The two men clap each other on the back, and Thomas hugs Josie, pressing a kiss to her cheek. Jason, Fallon, Marley and Beau follow suit, and everyone is saying their goodbyes a moment later. It’s amazing to see how close they are as a family. I’m so thankful that I have Juliaand Tiff, but as a kid I always wanted more siblings, some closer to my age. With how close in age they are, the four brothers had each other to lean on as kids, and it shows with how close they are now as adults.
“Do you want to stay for a bit longer?” Thomas asks, leaning down to whisper in my ear.
I think for a moment. “Yeah, maybe a few more songs?”
“Absolutely, freckles.”
13
THOMAS
Icouldn’t have asked for this night to go better. Sure, our first date might not be what others would prefer, what with having our families with us as more of a group date, but I think this was what we needed. And I’ve gotten plenty of one-on-one time with Hannah as it is.
When she told me about her social anxiety, it made things really start to click. I want to do what I can to make her comfortable with me and my family. I want to learn all about her.
Two songs later, I regretfully pull away from her. Having her in my arms for most of the night has been a dream. “Ready to go?” I ask, taking her hand in mine again.
I don’t miss the way her body stiffens. I wasn’t implying anything by my words, but I wonder if she thinks that I was.
“I can walk you to your car,” I say, hoping to clear it up. Her body is still stiff, but some of the tension visibly eases.
“I’m on one of the side streets,” Hannah says, pointing her free hand down the street.
“Thomas!” My name is called from across the street. I turn to see Henry, and slow my pace.
Looking down at Hannah, I ask, “Do you have a minute? I want to make sure everything is okay.”
“Of course,” she replies. “That’s Henry Thorson, right? He’s the detective they brought on to help with the trafficking situation?”
“Yeah. I’ve been working pretty closely on the case with him.”
I keep Hannah's hand in mine as we walk toward Henry. “Hey, man,” I greet him.
“Hey, I wanted to update you on something quick before your shift in the morning. I was going to call tonight when I got home, but then I saw you.”
“Sure, what’s up?”
Henry glances between Hannah and me. He widens his eyes at me. I reluctantly let go of Hannah’s hand, immediately missing the feel of her. “Can you give us a minute, freckles?”
“No problem,” she says, stepping aside and walking thirty feet down the sidewalk. I’m glad she’s staying in my line of sight.
“What couldn’t you tell me in front of Hannah?” I ask, honestly feeling a little irritated with my friend.
“We found a trail,” he murmurs, eyes glancing around like he thinks someone is about to pop out from behind the buildings.
“What do you mean, a trail?”
“For the trafficking ring. We found the name of the leader.”
My gut churns. This is the first lead we’ve had in months, and we have to take advantage of it. “Holy shit,” I breathe, glancing behind him to check on Hannah.
“His name is Charles Cook, but he goes by Chaz.Tomorrow, we’re going to set up a game plan on how to infiltrate and take them down.”
A renewed sense of motivation swirls inside of me. This is the break we’ve been waiting for. If we can arrest him, we can hopefully put a stop to the trafficking happening in the town. We’ve had more drug-related deaths in the last five years than ever before. I can’t handle another teenager dying from an accidental overdose. They’ve been lacing their shit, killing these kids before they even have a chance to live.
I reach out, clapping his shoulder. “Finally,” I breathe.
“It’s not over yet,” he states. “In some ways, this is only the beginning. Cut off one head, and two more will appear, or so they say. We’re in for a long ride, my friend.”
