Page 7 of One Step Sideways

“He’s the honeymoon guy?”

“Talon, yes. Vance is incredibly strong, as inHe-Manstrong.”

I shrugged. “I try to keep fit, but I’m human-fit.” Okay, so strength wise I was probably a little more, but I was so used to downplaying or flat-out denying I had any abilities it was instinct to claim less. I looked up as Danny and the dog came in.

“Morning.” He mumbled and didn’t look at me.

Rawlings smirked. “Danny-boy isn’t a morning person.”

I didn’t reply. I knew Danny didn’t like me. I just wasn’t sure why that stung. I was an ex-con. Most people didn’t have time for me. I eyed the dog carefully, but it didn’t seem to be taking much notice of me. Not that I’d ever been a threat to him or Danny. Did he think I was going to attack Sadie or something?

And right then, something I had done my damndest to forget crawled into my head. It had been a puppy. Over the years Dad had gotten loads of dogs, but this one had refused to turn mean no matter what he did to it. In my head I called her Blackie—so original—but I knew she would be dead if I didn’t get her out of there.

And I’d got one of the worst beatings of my life that day for losing her. I hadn’t. I’d walked her way across town to a no-kill shelter. Over the years—in my head—I’d fancied she had gotten another boy to love her. I hoped.

“Any questions over the contract? I can give you time to absorb it, but you see the doc at eleven.”

“The doc?” My head shot up.

“All my team members have six-month physicals as part of their insurance protocols. You need one immediately as part of the contract.”

“Which I haven’t signed yet,” I gritted out.

“Then even better for you. All I get is a ‘yes, he’s fit for work.’ I get nothing confidential, and you get a free check-up.”

Assuming I trusted whoever they sent.

“Got you these to wear,” Rawlings said and threw a couple of packages over. “I know you came out with what you went in with.” He nodded to the ratty sweats. They weren’t mine. The skinny shorts I had on when they arrested me wouldn’t have fitted one of my arms now. Some charity provided these.

Rawlings’ phone buzzed, and he reached over to where it was next to his coffee cup, frowned, and answered it. “Gray?”

I couldn’t hear what was said, but Rawlings didn’t look happy. “When?” He looked over at Danny and made a circular motion with his finger. Danny reached over and grabbed his laptop. “Send the info to Danny now. He’s on it. Cops?” Rawlings winced. “Okay. You make sure you catch that flight or Seb won’t be speaking to either of us.”

“What is it?” Danny asked.

“Gray just got a call. Missing kid, ten. Mom used to serve with Gray and has full custody. She’s convinced the kid has been taken by her ex. He was inside but escaped on his way to the ER yesterday, after suspected internal bleeding from a known ulcer, and no one thought to tell her. Cops are there but they’re trying to say the kid ran away because there are things missing, and it’s likely zero to do with the ex.”

“Patrick Saunders. FCI Butner, North Carolina, medium security two. Child pornography. Spent a year in max security, then was downgraded. Crap,” Danny whispered.

“What?” Rawlings prompted him.

“He owned a huge online child pornography site. There were rumors of auctions but they couldn’t prove the charge, which was why he was in in medium security. Katy was serving when he was arrested and came straight home. Multiple instances of the daughter, Rain, over the last three years after the father went down getting into trouble at school, shoplifting, etcetera.”

Rawlings glanced at me. “Okay, get dressed. We leave in five.”

“Me?” I almost gaped at Rawlings, and he shrugged.

“Best way to find out what we do.” It took me about five seconds after Rawlings had disappeared for me to agree with him, and I bolted for my room.

Less than ten minutes later, I was sipping the coffee Danny had handed both of us in to-go cups as we left and was feeling…what? Excited? Alive? I’d even risked the coffee after watching Rawlings nearly inhale his. I was also wearing a pair of black cargo pants that were a little loose, a black tee, and a similar jacket.

Not that I was excited about some kid going missing and I guess I hoped she was hiding out at her bestie’s and not in the clutches of some pedo, father or not. Not that being with her father would protect the kid. I should know. “Tell me what it is you expect me to do?”

Rawlings sighed and passed me his phone. “Call Danny and tell him I need you to sign some privacy shit, and you need a phone.”

I did and Danny must have known what Rawlings meant because a few seconds later a document appeared I could electronically sign. Another first I wasn’t about to admit to. “Okay,” I said, putting the phone on the holder attached to the dashboard.

“Right, you listen and you learn. You have anything useful to say, tell me after. If there’s a burning question you think I need to ask Katy, ask if Rain has a pet. I’ll make sure we get five minutes.”

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