Page 5 of Prodigal Son

Things had changed since he’d seen her last. Changed a lot.

“I found Devin,” she said, “but I haven’t moved in yet. I wanted to give you a chance to talk to him first. I don’t want to turn him in if I don’t have to.”

“That’s awfully kind of you.”

She met his gaze with a hard one of her own. “I can be kind, Charlie.”

“Never said you couldn’t.” When she blinked and looked away, he felt a dangerous softening inside himself, one he tried to shore up with a hasty mental shove. “What did he steal?”

“That’s the thing.” She leaned forward, elbow landing on the table, the excited glint ofworklighting in her eyes. She’d never been as vivacious as she was when she was on the hunt. “They won’t tell me.”

“No?”

“No. Proprietary secrets, they said. Highly confidential. They want this file backimmediately. Practically wetting themselves over it.”

“Highly confidential…or highly illegal,” Fox said, feeling a stir of interest despite himself. He’d always loved a mystery he could sink his teeth into. Damn it, but Eden knew this was going to suck him in; it was precisely the reason she’d called.

“These people,” she said,tsking. “Something’s off.”

“Off how?”

She gave him a sly look and eased back in her chair, satisfied that she had his attention now. “You talk to your father, and then I’ll talk to you.”

“Nuh-uh. Talk to me now. You’re not going to yank me around like this.”

Her brows went up. “I’m doing this as a courtesy to your family. I could have taken Devin in yesterday and you’d be none the wiser.”

“Bullshit.” Several customers glanced their way and he dropped his voice to a whisper. “You want my help for your own benefit. Which I’ll gladly give–”

“You’ve never given anything ‘gladly’ in your life.”

“–if you’re straight with me. No games, Eden.”

She pressed her lips together, drawing in a deep breath through her nose. “God, that’s rich coming from you.”

And yeah, it was. After what he’d put her through. But still. She should never have expected anything more from him.

He sighed. “Fine. I’ll go see him.”

“Thank you.”

He searched for lingering scraps of affection in her gaze and found none. He knew better than to search for love. If she’d ever felt that, she’d long since excised it from her heart.

Three

Maude’s looked cozy and warm from the outside, its light soft and butter-yellow as evening draped the street. The CLOSED sign was turned out, Albie a hump-backed shape at his desk, reading glasses on his nose, pencil moving in quick strokes over a sketchpad.

Fox took a moment to watch him unobserved. Once Albie noticed him, his posture would change, his face would close up, and he’d be a different version of himself.

Every one of his brothers wore a mask around him.

The girls didn’t, because they were stronger and had always been better-adjusted. And Miles was young enough that his mask was thin and inconsistent. But it was something he’d noticed, over the years, the way they didn’t like to put their metaphorical backs to him.

His own brothers.

Hewasan asshole – he’d give them that. But so were they, in their own ways. He thought mostly it had to do with the fact that he was the one most like Devin.

He didn’t want to be like Dad. He justwas.

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