“I know,” Rook said, following me in. “But I wanted to.”
I looked at him standing in my shitty entryway, and the kindness in his eyes was almost too much to handle. Because this was Rook seeing the absolute worst parts of my life and choosing to stay anyway, and I didn't know what to do with that except hold onto it as tightly as I could.
CHAPTER ELEVEN
dancing too close
ROOK
Leroy and I sat across from each other in a corner booth at a diner that was trying too hard to look retro and failing, and he pulled out his worn notebook and flipped it open without preamble.
“You want me to look into the parents,” he said, flipping to a clean page. Not a question. A confirmation.
“Yeah.” I wrapped my hands around my coffee mug because I needed to do anything with them other than fidget. “Gavin and Helena Vale. I need to know what their situation looks like.”
“What am I looking for?” Leroy clicked his pen and started writing.
“I don't know yet. That's the problem.” I took a drink of the coffee and immediately regretted it because it tasted like burnt water. “His mom showed up last week demanding money. Soren paid her without question, said it's been like this for years. I needto know if these people are trying to get their lives together or if they're just bleeding him dry.”
“Employment records, housing stability, legal issues, debt patterns.” Leroy was already making notes. “Anything else?”
“Whatever you can find. I just need to know what I'm dealing with here.”
Leroy's pen kept moving across the page, and I could see him making notes in shorthand I couldn't read. “This is about the drummer you had me find, isn't it?”
“Yeah.”
“He know you're doing this?”
“No. And I'd like to keep it that way until I know what we're dealing with.”
“Secrets have a way of coming out badly.” Leroy looked up at me with an expression that was equal parts warning and resignation. “Especially when they're about family.”
“I know that. But I can't just watch this happen and do nothing.” I set the coffee down because holding it was making my hands shake slightly. “I need information before I can figure out how to help.”
“Your funeral.” Leroy closed the notebook and tucked it back into his jacket pocket. “I'll start pulling records this week. Give me a few days and I'll have enough to tell you what's going on.”
“Thanks.”
“Don't thank me yet. You might not like what I find.” He stood up and dropped a few bills on the table for his coffee. “I'll be in touch.”
I watched him leave and then sat there for a few minutes longer, staring at my terrible coffee and trying to ignore the guilt sitting heavy in my chest. Soren wouldn't be thrilled about this if he found out. But I couldn't just stand by and watch his parents show up demanding money without at least trying to get someanswers. That had to count for a thing, even if the secrecy made me feel like an asshole.
The Wolves'new training gym was one of those aggressively modern facilities that looked like it had been designed by people who thought concrete and steel were the height of athletic inspiration. High ceilings, industrial lighting, rows of equipment that cost more than my first car, and enough space that the entire team could work out without tripping over each other. I'd been coming here for a few weeks now, and I still wasn't used to how fucking quiet it was compared to our old gym.
I was halfway through a set of deadlifts when Finn appeared next to me with a water bottle in hand and an expression that suggested he had opinions he was about to share whether I wanted them or not.
“You good?” he asked, leaning against the rack. “You've been going hard all morning.”
“Just trying to burn off some energy before playoffs start.” I set the bar down and grabbed my own water, taking a long drink before I continued. “Need to stay sharp.”
“Sharp's one thing. This looks more like you're trying to punish yourself for a thing you haven't done yet.” He grinned when I shot him a look. “Just saying. You've been intense lately.”
“I'm always intense.”
“Yeah, but this is different.” He paused, and I could see him weighing whether to push further. “It's good seeing you and Soren reconnect, by the way. Jamie hasn't stopped talking about how cool it was that his uncle Rook's friend teaches him drums.”
The change in subject was so abrupt I nearly gave myself whiplash trying to follow it. “Yeah?”
