Page 68 of Baited

“Bricks. I called the midwife, thinking it was go-time. I guess this shit is normal. Sure enough, the contractions stopped once she rested.”

“Pretty soon you’ll be welcoming a new person into the world. I’m excited for you, man.”

“Don’t be too excited yet, I still don’t know if I’ll survive.”

Ethan stifled the laugh that rumbled in his throat. “You? I think Lana has more at stake here.”

“Frick, she’s cool as a cucumber. You should have seen her. First thing she said was ‘I need to shave and wash my hair.’”

Ethan closed his eyes and shook his head on a chuckle. “Women. I tell you, the wrong species was born with balls.”

A beat passed. “That’s an image I didn’t need, dude.”

“Sorry,” he chortled. The toe of his shoe caught a pebble and it danced across the gravel alley as he groomed over the backs of the houses.

“I’ll call you back, bro. I’m here now.” He disconnected.

It was after ten p.m. and only a few windows glowed from the inside. All he had to do was skirt through her backyard and he’d be at Riley’s back door. Music bumped from the street over, the bass from a cheap subwoofer rattled the old windows of the houses that lined the dark alley.

His hand tightened on the knife. “Damn kids,” he breathed. He glanced over his shoulder and swept his gaze down the alley—all clear. A short gate met him at Riley’s yard. He lifted the latch and entered, staying close to the shadows from the trees. Her house was still and dark, the back door would be locked. A warm glow shone in the window from the second level.

Michael.

He still hadn’t gotten to talk to the guy. Now that the whole town believed he and Riley were on the outs, he couldn’t do much investigative work. But Joe and Nate could. Michael’s proximity couldn’t be overlooked.

The soles of his shoes sunk into the soft earth below. He edged his way through the yard, his eyes trained on the house, there was no movement from the second floor.

He dug the key out of his pocket, climbed the porch, and entered.

The flowery scent of fabric softener greeted him as he came in the laundry room. He slid off his shoes and shut the door behind him. He exchanged the key for a flashlight and clicked it on, its warm beam illuminated his path. Turning on a light was too damn risky.

Before Riley came home, he needed to search the house. Aside from possible critters left for her to find, he needed to be damn sure it was safe and secure.

He moved silently through the house, coating his path with the flashlight’s beam. The house was still, and nothing seemed out of place. Not that that meant a damn thing. The guy had managed to get a snake in her bed without tripping the alarm.

He’d work his way from the back of the house to the front, starting in Riley’s bedroom. He crossed the slick, linoleum kitchen floor and entered the hallway. Her bedroom floor creaked beneath his weight and he cringed at the giveaway. Keeping his feet rooted to the spot, just a few feet shy of the end of her bed, he swept the flashlight around the room.

Dropping to his knees, he scanned under the bed. He exhaled, stirring a few dust bunnies from their slumber and lifted his gaze. He brought the glow from the flashlight to scan over the top of her still rumpled comforter. The light caught a small nub tucked under the lampshade. He frowned, got to his feet, and shuffled across the room. He leaned next to thenightstand and peered under the lamp. A tiny device stood out near the bottom of the shade.

A bug. The bastard was listening to her. His fingernails sliced into his palms as he stepped away. He gripped the back of his neck with his hand and his blood roared through his ears. If he was listening, he could be watching too.

If the asshole was doing that shit, chances were he’d focus on her bedroom. The sick sonofabitch… If he’d planted a camera, he’d have hidden it up high or at eye level. His gaze lifted to the pale popcorn ceiling. His eyes zeroed on a spot over her bed. It was too damn dark to see. Not wanting to shine a light directly on it, he crossed the room and picked up the chair from against the wall. He positioned it a couple of feet away from the bed, and out of view.

It appeared a piece of the old, ratty white popcorn ceiling was missing. Had the ceiling been a smooth surface, it would have stuck out like a sore thumb. But the microscopic indent was too clean-cut and positioned perfectly over the head of her bed.

He stepped down, and moved the chair back. White noise roared through his mind. He crushed his teeth together until his jaw throbbed. Someone had been spying on her. Why? Because she was a threat? Or because she was a target?

He kept his footsteps light despite the rage that vibrated through him. He couldn’t lose it. If someone was listening on the other end there was a chance they had heard him. However, with Riley out for the night, he’d either be watching her in person, or not listening if she wasn’t home.

He searched the rest of the house with the precision of a fine-tooth comb. The only other bug had been an audio, stuck beneath the kitchen table. Two audios in total and one camera. At least he hadn’t bugged the entire house and they could carry out their plan tonight. They’d have to lay low and be careful, but with any luck, the watcher would be clueless.

He couldn’t touch the bugs. If he moved them, the douchebag would know. That could further endanger Riley, not to mention Hanna. As much as it pissed him off, they had to keep everything in place and let him watch and listen. Maybe they could work this in their favor, a way to trap him.

He typed a quick message, warning Riley about the bugs.

***

His fingers grazedover the volume button on the car’s radio. He turned the music down and the air conditioning up. It was as hot as hell. Sweat clung beneath the hat he wore, but he didn’t dare remove it. It had been a while since he’d gone to Drew’s for a beer. After he’d overheard Jenny talking to Riley at the restaurant earlier, he couldn’t resist the chance at catching Riley.

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