Eleusis (Stacked Deck #9) - Emilia Finn Page 0,33

case of anxiety spinning in my stomach. Mom and Oz stand on the opposite side of the counter and cook together. It’s so natural for them, so practiced and smooth, the way mom chops peppers, and Oz browns onions. My mom’s glass of wine sits not so far from my juice, and Oz’s beer moves as he moves. He sips, and sets it down. Then he comes to the counter, so he takes another sip, and sets it by the chopping board.

“How are things going at work, Daddy?” I try not to make it sound like I care too much. Mild interest, mild chit-chat, and perhaps a change of subject from the elephant in the room. “Still giving you trouble?”

“Yeah.” My stepfather’s jaw grinds as he thinks so much more than he says. “My whole fucking career is a Groundhog Day repeat of bullshit right now.”

“And the drug stuff?”

He sighs. “X set up a taskforce. This shit is getting out of hand.”

“But you said it’s just a kid, right? A teen.”

“Yeah, but it’s growing,” Oz huffs and turns back to the onions. “Every time we peel a layer back, we discover a whole bunch more shit that needs to be untangled. X had me and Tate working it when we weren’t busy with anything else, but that’s not getting the job done. Now he’s got me creating a team and dedicating our time to fixing this shit.” He stops what he’s doing and meets my eyes. “Drugs in small towns are like a cancer, Beauty. That shit spreads and spreads and spreads. Folks die, and lives are messed up.”

“So you’re gonna dig in and get rid of the cancer?”

He grabs his beer and tips it back for a swallow. “It’s why I joined the force.” Then he sets the bottle down on marble with a clink. “I have to head out tonight and take a look at some stuff.”

“Wait.” Mom stops chopping and looks to her husband with a frown. “You’re heading out tonight?”

“Yeah.” He grabs the spatula and goes back to work at the stove. “I got word today that something was happening tonight, so I’ll take a drive around town and check it out.” He draws a heavy breath, then lets it out on a sigh. “I miss the good old days of arresting Jeremy Doyle for showing his wang to Miss Dixie through her parlor windows.”

“The good old days,” I snicker. “Can’t say I’m sorry for not seeing Doyle’s wang, through a window or otherwise.”

“I saw it a time or two.” Mom picks up a slice of pepper and takes a crunching bite. “You’re better off not knowing what that looks like. It can never be unseen.” She offers me a fresh slice of pepper and grins. “You wanna stay for dinner?”

“That’s why I’m here.”

Oz rolls his eyes. “And here I was, assuming you enjoyed hanging out with me,” he drawls. “You want the food, not the company.”

“I come for the company,” I tease, “I stay for the food.”

“Where’s that other toolbag tonight?”

Thankfully, Oz goes back to his onions, which means he can’t know the way my eyes shoot wide, or the way my pulse skips when a certain face plays through my mind. I know he’s asking about Brenten, so why the hell does a man with dirty blond hair, blue eyes, and a dimple in his chin come to my mind?

“Brenten The Pussy Prosecutor,” Oz continues. “Is he busy watching Judge Judy? That’s how he learns his job, right?”

“Stop saying mean things about him.” I toss half of my pepper at Oz’s back, and grin when it smacks his shirt and drops to the floor. “He’s nice.”

“He’s extremely feminine. You can’t tell me you didn’t notice that about him. We both know he files his nails.”

“So he’s not a meathead from the gym who likes to flex his arms and kiss his own biceps.”

“No, but let’s talk about that guy too.” Oz turns back and points a finger at my face. “William Quinn is bad news, Beauty. Stay the hell away.”

“Um… what?” I sit back and scowl. “First of all, how the hell did we transition to him? And second, why the eff am I being put on notice about a guy I’m not dating?”

“Because he watches you, Beauty. He watches you hard. He’s looking to piss a lot of people off, and who better to target than you?”

“So I’m a brainless bimbo who would fall into trouble simply because a guy with muscles looks

readonlinefreenovel.com Copyright 2016 - 2024