Page 76 of Mine to Keep

I grabbed Nick’s arm. “You need to be careful.”

“I will be. Now, go with JJ. You don’t need to watch this.”

I followed JJ out, mentally cataloging all the things I’d need to get rid of that the creep had touched.

In the kitchen, JJ made coffee. I sat at the table, playing with the necklace Nick had given me. I’d remembered to put it on today, something I forgot often and he loved reminding me to stop doing. JJ came over to me while the pot percolated.

“We’ll find them, Matt. Believe me, these brothers, Mason, Four, and me, we’ve seen some of the darkest parts of humanity. There were times we never thought we’d get out alive. A lot of us are messed up because of what fate dealt us. In the end, we are the ones who walked away.”

“I’m not like any of you. Before all of this, the scariest thing that ever happened to me was blowing a tire on the highway. And for the record, I didn’t handle that well.”

JJ chuckled. “None of us knows what we’re capable of until we find ourselves face-to-face with the impossible.”

I stared at the tabletop, my finger following a ring in the wood. “This person, monster, they’re inside my place right now. If I were there, what would have happened to me?”

He reached across the table and squeezed my hand. “You’re not there, you’re here. Don’t even think about that. We’re not going to let anything happen to you.”

The coffee finished, and JJ got up and began taking mugs down for everyone. When he brought mine to me, exactly how I liked it, I thanked him.

“I’ll be right back.”

I nodded and sipped my coffee, my mind wandering in a million directions. Mason came in and helped JJ bring the mugs to the others. Then the two of them sat with me, trying so hard to distract me.

About half an hour later, Gabe strode in, rinsed out his mug, and kissed Mason. “I’m heading to Greg’s.”

“Okay, babe. Were they able to track them?”

Gabe shrugged. “Not sure. I don’t understand that tech stuff. Noel and Nick are in the zone, and Four is expressing his professional opinion about everything.”

JJ snorted. “He’s invaluable.”

“Yeah, okay, I’m out.”

“Be safe,” Mason shouted after Gabe.

“I’d say I’d go home, but well…” I finished the rest of my coffee in one gulp.

JJ and Mason tried so hard to occupy me—we talked about JJ’s therapy and how amazingly he was doing and how I was sure by this time next month he’d be down to twice a week.

“That would be great. I feel good most of the time. Stiff some mornings.”

“It’ll take time,” I reassured him.

I wasn’t sure how much time passed, but Shep returned to the house just as Nick came into the kitchen.

“How’d it go?” Nick asked Shep.

“You know what’s strange?” Shep leaned against the counter, arms folded over his chest. “I wanted Greg to show me a pictureof Lenny, and he didn’t have a single one. How does a person who grew up with someone not have any photographs of them?”

Nick cocked his head. “That’s really odd.”

“I said as much. Greg just told me Lenny never was a fan of the cameras. But he did say Lenny’s mother likely had some. I made him text her and ask for one.”

“And?” I practically jumped out of my seat. Could we finally have a face?

“Nothing yet. I told Gabe, and he promised he’d stay on it.”

“How’d you fare?” Mason looked at Nick.

---