“Don’t play dumb with me, boy. You didn’t graduate top of your class to feign stupid now.”
“I graduated top of my class because I had a slave driver for a father who wouldn’t take less than A+ in any class.”
Joel chuckled. “And a mother. Don’t forget your mama had a hell of a lot to with that too.”
I sighed. “Her too.”
Slowly, Joel returned his gaze to meet mine. “That’s what this has been about, hasn’t it? All these years? You single, hopping from one woman to the next. It’s always been about your mama.”
I frowned, not liking the direction of this conversation. “Where’s Jodi?” I peered over his head.
“Upstairs restroom. Don’t worry, Hound followed her up there. He won’t let anything happen to her. He’s almost as protective over her as you are.”
“She’s a client.”
“Who’s living in your house. Her case isn’t the typical one you take on, though murder and shit are right up my alley. Also, did I mention she’s living in your house? You don’t even invite me over to your damn house.”
I snorted. “That’s because you complain it’s too small.”
“It is, but I’d still like the invite.”
I shook my head and brushed past my father, moving down the hallway, seeking Jodi out even before I was consciously aware of what I was doing.
“She’s the one,” I heard Joel say from behind me.
I didn’t get the chance to look back or respond before I heard Jodi’s footsteps coming down the staircase.
“You’re off your call? Good news regarding the case?” she asked with lifted eyebrows.
I quelled the hope in her eyes by shaking my head. Wrapping my arm around her waist, I brought her body to mine. “Dead end.”
Her bottom lip pouted as her expression morphed to one of disappointment.
“We’ll keep looking,” I said low in her ear before planting a kiss to her forehead.
“Let’s eat,” Joel finally declared.
I followed Jodi into the dining area, noting the set table. Throughout dinner, both the call from Sy and my father’s words afterward rattled around in my brain. I couldn’t shake the feeling of guilt that warred with the need to protect Jodi. I barely tasted the elk and salad that we had for dinner. All I could think of was that we needed to wrap this case up quickly and put whoever was behind it all out to pasture before they thought about coming for Jodi again.
Chapter Twenty-Eight
“Are you sure this is the right place?” New Guy, whose name I couldn’t be bothered to remember, questioned from the backseat of my truck.
I glared at him in the rearview mirror, so much so that he slunk back in his seat.
Manny turned and looked over his shoulder at him. “If Bass and Sy say this is the right place, then this is the place.” He had as much impatience in his voice as I had in me.
I returned my sight to the three-story, L-shaped building before us. I stared at the run-down motel, known for being a location where street women brought their Johns for a few hours, or addicts rented rooms to get high and stay for a few days or weeks. In other words, it was a place even angels avoided once the sun went down.
Yet, there I was with two of my team members after Bass and Sy finally tracked down the real name of the person who attacked Jodi. Nathan Lane. That was the name of fucker who was about to feel the pain of my knuckles.
Grabbing the leather gloves that laid on the dashboard, I stared ahead at the hotel.
“Hotel clerk said the picture was a match for the customer in room 323, right?” I asked Manny as I continued glaring.
“Yup. She was also particularly generous in promising to instruct the cleaning lady to avoid that room until tomorrow morning.”
I nodded. That likely wasn’t a hard sell, but I was confident the Benjamins I instructed Manny to toss the clerk’s way helped.
