A Bad Day for Sunshine (Sunshine Vicram #1) - Darynda Jones Page 0,51
brother.
Sun kept one hand on her duty weapon, but showed a palm in surrender with the other. “We just need to talk to Jimmy. He’s not in trouble.”
She tried to fling herself at Sun again, but Levi held her back.
“They think Jimmy’s been hanging around with that missing girl,” Levi said to her.
And Hailey went ballistic. She clawed and scratched at him, trying to get to Sun. “How dare you!” she shouted. “He would never hang out with a St. Aubin. Those kinds of girls wouldn’t give my son the time of day. But maybe that’s why you’re here.” She stilled as shock took over. “You think he took her.”
“We don’t think anything, Hailey.” Sun worked hard on keeping her tone soft but confident. “We just need to talk to him.”
Hailey fought Levi’s hold again until he pulled her against him and spoke into her ear.
She whirled around and gaped at him. “What do you mean?”
Levi let out a long breath, then said, “I lost his tracks in the snow. He’s still up there.”
Hailey plastered both hands over her mouth as fresh tears fell down her cheeks. She looked like she’d been crying all morning. “He’ll freeze to death in those mountains.”
“He knows that rock better than I do. I’ll find him, Hails,” Levi promised as the older man came forward and put an arm over her shoulders.
She stiffened and shook him off before heading back inside the house. Just before she closed the door, she looked at Sun and said, “Get that piece of shit off this property.”
It was nice to see nothing had changed. Sun was still hated for no reason whatsoever, and Hailey was still a hellcat. At least she knew where she stood.
The slam echoed against the surrounding buildings, and Sun turned to Levi. “What’s going on?”
“We just came back for dry clothes. Dipshit over there fell in the river.” He gestured toward the dipshit.
“You’re searching the mountain. For whom?”
He tilted his head to the side as though stunned she would dare talk to him, his annoyance crystal clear.
When they were growing up, he’d seemed to like her. Well, like may have been a strong word, but he didn’t hate her. They’d even started talking. He was three years older, but after he’d graduated high school, she’d see him around here and there. It always made her day.
But in high school, Sun was involved in . . . an accident. She spent a month in the hospital in a coma. Afterward, Levi kept his distance, even going so far as to ignore her when she called out to say hi. It was bizarre, and she didn’t deserve his indifference, so she grew bitter and he grew bitter, and before she knew it, they were at an impenetrable impasse.
“Or I can bring you in for questioning,” she said, her threat as clear as his corn whiskey. “If that would make this easier.”
He kept his dark, unwavering gaze trained on her face for a solid minute before he answered, “Jimmy didn’t come home last night.”
Sun released a disappointed sigh. Of course, she’d guessed instantly who they were talking about, but she’d needed confirmation. “Levi, I have a missing girl, and now a boy who’s been seen with her is missing, too?”
Fury sparked in his whiskey-colored eyes. He leaned closer, putting Quincy on edge enough to step between them, and whispered just for her, “Fuck you,” before stalking into the house.
The cousin laughed, the sound strangely high-pitched like the jackals she’d considered Levi’s relatives to be.
“Wow,” Quincy said softly at her side. “He really dislikes you.”
“Thanks for the reminder.”
“No, seriously, what did you do?”
“Hey,” she said to the cousin before he could follow Levi inside.
He grinned. “What is it, little girl? You think I’m going to give you information when Ravinder wouldn’t?”
Even the other family members called him Ravinder. “Why do you call him that?” she asked. He flipped her off and tried to walk away again, but she asked, “How long has he been missing?”
The guy turned back, and she could tell his concern was real. “Since yesterday afternoon.” He looked back at the house, checking to see if anyone was watching. “We think he went out and got caught in the storm yesterday.”
“You should have called us.”
“Yeah,” he said, chuckling. “Because the law enforcement officers of Del Sol have always been such peaches to work with.”
She lifted a shoulder. “New regime. You could do something crazy and give me a chance.”