Page 75 of Mine to Share

“What are you working on?” I asked.

Knowing the taste wasn’t the best, I gulped down half the contents in two swallows and set the glass on the island. It was healthy and fast, which was why I drank it first thing in the morning. The pain meds I’d taken before walking in here would make my stomach churn if I didn’t get something to eat fast. The nausea and cramping started within the past few months, which was probably a sign that the pills were ruining my stomach lining and liver, but I had to walk, and that was the price to pay. At least until I gave in to Rain’s advice about the cortisone shots.

My shoulders shook with an involuntary shiver.

Jameson shot me an annoyed look before settling back on the bench and taking a sip of the steaming liquid in his mug.“Our technical profiler sent over what he found on her shit of an ex.”

The stool’s legs scraped across the tile, the damn thing almost tipping over as I abruptly stood before he was even done talking. Shoving at his shoulder, I forced him farther into the booth so I could sit beside him.

“Fucking hell, we both don’t fit in this shit.” Not like he had a choice in moving or not. “Why do you have to be so damn big?”

“Better to beat your ass with, asshole. Drink your damn coffee and show me what he found.”

A soft meow came from the living room, stopping my next words. Leaning to the side to see around a large potted plant, I searched the couch and found Sneaks on his back, paws in the air, twisted in an S-shape with his big eyes blinking at me. “Sorry, buddy, not this morning. This is more important than your belly pets.”

“Belly pets,” Jameson mocked. “Seriously. Did that cat take your balls, or did you hand them over with a smile on your face for him to play with?”

“Fuck you.”

“I thought we established that’s not my thing.” I chuffed a laugh into my smoothie, sending some of it splattering against my face. Jameson’s responding grin was sharp. “Serves you right for making such a loud breakfast.”

“You can have all the undisturbed silence you want back at that rat-infested hotel.”

That shut him up. “Noted. Thank you for these fine accommodations. The bed was great, but the shower space was even better.” He shot me a wink. “Perfect for two.”

“We’re sitting way too close to discuss this shit.”

“What? That you saw my ass as I fucked—”

“Oh, you’re both up.”

Rain shuffled into the kitchen, hands working to secure a lump of damp hair on the top of her head in a messy bun. I stifled a groan and heard Jameson clear his throat, doing the same. My shorts hung low on her lean hips even with them rolled several times. I didn’t think about it then, but now I was fucking hating myself for giving her a black tee instead of a white one since it was obvious by her pointed tips that she wasn’t wearing a bra.

Hands on her hips, she scanned the kitchen with a frown. “Thought you were making breakfast?”

I held up my glass and gave it a shake. “There’s some in the fridge for you too.”

Her tiny nose crinkled. “Um, thanks, but I need a little more than that.” She held her phone close to her face, thumbs moving across the screen. “What’s your address?”

After rattling it off, I shifted my focus back to the computer screen while keeping one eye on Rain as she skipped—literallyskipped—to the coffee machine.

“He has five credit cards maxed out,” Jameson muttered under his breath so only I would hear. “He drained his accounts last month, and there hasn’t been activity since. Charlie is running him through a facial recognition software at airports, bus terminals, train stations, that sort of thing, but that will take time.”

“So, we have no idea where he is.” Twisting on the bench, I pointed to the counter. “Rain, the iPad is there if you want to look for your shoes.”

A few seconds later, her very full mug thumped to the table across from Jameson and me before she slid into the opposite bench seat. Eyes full of mischief flicked from me to Jameson and back again.

“Don’t you two look cozy,” she chuckled. “What is that you’re working on?”

“Do you have insurance information handy?” I asked instead of responding to her question. I didn’t want to hide the information about her ex, but maybe the fact that we had no idea where he was would go over better after her first cup of coffee. Or never. Fuck, I wanted to keep all this stress far away, maybe encase her in bubble wrap.

Which was dumb. Rain was a strong, independent woman who didn’t need me to shield her from the world. But that didn’t mean I would stop trying, or that the urge to protect her would vanish.

“Yeah,” she said with a sigh. “I guess I should call them before we—”

“Text me the information and I’ll handle it,” I offered. When she glanced up from the iPad with a shocked look, I shrugged. “You take care of replacing everything you need immediately. Clothes, shoes, bathing suit….” I gave her a smirk that had most women pulling up their skirts for me.

Instead, Rain just looked confused. “Why would I need a bathing suit immediately?”

---