Page 46 of Protecting Salvation

Breathing heavily she began to laugh, her body shaking against him and he loved that feeling. Being with her was like finding something you hadn’t known was lost until you found it.

He held her before kissing her neck and sucking gently, leaving a small mark on her skin.

“Uh, did you just give me a hickey?”

“Just marking what’s mine.”

“Have I told you that we discovered how to make fire, oh great Neanderthal man?”

He chuckled as he walked to the bathroom. “That’s a lot of sass for a woman with a big red love bite on her neck.”

He watched Peyton roll over in bed and bury her face. “Ass.”

“Sorry, what was that? You love my ass? Aww, thanks, baby. I love yours too.”

He got in the shower to the sound of her laughter. Breakfast was rushed as she had an eight-thirty appointment with a client. He wanted to catch up with Lotus and get an update on Trevor, and if he’d been involved with the break-in at her office or the death of her cousin.

The office was secure and he knew Titan was covering that but he was meeting Lotus in a café that was directly opposite the office building just to be safe. Peyton had shown no interest in wanting to know any details and he suspected that she just wanted to move on and pretend it hadn’t happened. He hoped it was over but his gut told him something else was coming.

Lotus sauntered in five minutes early, her gaze catching on every exit, clocking every person before she sat and turned her chair so she was facing any threat. It was instinctive, more so for some than others, and he was more okay with having his back to people than she was.

Lifting his finger to the young waitress he ordered two coffees and waited for them to be served before looking at Lotus. “Well?”

His friend looked tired, the shadows under her eyes were deep, her cheeks sunken like she wasn’t eating properly. He was worried about her but he didn’t ask because that would open the floodgates for a slew of questions about his own health.

“There’s definitely something off about Trevor Harkness. Watchdog thinks he’s using an alias. His financials are off, and everything is too uniform which is a red flag. Hilary is easier. She was born in Selly Oak and moved here when her father got a job at the Cider factory. She and Trevor met through Martin, who was friends with Trevor and her then-boyfriend, Craig.”

“Fuck, sounds like a headache already.”

“Yeah, it gets worse. Craig went missing six months later and is still on the missing person’s list. Trevor and Hilary got together not long after and married.”

“And how did Martin meet Trevor?”

“Not entirely sure, but they were both into the club scene so it could have been that. They attended the same places and most like crossed paths at an event.”

“Martin have a record?”

“Yes, but it was a juvie record and was sealed. Watchdog opened it and it seems Martin did six months for arson. Want to guess who the arresting officer was?”

“McCain.”

“Got it in one. It seems he had a soft spot for him as he petitioned the court to go easy on him.”

“Well, this is quite the web. Can Watchdog find out who Trev was before? That might tell us why he’s hiding and give us more on the man.”

“He’s working on it.”

“Maybe we should talk to Trevor or Hilary?”

“Titan and I are headed there next, so we’ll keep you posted.”

“Still not sure how all this connects back to Peyton though,” he mused, taking a sip of his almost cold coffee and grimacing.

“Me either. Has she said anything to you?”

Hurricane shook his head slowly, not wanting to break a confidence but knowing he needed to trust Lotus and he did. “No, she’s pretty much got her head in the sand about it and as long as she’s safe, I don’t want to push her.”

“She can’t bury this, big guy. That shit will eat her up.”