Page 4 of Hide Me Darling

I have the next couple of days off work after the way the last case ended, and I feel like my body needs it. One good thing to come from a shooting, I guess. It may have been a justified shooting, but the bureaucrats love their paperwork and red tape.

After washing my face and putting on some casual clothes, I lock up the cabin and make my way up the path to the main house. I can already see my mom through the large windows at the back of the house, sitting at the dining table and nursing a large mug of coffee as though it's her only salvation. I don't blame her; I inherited her love of the liquid gold and my dads know how to make it just the way I like.

As I open the glass doors leading into the dining area and kitchen, one of my dads steps up behind my mom and leans down to nuzzle her neck. "Hey, little darling," I hear him whisper to her.

I huff at them, but a smile still pulls at my lips. The love my parents have for each other has always been so full of devotion. Truth, Dare, and their little darling. My sister and I grew up hearing their nicknames for each other, and they ended up sticking with us.

I don't know their full story, and I cringe at the thought of knowing any details that might scar me for life. Bottom line is, they don't shy away from displaying their affection for one another. But I do know they went through a lot together and came out the other side of it inseparable, already pregnant with me and my sister.

My papa, Truth, straightens up as he notices me. "Good morning, sleepyhead," he teases, his eyes twinkling with amusement.

"Morning," I mumble, making my way to the coffee pot. They know better than to speak to me before the black drink has passed my lips. I pour myself a mug and take a long, appreciative sip, feeling the warmth spread through me. "Thanks for the wake-up call."

My mom chuckles. "We thought you might need a little extra motivation this morning," she says, her eyes warm.

I take a seat at the table, and the smell of freshly cooked bacon and eggs fills the air. "You guys didn't have to go all out," I say, but the gratitude in my voice is unmistakable.

Dare, my dad, comes over with a plate of food and sets it down in front of me. "Nonsense. You need a good breakfast after the week you've had," he says, kissing the top of my head affectionately. “Besides, we wanted to talk about the information you sent over last night.”

I raise my eyebrows in curiosity as Dad retrieves another two plates from the kitchen, placing one in front of Mom with a kiss to her cheek before sitting down. Papa huffs and rolls his eyes, moving to retrieve the last plate, the one for him, from the kitchen where Dad left it.

"Has Uncle Max found something?" I ask.

Dad points a fork at my plate, saying, "Start eating first, then we can discuss it." He has always been the overbearing one, but I know he does it out of love. I roll my eyes and start digging into the eggs and bacon on my plate.

"According to Max,” he starts once I have eaten half of my food, “the person posting on that blog is bouncing their information all over the place. Not even he could pin it down, which says a lot in itself. I don't understand half of what he said, but he was able to find the general location of where the blog was posted from."

I smile at the news. "So, is someone going in to take the person responsible out or help assist law enforcement?"

Mom sighs and sets her knife and fork aside, only for Dad to growl at her. She gives him a look that he simply narrows his eyes at before she focuses on me again. "Max was able to find the general location, but not the specific person. No reports have been filed that we can find so we assume law enforcement isn’t involved or doesn’t know.”

I nod, chewing my crispy bacon and savoring the taste. My mother exchanges a look with Papa before continuing. “Someone needs to go in to investigate discreetly and find the person responsible without raising a lot of alarm. It's a small island not too far from here, luckily, but it is very popular with tourists," she says.

Dad continues to stare her down until she growls back in frustration and picks up her fork again to return to eating. While they give each other challenging eyes, Papa looks at me with a grin, and I have to suppress my laughter.

"Who do you think would be good to send in?" Papa prompts.

I tilt my head and frown. "How come you're sending someone else instead of going in yourselves?" I ask. “This one feels important.”

Mom grimaces, and I already know what she is about to say before she says it. I’ve seen that look enough growing up. "I have to head to Chicago. There's a serial killer up there that the local guys asked for help with," she responds.

"Well then," I say, leaning back in my chair. "You’ll need to send someone who has proven themselves good enough. What about one of the new guys, Bodhi or Thorne?"

Dad exchanges a look with Mom again before turning back to me. "Well, given the delicate nature of this investigation, we need someone who can blend in with the tourists, but also someone who understands the kind of danger we're dealing with."

"And someone who can handle themselves if things get complicated," Papa chimes in.

I take another bite of my eggs, thinking it over. "It sounds like a job for someone with a mix of field experience and the ability to go undercover."

"Exactly," Dad says, his eyes fixed on me meaningfully.

I pause, fork halfway to my mouth, as the realization dawns on me. "You want me to go."

Mom reaches over and squeezes my hand. "We wouldn't ask if we didn't think you were the best person for the job.”

I sigh, setting my fork down. "Why not Seanna? She has all the same skills as me."

Papa laughs, shaking his head. "Seanna has the subtlety of a sledgehammer sometimes. We need finesse for this one according to Max. This island is small, anyone new will draw attention naturally, especially if they aren’t there for a vacation. And playing a tourist won’t have them confiding in you."

---