Page 39 of Hidden But Not Safe

She gave him a squeeze, that giggle of hers barely audible through the helmet, but it soothed something inside him.

He released her so she could climb off, then settled the motorcycle to join her, moving toward the open garage door to shut it.

A single bulb burned above them, keeping the space from being dark.

When Meg reached for the helmet, his hands stalled her. He shook his head, moving away from her.

Meg understood. She stayed where she was while Naz made his way inside.

It wasn’t that Naz didn’t want Diego to meet her. He was just a little nervous about the teasing that would come. Diego would think it was more than it was.

Only Diego didn’t seem like he was in the mindset to tease anyone. He looked like shit, hunched over the monitors and not even turning his head toward Naz.

Naz frowned as he drew closer. Diego’s eyes were bloodshot, his fingers buried in his messy hair. The room was dim, only the light from the rows of monitors flickering across his tattooed shoulders.

Naz had never seen Diego with a dullness coating him before. Even when he’d found him, Diego had been terrifying, the way he’d killed in a frenzy, but he’d been full of energy.

Naz didn’t like it. He shifted behind him, studying the monitors. Nothing much had changed since the last time he’d watched them. The kids were still there, the woman with them ignoring them to scroll through her phone.

The other woman sat on a couch, a book in her lap.

Everything seemed calm and normal enough. Well, it was a house bigger than Naz had ever seen, but they were probably used to it.

Nothing on the screen explained the tension in his friend’s body.

Naz closed his eyes, concentrating on the shape of the words.

“What…wrong?”

Diego slowly turned to face him. He stared at Naz, as if startled that he’d talked, but also like he hadn’t even known Naz was there.

Diego shook his head, reaching for a packet of papers. “Here. Bring these to Ramiro.”

Naz ignored the papers, folded his arms, and waited.

Diego’s lips tilted up. “I guess I have a thing for stubborn people. Nothing’s wrong.” He ran a hand over his hair, flattening a bit of the mess. “I’m just distracted.” He glanced at the monitors. “I’m about done here.” The words came out in a monotone. He sounded almost numb, but that wasn’t how he looked.

Naz didn’t know what words he could even try to force out. Asking what was wrong again wouldn’t make the answer any clearer. He unfolded his arms, taking the papers. Diego was as careful as always not to touch him.

His friend turned back to the monitors. “I’ll check in next week.”

Naz knew a dismissal when he heard it and made his way back to Meg.

“That was quick. We came all this way just for that?” Her smile was hard to see through the helmet, but it settled Naz as he tucked what he’d been given into his tank bag for safekeeping.

He considered bringing Meg inside. She could cheer anyone up.

Unless they didn’t want to be cheered up. Diego looked committed to his mood. Naz decided it’d be best to leave him alone.

That didn’t mean he wasn’t telling Ramiro. Of course, knowing Ramiro, he already knew.

Rodriguez Security looked like the front it was. Ramiro had set it up in an unassuming, one-story building, with a handicap ramp and everything. Naz parked his motorcycle in the handicap spot nobody ever used, gesturing for Meg to take off her helmet and come inside with him.

Ramiro found jobs that made Naz show up about once a month at the business. It was another way for the man to check on him. Ramiro was someone who needed to see things with his own eyes sometimes, even if there wouldn’t be a lot of conversation.

“Welcome.” The secretary of the security business had been around longer than Naz. Her smile and bright voice made him uncomfortable. Nobody could be happy every time you saw them, but Summer pretended well.

The secretary looked like a Summer. She had long, blonde hair, bright blue eyes that crinkled when she smiled, and she wore flowery dresses, or she had for as long as Naz had known her.

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