Page 82 of The Mercenary's Guide to Mishaps and Romance

I wasmorethan positive that what Leland was asking us to do was just some bullshit we should ignore, but Ellis was acting like it was an ultra-important mission just for him. A part of me wondered if he just wanted something to distract him from thinking about his father, so I didn’t fight it. Anything to distract him or make him feel better was okay with me.

Hell, maybe Leland also thought he needed something to distract him. But what we found inside was definitely not what I imagined.

“So… Leland sent me here… to pick up a cake?” Ellis asks as he follows me back into the car, still rather confused why the baker passed him a box and said, “I hope you enjoy your cake! Don’t let it sit in the car or the frosting will melt!”

“I fucking guess,” I answer as I start the car a moment before my phone beeps.

I pull it out, fully expecting more nonsense and errands from Leland, but instead, it’s my father.

“Fucking hell.”

“What?” Ellis asks. “Is it the cake?”

“Not the cake.”

Bastard: IOU.

Bastard: Saw what you’re doing. IOU. 453 W. Simmons Drive. Promise it’s worth your time.

Me: You’re not worth my time. Give me my shit back.

And of course he never replies. Was he watching the house and knew I’d gone in to get my stuff? Was he waiting for me to go to it so he knew when to lay some of his special bullshit on me? I’m sure it’s something good, my father’s not known for shitty information, but he’s going to claim whatever it is isn’t equivalent to what he owes me. He’ll then assume I owe him. Quickly, I text Cassel.

Me: What’s this address? 453 W. Simmons Dr.

Cassel: Let me see.

Cassel: That’s the home of Nate Stewart. You think there’s something there?

Me: I might drive by it… or look inside. Something I should be looking for?

Cassel: Hell if I know. But grab his computer tower or laptop. I can nose through it.

Me: He live alone?

Cassel: He does. No close relatives or anything that I see. Be careful. If someone sees you snooping around just after finding him dead, you might be in big trouble.

Me: I will be. Can you tell if there are any security cameras on the house?

Cassel: I can try to see if the address pings anything. I’ll let you know.

I look up at Ellis. “We’re making a quick stop.”

“Of course. I’m happy to go anywhere with you… almost anywhere.” Ellis thinks about this for a moment. “I would like to retract that prior statement. I’m happy to go most places.”

He’s too damn sweet. “Quick in and out. We’re stopping by Nate Stewart’s house.”

“The guy who just died?”

“Yeah.”

“Doesn’t any part of that sound risky to you? Like horrifically risky?”

“Nah. Sounds exciting.”

“Hmm…” Ellis thinks a bit longer before going, “Hmmm” again. “You know what? I think we need to fix your idea of exciting. It should be like… ordering a water at a restaurant and filling the glass with Coke.”

I risk my life by taking my eyes off the road to stare at him. “You are a unique man.”

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