The Protector (Barrett Boys #3) - Jordan Ford Page 0,71
go into it.
“Man, I didn’t know that. That’s… Why?”
“I don’t know! I needed it to get the job. He added a couple years to my age and gave me a bunch of qualifications. It was solid.”
“And you never told me.”
I can hear his irritation and mutter, “I didn’t think you’d approve.”
“I don’t.”
“My point exactly.”
Jake lets out a heavy sigh, mercifully dropping the subject. Sort of. “You know, it kind of explains the bizarre phone call I had yesterday. I was gonna tell you before. This guy called me asking all about you.”
I close my eyes, feeling sick. “Did he give you his name?”
“No. He just called and asked me to verify my name. I told him I was Jake Adams, and then he asked if I had a twin brother named Brody who worked for Alpha Security.”
“What’d you say?”
“Uh… yes, because it’s the truth. I said you used to work for Alpha Security but had a new job now. Then I went to ask him who it was, but he just hung up. It was weird.”
“Did he sound old or…?”
“Nah, probably our age. What’s going on, man?”
“I don’t know. Everything was going great, and then I get this call saying they found out who I am, and I have no idea what triggered them, and then—” I go still, the tornado turning into a nuclear explosion as finally my memory comes clear. “Stud Muffin.”
“What?”
“Tuffin! Wren Tuffin.”
“Who’s Wren?”
“Shit,” I whisper, firing up the engine as cold dread sweeps through me.
Why am I feeling this way? Wren’s our friend. He wouldn’t sell me out.
Wouldn’t he?
A knot forms in my throat and I rasp, “Jake, I gotta go.”
“No way. Don’t you leave me in the dark.”
I put the phone on speaker, dumping it on the passenger seat while I reverse out of my spot, and start telling Jake everything.
“So you think Wren is connected with this Burk guy and he was the one who got you fired?”
“It’s gotta be, right? Tuffin’s hardly a common last name.”
“Okay, let’s run with that for a second. Let’s say it’s true, but… why? Is he worried about Indigo or something?”
“Maybe he wants me out of the way.” I accelerate through an intersection and head for the highway. “Calling me out means I automatically get fired.”
“But he had no way of knowing they wouldn’t replace you with someone else immediately.”
“What if he did? What if this Burk guy was the one who suggested Shaw let his daughter try things on her own for a while?”
“Okay, so you get kicked out of the picture, which means Wren, or anyone, has free access to Indigo without you in the way. But why? Does Wren have some kind of crush on her?”
“I…” My heart’s starting to thunder, Wren’s face flashing through my brain—his twitching nose, his erratic blinks, the way he’d sometimes watch Indy when he thought I wasn’t looking.
“Didn’t you say he has a girlfriend?”
“Yeah, he does.”
“Unless that’s all bullshit. Maybe you’re not the only one who’s been playing pretend.”
And now my heart is beating between my ears. A warning drum that’s making it hard to think straight. “Shit, I gotta call Indy.”
“Uh… is that the best idea? Didn’t her dad place some kind of restraining order against you?”
“I don’t care. It’s not official anyway. It was just a threat.” My voice is coming out erratic and jerky.
“Brody—”
“I gotta go. I gotta make sure she’s okay.”
“All right, man, but keep me posted. I’m here if you need my help.”
I nod, unable to speak as I press the gas pedal to the floor.
That anxious feeling in my gut is starting to grow, and it only gets worse when I dial Indy’s number and get no reply.
32
A Gullible Fool
I stare at the vibrating phone in my hand and can’t bring myself to answer it.
Brody’s name flashes on my screen, but what is there to say?
After half an hour of nonstop crying and a missed class, I called my father.
He was adamant that Brody was going down for what he did. I understood why Daddy was so pissed. Brody lied to get this job, and that wasn’t cool. But when my father started ranting that he was going to make sure Brody was sent to prison, I just couldn’t handle it.
So I freaking begged.
I begged for him to simply fire Brody and be done with it.
He finally agreed on the condition that I never have any contact with Brody again.