Luckily the cops aren’t anywhere to be seen, and neither is anyone else outside the house. They probably won’t drop by Travis’s place until later. I’m sure they have more important matters to get to.
Looking into the spot where Henry said he keeps his key, I shake everything around it but come up empty-handed. My blood goes hot when I look to the house on my left and loud music is pouring from a cracked window. He still has the key, doesn’t he?
Getting my anger under control, I roll my shoulders and stomp off toward the house, my gentle knock growing impatient the longer I’m left waiting on the porch. The tall redhead from the park winces his eyes at me. “Can I help you?”
“Depends. Do you have Henry’s spare key?”
His eyebrows lift. “I’m sorry, who are you?”
“That’s not any business of yours. Do you have the key or not?” I snap.
Stretching his arm up against the door frame, he looks me up and down. “You look familiar. Where do I know you from?”
I grit my teeth, balling my fists at my sides. This man is trying my patience. “Nowhere, and I’m here for the key, not small talk, so if you don’t mind going and getting it for me—”
“No. I don’t think so. If I don’t know who you are, then how do I know you’re trustworthy and not going to rob the place?”
I rub my temple, jaw tightening. “Give me the key, Travis.”
“And you said I don’t know you, but you know my name.”
“I know Henry and I came to get his mail. So go get the key and I won’t shove you out of the way to look for it myself.”
“Who exactly are you to Henry?” He steps closer, attempting to tower over me but failing. The guy is way shorter than me, no matter how tall he stands and uses the door to arch his feet. Loser.
“You have his key and he doesn’t want you having it, so give it to me and there won’t be any problems.”
“Answer my fucking questions and I’ll think about it.”
Heat rising in my face, I step back and then shove myself forward, nearly knocking him to the ground when he’s pushed out of the way by my slamming shoulder. Steadying himself on his feet, he storms toward me, and I move out of the way before his hand can hit me.
“What the fuck?” he gripes when his hand hits the nearby wall instead. “Who the fuck do you think you are?”
Before I can respond, a blond man rushes down the hallway, forehead rising in concern. “What’s going on here?”
“You must be the new boyfriend.”
“And who are you?” His eyes turn down.
“The question we’d all like to know the answer to,” Travis grumbles from beside me.
I huff, looking between them before saying, “I’m here to get Henry’s key, but this one wants to keep it so he can have an excuse to be in his house whenever he feels like it.”
The other guy’s face goes pale. “You still have Henry’s spare key?”
Travis shoves his hands in his pockets. “Yeah, babe, but only ’cause he asked me to watch his place while he’s away, and I felt guilty about everything so I couldn’t say no.”
His jaw twitches. “Where is it?”
“What?” Travis’s voice shifts to a higher octave.
“Where’s the key, Travis? If that’s all this ruckus is about, give it to him and then he can be on his way. We’re going to be late if you don’t get dressed soon.”
Travis’s shoulders sink. “It’s in my jacket pocket.”
His new boy toy stomps to where the jacket is hanging on the back of the sofa and plucks out the key. “Look, I no longer care who you are as long as you take what you came for and get the hell out of my house.”
“Sounds good to me.” As I’m moving forward to grab the key, Travis stands in front of me.
