Page 32 of Demon
“How long have you two known each other?”Gavin asked as he poured eggs into the skillet.
Her eyes went wide as she tried to figure out what to tell her brother.
“Not long,” Demon said before she had a chance to figure out what to say.“But I like where it’s going so far.”
“It’s not the way it sounds.”As soon as the words were out of her mouth, she regretted them.That made it sound even more like what he thought.She let her head fall forward, planning to let her forehead smack the counter.There was a small hope that it might knock some sense into her.But her head never hit the counter.Instead, she hit something soft.Well, softer than the counter she’d expected.
Ronnie lifted her head and found the back of Demon’s hand lying on the counter where she’d dropped her head.She looked up at him, confused why he would do that.
Demon didn’t say anything but scowled and shook his head.She rolled her eyes.
“Gavin, this is the guy I told you about, Jenning’s cousin.”She didn’t have to say that he was helping her.She’d already told him that much.
“If that’s who he is, why is he showing up here at five A.M., and why did he threaten me when I answered the door?How did he know I wasn’t your boyfriend?”Gavin’s voice was surprisingly reasonable, considering everything going on, what they’d discussed last night and what had happened this morning.
She didn’t bother looking at her brother as he asked his questions.Instead, she kept her gaze on Demon’s face and lifted one brow.If he was going to be answering for her, she’d let him answer this one too.She was curious about the answers too.
“You told me last night that you weren’t seeing anyone.”One corner of his mouth quirked up, making her remember how his lips had felt against hers.“Then there’s that the car in the driveway is a rental, which told me either it’s stolen or he’s not local.”He never looked away from her.It felt like he was talking to her, not answering her brother’s questions.
“How do you know where I live?”
“I’ve got connections, firecracker.”His half smile spread into a grin with that.
Ronnie didn’t know what to say to that so she turned her attention back to her brother.Gavin was in the process of portioning the eggs onto tortillas already warmed and on plates.
“I just saw you last night.Has something changed since then?How much change in what?”She glanced at the clock, then inwardly cringed.She hated seeing anything earlier than six A.M.“Ten hours.”
“More than you’d think.”He leaned forward in his seat.“I gave your name to a friend of mine, the same friend who’s helping me find the information on Jim Bob.He did his thing and let me know a few things.”
She frowned, and stared into the dark surface of her coffee.She wanted to know what he’d found about her, to know why he was looking into her in the first place.Not that she had anything to hide, but that wasn’t the point.What right did he have?She looked up to find Demon watching her, one brow lifted as if challenging her to say something.That’s when she remembered how she’d known where he worked, the amount of research she’d put into him when she thought he was her skip.
“What was so important that you showed up here at the ass crack of dawn?”
“You’re in trouble, firecracker, and I’m not about to let anything happen to you.”
She stared at him.How had he found that out?How had he known without talking to anyone what her brother had come here for?Or was he talking to the same source?She had to wonder if whoever was telling Gavin about her all the way in Vermont was the same person telling tales to this near stranger.Was it possible?
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DemonstoodinRonnie’skitchen, watching her brother more than her.It seemed suspicious that her brother was here from out of town if the rental was any indicator, at the same time that her father was trying to get rid of her.
Was her brother working with her father?If her father was willing to hurt her like this, how would her brother feel about it?Would he be with their dad or his sister?Had he somehow gotten wind of what was going on?What did her brother do exactly?Was he maybe here to help keep her safe?He had to find out the answers before he could tell her why he was here.He wouldn’t compromise her safety by saying the wrong thing in front of the wrong person.
“What do you do?”Gavin asked as they sat at the bar eating.
“Tend bar at night,” Demon shrugged.“Sometimes I drive a tow truck during the day, sometimes I’m working in the shop.”More often than not he, did whatever he was told, and he would continue to do so until he had his colors on his back, but he didn’t need to tell this stranger that.Especially without knowing anything about him, other than he was Ronnie’s brother.“You?”
“I work for the government,” Gavin said with one lifted brow, as if he was challenging Demon to ask for more.
He would, and he wouldn’t.Demon knew how to get info, but after waiting up for him, Gizmo would surely be asleep now.And it would be rude to pull out his phone and send a text asking for info now, even if he had someone to ask.
Demon nodded slowly.“Not here, I assume?”He tilted the top of his head toward the carport where his rental was parked.
“Nope.By the time I finished school I was sick of the heat here.I swore I would never again live where the high in the summer regularly hits triple digits.”He took another bite, and they ate in silence for a few minutes.Then he spoke again.“I’m in New England right now.I got word about something going on down here, so I came to see Rica.And make sure she wasn’t mixed up in the shit I’m hearing about.”
“Rica?”Demon looked at Ronnie.“You really don’t like you’re given name, do you?”
“No, but that’s not why Gavin calls me that.”
