computers for almost two weeks now. I'm starting to even understand them. Black Snake and Gold Eagle. You are making progress. Your problem is that you aren't doing it yourself. You're no longer the lone wolf, stalking us in the shadows. Now, you're part of the pack."
He chuckled. "How do you always manage to make this shit sound reasonable?"
"Well, I don't have a dick to screw up my brain. And speaking of that, how's your woman?"
"I just bit her head off for trying to be nice. Pretty sure she's not happy with me right now," he admitted. "And before you ask, I already sucked up. She took the job, though. While I'm being a scrooge, she's mixing music and giggling with Rhaven. Something about borrowed and blue, last I heard."
"Wedding planning," Riley said. "Please tell me you haven't forgotten that you proposed to her."
That made him actually laugh, maybe a little too loud. "No, can't forget that. Starting to even like it when people tell me I'm happier now. It's true, and yeah, it's also because of her." He hummed around a sigh. "You know I've been giving her hand-to-hand lessons? Just self-defense stuff, but I think it's helping me more than her. If someone pulls another gun on one of my girls?"
"Oh, your girls?" Riley asked. "And who would that be?"
"Zara, Rhaven, Kate, Myst, Kitty, Dez, Sam, Amy, and yes, you, Riley. I'm sure I missed a few, but all of my girls. This group of ladies who make me work to keep up, and I'm claiming you so I get to be in the cool crowd."
"Good sucking up," she teased. "So what has you so pissed off this time? Zara having too much fun to suck you off again?"
"Fuck," he grumbled. "No. Just no. Don't even try to go there. I'm stuck, babe. I got this guy, and I'm sure he's connected. Thing is, I can't find the tie between him and Dez. He was there when she was assaulted that first time. Sucks that I even have to clarify that, but yeah. He targeted her, and I can't fucking figure out why."
"Gamer?" Riley asked.
"In the field," Jason admitted. "Journalist."
"Ah." Riley paused, but the sound was comfortable, like she was thinking. "This was back when she was running that blog, right?"
"Yep."
"So, did she name and shame him? Did she have a rant that basically called him or his ideas stupid? Did she lose it on Reddit like she used to in one of those gamer subreddits? I think 'balance' was her go-to place."
"What?" Jason asked, sitting up. "How do you know that?"
"I told you," she said, "I have been listening to this crap downstairs for days. Weeks! Destiny Pierce pulled viewers to her blog by destroying them on Reddit. She knew her shit, too. I mean, from what Knock says, she probably hacked the code and was reading the numbers no one else could see, but still. She made strong points and she was more than willing to defend her position. Usually the person who went against her ended up as the brunt of the joke. It's all still up. She posted under Lachesis."
"One of the fates," Jason muttered, recognizing the name. "Ok. Have one of them check? I'm going to see if Dez has any other social media accounts from that time that might still exist."
"No," Riley said. "You, Agent Raige, are going to take the rest of tonight off. You will power down your computer, put away your files, walk into the other room, and ask your fianc茅e what kind of bouquet she's going to have, or about her wedding dress, or something. You will take a moment to appreciate all the good things you have right in front of you, especially when they are bringing you coffee."
"Unlike you, I don't have a group willing to feed me caffeine," he joked. "And I've barely spent any time with Braden or Rhaven when I wasn't all but ignoring them. So, maybe a movie night."
"Let the girls pick," Riley suggested. "Trust me, it'll work out for you in the end."
"Shit," he laughed. "Babe, Zara has no problems with throwing me in bed. Promise. My girl knows that if she wants something, I'm not opposed to her taking it."
"I knew I liked her for some reason," Riley said. "You feeling any better yet?"
"Yeah," he admitted. "Dunno how you always do that, but yeah." He paused, hearing a tap at the door. "Come!"