And that was all he said before he jumped out of his seat. In the doorway, he turned to face me and said, “I’ll call ahead so the pilot knows to take you to the box. This ain’t a punishment, Nicholson. I know how your brain works. Just use this week to sort through your shit and come back next week ready to hunt.”
Sitting at the desk should’ve bothered me, but considering how I felt when I’d woken up this morning, I didn’t have much to complain about. So I nodded and watched him leave, resigned to my fate for the next five days.
15
Jade
“Anyway…the cell reception sucks here, so if you don’t hear from me much, that’s why. But I’ll call you at night from my room.” Cash’s smooth voice lingered through the line and plastered a smile on my face.
A wave washed over my feet, and when it drew back into the ocean, I watched the tiny bubbles pop up beneath the sand around my toes. “That’s okay. I’m hoping to wear Aria out today at the beach so she’ll go to bed on time tonight. She’s been in one of her moods.” Like every Monday.
“I still think you’re making this shit up. She never acts like that when I’m home.”