Suddenly aware that Sarah was scowling as she watched his reaction, Tag tried to mask the disgust her little brother always managed to provoke.
“I don’t know for sure that he’s using again.” There was pure challenge in her voice.
Sure she did—but Tag was smart enough to keep his mouth shut.
“What I know for sure is that he didn’t show up for my wedding. He isn’t answering his phone and I need to find him.” She added belligerence to the challenge in her voice.
Grimacing, he swiped a hand over his head and massaged the back of his neck. “Where is he?”
“A place called Dark Falls. It’s in Colorado.” She paused and added helpfully. “I have his address and where he works.”
“Dark Falls? Never heard of it.” Tag dropped his hand and frowned. “How’d he end up there?”
“One of his buddies opened a metal shop and offered Sean a room and a job. He’d just gotten out of rehab, and his therapist thought it would do him good to get out of town, cut ties with his influencers.” She paused, shrugged ruefully. “Sean thought working in a metal shop would be cool. He wanted to make swords.”
That sounded like the little prick Tag remembered. The kid had jumped from job to job at the drop of a hat. IT tech. Computer programmer. Computer tech. Cashier—until he’d been fired for stealing. Hell, the kid had even shoveled grub in a hospital cafeteria for a while.
Sean could have made something of himself if he’d stuck with the computer shit. The kid had been technology smart, but life stupid.
Everything she was telling sounded like the Sean and Sarah he used to know. Her reasoning made sense. So why the fuck did it still feel off?
“Why didn’t you just tell me this? Why the run around?”
She rolled her eyes and scoffed.
“Seriously?” She scoffed again. “Maybe because I knew how you’d react? Maybe because you’ve made it clear how you felt about Sean, and I didn’t feel like dealing with your attitude tonight.”
Tag grimaced and dragged a hand down his face. It was hard to argue with that. He’d never been shy about sharing his opinions with her—or Sean for that matter.
“Anyway,” she continued after the silence had gone on way too long, “I’m on my way to Dark Falls. To look for Sean.” Her voice was back to challenging. “If I turn around tonight and go home, I’ll just have to drive back again tomorrow. It’s a waste of time. I’m staying put and continuing on after I get some sleep.”
“Rio wants to see you tomorrow—” he glanced at his watch and corrected himself. “Today…this morning. How about we head back to San Diego and meet with Rio and strike out for Dark Falls tomorrow?”
He doubted she’d go for the suggestion. When it came to her brother, Sarah had little common sense and no self-control.
“I’m going to Dark Falls.” She didn’t say with or without you, but it was clearly implied. “I’m not going to waste a full day just so I can tell the cops the exact same things I told them over and over yesterday. Not when Sean might need me.”
He frowned. “At least wait until we find Mitch. Get a bead on what he’s into and who else he might owe money too.”
Her jaw set. “I’m going to Dark Falls.”
Fuck.
Arguing with the woman when she had her mind made up was like arguing with the tide. Useless and aggravating.
He couldn’t let her go off on her own. He doubted that any of Mitch’s business partners were after her brother. But shit, if he was using again, Sean’s associates could be just as dangerous. He couldn’t let her go barging into a drug colony on her own.
Because she would.
Fuuuck…she'd done so in the past. Finding out about those excursions still gave him nightmares.
“Fine.” He scanned the dumpy room and sighed. There was only one bed and he sure as hell didn’t intend to spend the night on the filthy floor. While he didn’t have germ obsessions and he’d spent the night in far worse places, he didn’t enjoy sleeping in filth when he didn’t have to.
Besides, he hated the thought of Sarah sleeping between those sheets. Who knew when they’d been changed last.
“How about we blow this place and find a better motel? One that won’t give us an STD. We’ll hunt down your brother in the morning.”
He’d call Rio and explain, but he sure as hell wasn’t letting Sarah head