Page 71 of Deadly Lineage
I paid a bit more attention to the road I was on and answered, “I’m fifteen, maybe twenty minutes away. Do you have time to look that plate number up now?”
“I’m already typing it into the computer.”
“I knew I could count on you.” Those words held more weight than Franklin realized.
“Yeah, yeah. Just get your ass to the precinct so I can give it the spanking it deserves.”
I laughed as the adrenaline flooding my body dissipated. “Promises, promises, Franklin.”
Franklin’s answer was some indistinguishable sound that didn’t fit any word I knew before he disconnected the call. By the time I reached the precinct, my cheeks hurt from smiling so damn much.
Chapter
Twenty-Two
Franklin
“You wanna repeat that?” I ran my hand over my head, barely ruffling my short hair. Did I really want to hear the story again? Probably not. Did I need to hear it again? Definitely.
Boone squirmed, but I didn’t think it was from discomfort. He was near-giddy and had energy to burn. I wasn’t sure if he was still hopped up on adrenaline or if there was a little something extra in the soda he’d had.
“Which part?” he asked, looking innocent as he cocked his head to the side.
I inhaled, counted to nine, and attempted to release my worries as I exhaled. “Does your father’s charm permanently change the color of your car?” That had been an interesting bit of information. Those types of charms were illegal. They sounded innocuous enough, but what Boone just recounted proved was why they were a problem. Vehicles were registered with the DMV, and part of that registration was color. Randomly changing a car’s color wreaked havoc with law enforcement and often achieved the exact results Boone’s little charade had accomplished. When you were trying to ditch the bad guys, thatwas great. Unfortunately, it was typically the police getting the shaft.
Boone shook his head, hair flopping across his forehead. “No, it just makes it look different. The effect lasts thirty-six hours.” He shrugged. “Unless I activate the charm again and change it back, or to something else.” Boone grinned. “I had a hell of a good time doing that when I was younger.”
“You do realize those kinds of charms are illegal, right?” I didn’t have to try very hard to sound stern. I wasn’t upsetwithBoone. I was upset that he’d been in that situation at all.
“They’re illegal to sell,” Boone said with a mischievous grin. “I paid for nothing.”
“Christ.” I scrubbed my face with my palm again. “I don’t think the authorities would view it that way.”
“I only care what one authority figure thinks.” There was something wickedly salacious in the way Boone said that.
Shifting, I felt my dick thicken and dashed its interest with visions of Boone’s car mangled on the interstate. Yeah, that extinguished the fire pretty quickly.
Scooting to the edge of his chair, Boone’s knees bumped mine. I didn’t pull away. Truth be told, it was all I could do not to pull him into my arms the moment he walked through the door. That phone call had been torture. I don’t think Boone realized how serious I had been. I could track his phone. I could find him. Iwoulddo both.
“Did you trace the plate?” he asked eagerly. “I know I got the numbers right and it was an Alabama plate.”
I hated to burst his bubble, but my next words did exactly that. “That plate was reported stolen three weeks ago.”
Boone’s body deflated like a punctured Macy’s Day Parade balloon. “Are you sure it was really stolen?” he asked, that last little bit of hopeful air seeping away.
“95 percent sure.” Honestly, I was closer to 100 percent. The person the plate originally belonged to was a middle class, single mother of four. A woman with that kind of life didn’t have time to go joyriding on the interstate.
“Damn.” Boone flopped back into his chair. He was so physically slight the chair sort of swallowed him whole. Boone appeared far too breakable for my comfort. “I really thought I had something there.”
“I know, and I’m sorry it’s not more helpful. Whatishelpful is that a stolen plate confirms whoever was following you was probably up to no good.” That didn’t soothe my soul, but it lent credence to Boone’s observations. Someone had most likely been following him. The question was, to what end?
“Did they try and run you off the road? Act aggressive in any way?”
Boone shook his head. “No. They got close a few times—close enough to make me nervous—but they didn’t try anything.”
I drummed my fingers along the desktop. “Don’t get me wrong, I’m glad nothing happened. It just isn’t all that helpful.”
Boone blew out a breath that ruffled his bangs. “Tell me about it. It could be anybody. Maybe it was someone at the mortuary that didn’t like what I had to say. For that matter, it could have been any number of disgruntled former clients. Not everyone likes what I tell them.”
