Chapter Seven #2
She rounds me and slides on my lap, but she’s got on jeans, and I honestly think of banning them, even if she has helped herself to one of my black T-shirts, which is like a dress on her.
T-shirt and no jeans?
Naked?
Or panties so I can peel them off?
“Cade?”
Heat burns in my neck and face, and she traces a line from the neckline of my T-shirt to my lips.
“What were you thinking?”
I lift a brow. “Whether I should just keep you naked, or maybe panties only so I can take them off or work my way in them to finger you stupid. They’re all great options.”
She kisses me and then hooks her arms around my neck. “I guess I did ask.”
“Guess you did.”
She smiles. “So, what are you working on?”
I sigh. “I’m following up on some leads on the girl. But…you said you called her Jean, and I’m guessing you did that because it might have been similar to her name, but you don’t know. It’s something—”
“It isn’t.” She pulls her arms away and drops her hands in her lap. “I should have asked again, should have asked her important things.”
“It’s fine. We just…we don’t really have a way of identifying her. I’m working on some things, but they’re more a wish and a hope kind of thing. It’s just really difficult tracking her down. Right now, she’s like a ghost.”
It’s a lame attempt at a joke, one I don’t even find remotely funny, but Violet looks so disheartened I needed to do something.
Vi’s eyes suddenly widen. “The hairclip.”
Before I can even ask her what the fuck she’s on about, she pushes off my lap and takes off, racing out of the room, and her feet hit the stairs.
“I don’t think I packed a hairclip.” Then I frown. “She never wears hairclips.”
I almost add hairclip to my search but stop. It’d have to be something so spectacular to show up as hairclips are pretty damn common.
She comes back, holding out a pretty wavy white gold clip. It is as pretty as it is plain. Not anything that people would be talking about, or I could type in to find, like neon orange butterfly hairclip.
Violet looks at it and then me. “I found it in her cell. It’s got to be hers.”
Or the previous occupant’s, but I don’t say it. Besides, I bet they clean it out between occupants.
I just nod. “Could be.”
“I never thought it could be used to help find her, or even just identify her. It’s not cheap, so I’m betting it was a gift. Probably family, Cade.”
She’s jumping to conclusions, but fuck, she could be just as much right as she might be wrong.
“What if her DNA’s on this?”
“Here.” I take it from her and turn it.
My chest tightens.
There are a few strands of golden hair on it, right near the hinge.
“Don’t get your hopes up, Vi. There’s a change she didn’t leave enough of the hair in here. She tried to remove the strands—”
“We might get something.”
“Even if we do, it’s going to depend on whether she’s in the database or not,” I say gently.
But Vi’s stubborn. “She will be. What parent wouldn’t report her missing? Wht wouldn’t they give up something for DNA? The clip shows she came from money.”
I breathe out. “Okay, I’ll see what I can do.”
“Good, because I’m not giving up on this girl. Not ever.”
It’s the next night, and Violet’s thrown herself into work.
I’m getting my place reinforced, but the damage is at the door, so it’s pretty much done. Just a couple of upgrades needed.
Normally, I wouldn’t be pleased with her being alone, but Enzo’s place really is a fortress, and he has cameras.
Everywhere except my bedroom and the bathrooms. He doesn’t use them, not like I would, because we don’t share that preference, but he does like to check up on the place when we’re not there.
Some might call him paranoid. But I call him careful.
And I think I might wire my place for vision and sound. Because with Violet there, even if she moves back to her home, which if I have my way she won’t be, at least not long term, doing that is going to be filthy fun.
Because I look like I went a few rounds in a ring, we decide on one of the outer neighborhoods of Brooklyn to meet one of our fellow operatives who also works as a detective.
I fill him in on what Harry gave me, and he takes the baggie with the clip.
Enzo narrows his eyes at the bag. “Think you can run DNA on it?”
Zayne turns it over in his hands, examining the small strands of hair. “I’ll arrange it, no question, but…” He slides it into his pocket and sips his drink. “I’ll see what I can do.”
“Good.” I toy with my whiskey as Enzo focuses on his phone.
Most people would call it rude, but he’s doing one of two things; checking in on Violet for me or checking information that just came in. Perhaps even both.
Not that I want anyone else spying on my girl, but for all his fuckboy chatter, Enzo is someone I trust with my life. He’s my best friend, my work partner, and I know him.
