Chapter 9
After Danika went to bed,Sharp came downstairs. The look on his face seemed serious.
“Everything okay?” Thario asked.
Sharp shook his head. “No, not really. You were almost killed. You’re the last one left from our team, and I don’t want to lose you.”
“I’m not going anywhere.”
Sharp chuckled. "We all talk a big game, but you know things happen, and we could end up dead just like that." Sharp snapped his fingers to emphasize the point.
“We need to locate Brent. I need to know what the hell he was doing.”
"The guys are coming over in the morning, and we'll start. Hopefully, we'll find him fast and can get some answers."
Thario tried to suppress a yawn, and Frog huffed. They were both tired and needed sleep, but it was hard to settle down.
“Get some sleep. We have a lot of work to do in the morning.”
Thario shook Sharp's hand before heading upstairs to get ready for bed. He needed a new wheelchair and other items. At least his legs had been on, and he hadn't lost his prosthetics.
The computers were a total loss, just like so much other stuff he had in his house. The data was backed up in the cloud, but he'd lost so many tools.
Getting to sleep didn't take long, and he woke with a start. The sun was up, and he heard Sharp making noise in the other bedroom. Maybe that was why he woke, and not the weird dream that made him feel totally off.
Somehow, he'd escaped the fire. He didn't remember exactly what had happened with Brent, but he'd fought back. How badly had he hurt Brent?
He hadn’t killed the guy, that much he knew. But had he disabled Brent enough that the man wasn’t able to function? Thario didn’t think so. Brent had raced out quickly, or he thought he had. Maybe his entire memory of the events was off. Thario headed downstairs. He’d just stepped into the kitchen when he heard the boards on the stairs squeak.
“Hey,” Sharp said as he came downstairs.
“What time are the guys showing up?”
Sharp checked his phone. “About twenty minutes. I’ll get something going in the oven so we have food.”
“Sounds great.”
Thario started the coffee maker and let Frog outside to do his business. He needed to get his dog out for some exercise, but for now, the backyard would have to do.
Danika said she would help. Frog was a good boy and would be good for her. He hated the idea of Frog growing old, but he was much calmer now than he’d been years ago. Frog would still protect him, as long as he wasn’t drugged. But Frog wouldn’t be able to scale an eight-foot fence or run as far as he could before. The aging meant he could trust Frog even more than before. If Danika took Frog out for a walk, he wouldn’t give her any trouble.
The coffee finished about the time Danika came downstairs. She grabbed a large insulated thermos and poured coffee into it.
“I figure we’ll need a second pot for the guys.”
“That’s a good idea,” Thario said.
She handed him a mug. “Pour yourself some and I’ll get the second pot going.”
“Thank you.”
He liked how easy Danika and Sharp were together. A twist of jealousy hit. The idea of finding someone had disappeared a long time ago. He'd been an idiot when he was younger, and now he guessed he was feeling the effects of karma.
It was fine. He didn't need a woman to feel fulfilled. Being alone wasn't so bad. He had his buddies and his work. Frog kept him company, and that was enough.
The doorbell rang, and he turned to answer, but the guys walked in. At some point, Sharp must have unlocked the door.
Griz, Elowen, Asher, Squat, and Apple were there. He hugged them all, glad he had such good friends.
