Page 39 of Finders Keep Her
"You don't care for him?"
"Man hater club," she teases. "Do you know everyone that lives here?"
"Yes." I never forget a face or name. Just like I could close my eyes and tell you where every single freckle is on Ellie.
"If you meet a person once, how likely will you remember it? Like the people at the coffee shop?" First, I tell her everything I remember from the basic descriptions, and then I discuss other notable aspects about them. Things I could use if I needed to track them down. “Oh, you recall all that about the girls?” She narrows her eyes on me.
"When we walked out of the shop, there was a man in an SUV parked two spots back. Light blond hair and a narrow nose." He was sitting in the driver's seat. "He was fidgeting with his phone, not paying attention to anything around him. I'd guess within the last week he blew out a tire. The front left was brand-new. There was?—"
"All right, I was only teasing about the girls. I know you're obsessed with me, you weirdo stalker." A giant smug smile lights up her face. If I can keep that expression on her, I’ll be a weirdostalker every day. "How do you remember all this shit? I can't remember what I had for dinner yesterday."
"I made you a steak with a baked potato with extra of all the toppings."
"They're the best part. But that's what I'm saying. That's cool, but I'm sure it's also annoying for people when you argue with them."
"Doesn't affect you. No one can dodge a question with another or pretend they didn't hear a question or statement altogether better than you."
"Why, thank you," Ellie says with an adorable tartness.
"What's up with Nick?" She made a face for a reason, and I want to know why. There’s a story there.
"I haven't seen him in, like, a year, but I also don't linger here. He lives mostly in the outworld." The outworld is what they call being off the compound.
Ellie’s dad, Frank, opens the front door, stepping outside. All my hackles rise when I see a young man walk out behind him. I know that’s Nick.
“Of course he’s here. He’s always kissing my dad’s ass,” Ellie mutters. The kid stares toward us. He’s tense. I can read that off of him from here. Frank, however, has a giant grin on his face.
Each day I was here I got to know Frank and let him get to know me. I’m not big on opening up to people, but if Frank asked me anything, I answered it the best I could. I made my intentions clear with him when it came to Ellie.
He didn’t give me much pushback. Frank isn’t bad at reading people, either, at least when they’re not close to him. That can blur the lines for people. He knew I wasn’t fucking around when it came to his daughter, and I’d die before I let anything happen to her.
"Am I going to have a problem with this kid?" I ask Ellie, putting the truck into park.
"No, why?"
"He's appearing like a pissed-off boyfriend." His arms are folded over his chest, revealing some ink on his biceps. He thinks he’s tough, but I can guarantee I would have him pissing his pants in fear within minutes.
"I don't know why; he's been in the…" Ellie trails off, thinking. Good, that means she doesn't give him enough thought to recall things in his life.
"In the Marines," I fill in for her.
"Right." She snaps her fingers, like she always does when recalling something. "Wait, so you know who he is."
"No."
"You read that off looking at him." Ellie squints, staring toward Nick.
"Yes, eyes on me," I grumble.
"Oh my God." Ellie bursts into a fit of giggles, pulling my attention off the man who has a death wish. Her sweet sounds are cooling my irritation. "You sound like a bear."
"You and those shifter romance books."
"Hey! Did you open my Kindle?"
“Opened it, read a few pages.” I shrug. I’ve overheard those girls talking about their books a few times.
Why would I pass up finding out what Ellie might be into? I’ll use every tool I have to get what I want. Whether it be tools for torture or information to get my girl to stalk me harder.