He’d one hundred percent make sure my Vi’s safe.
Zayne lets out a breath. “We might not get anything, I’m warning you. We don’t have anything to run it against. And it could pick up someone else completely. What about prints?”
“Depends on how good your equipment is and how long you want to mess with it. Apart from the girl, it’d be my prints and Violet’s.”
“Who’s—” He catches a sharp look from Enzo. “Just asking, guys. She belongs to…”
A lightbulb seems to go off, but he just nods. “Okay she’s not important to this. But look, I might need the prints. But even those might not be useful. And the DNA could be contaminated or nothing I find is in the database.”
My hand tightens around my glass. “If we can stop another fucking trafficker…”
“More will come out of the woodwork.” Zayne shakes his head.
Enzo looks from me to him. “And we destroy them, too.”
Zayne lifts his glass. “Cheers to that.”
We talk a while longer, and I know he’s right. But Vi’s right, too. We can’t give up.
And sure, we might not get any clear information from the hairpin, but anything is better than the nothing we have now.
We have another round and then part ways.
On the drive back to Enzo’s, I think about commenting on him breaking out his little used car. He prefers public transport or hiring a car or cab.
“So… How long are you and your lady staying at my place?”
“Your giant ass place feeling cramped?”
He scoffs. “You know it. I’m a man who likes his privacy.”
“So much so I have my own room and you even offered me my own floor because someone needs the human equivalent of a night light.”
“Please. You have the personality of a night light, but I don’t need you. I just felt sorry for you, is all.”
“Uh huh. Tell that to your therapist when you cry like a baby.”
“I’m not trying to kick you out, Cade. It was my idea. My place is safer than yours and your commute’s pretty sweet.”
I look at him. Even in profile, he’s trying not to smile.
“I just want to know so I can prepare myself for walking in on the two of you having sex every time I enter a room. I like popcorn with my entertainment.”
“I thought it was a box of tissues.”
“No, those…well…” He clears his throat. “I just would like a heads up, is all.”
“Someone sounds jealous.”
He starts laughing. “Oh, yeah, I’m jealous your girl needs to think about me to get herself off.”
“Hey!” I glare at him. “It wasn’t like that. I was teasing her—”
“Sure, you were. Or is it you that likes hearing my name to get off? Look, dude, I’m flattered and sure, you’re cute, but you’re not really my type.”
“Because I’m not a distant cousin?” I can’t help asking.
He sucks in a breath, shooting me a wounded look.. “Too soon, man.”
I grin. “Uh huh. Sure. I believe you, bro.”
“Ass.”
Later, we get home, and I carry Vi to bed as she’s gone and fallen asleep on the sofa, studying.
She doesn’t really wake, so I tuck her in and go back down.
I leave her computer alone, just plug it in so it’s got juice, and then join Enzo in the basement.
I don’t know what time it is, but it’s got to be late, and I know I’m going to need to crash soon. Enzo, too. This whole event’s been like a long back-to-back all-nighter marathon.
We try to avoid them unless we need them. Because god forbid we need to suddenly throw ourselves into a long and delicate operation when we’re needlessly burning all the candles from each end.
I motion for Enzo to head to his room and crash.
We can’t do much tonight.
When, I’m rechecking a few leads, Zayne calls, “Got the info. Her name’s Gianna Walsh.”
Gianna. Jean.
I half smile at how weirdly close, in a way, Vi was. “Who is she?”
“Does congressman Joseph Walsh mean anything to you?”
I type in his name. “Not really. I don’t tend to follow politics, just bad people.”
“Yeah? Well, he’s high-profile, and the good congressman has pissed off several organized crime groups by passing laws that affected their businesses.”
Why I probably didn’t take note of him if he’s clean.
“If he’s high profile, then how did I miss the daughter going missing?”
“Who knows? I forgot it. News moves fast, Cade. Her disappearance, almost a year ago, made international headlines, and she hasn’t been seen since.”
“Vi said eight months…”
“Could have been taken almost a year ago and then was moved to wherever this Vi-girl met her. So, what do you want me to do? Hand the info to the cops, or look into it myself?”
The smartest and easiest move would be to leave it in Zayne’s hands. But this means so much to Violet.
“I’ll do it, man. Thanks.”
“Okay. Reach out if you need any help.”
“Will do.” I sit back, rub a hand on my chest.
I’m not sure why, but I’ve got a bad feeling about this.