This Fearless Girl (St. Clary's University #2) - E. M. Moore Page 0,71
end.”
“Any obvious reason why he would be here?” I ask.
Wyatt flips through the rest of the file. “None.”
Stone pulls into the left lane to go around another car. “The PI couldn’t find anything, but we’re still looking. At least we know a little more about him.”
“We know he must be ruthless,” Lucas says. “I can’t imagine it’s an easy thing to challenge the leader of a gang and win the spot.”
“He’s been in jail a couple of times,” Wyatt says, speaking up again. “Mostly minor things: burglary, possession of a firearm. Nothing in years, though.”
“He’s protected,” I say. That part is clear. With the way Lionel swept everything that happened out on my family’s land under the rug, we know Cole hasn’t stopped doing bad things, he’s just well-hidden now. Or has people to take the fall for him.
“That’s an understatement,” Stone says. “The guy the PI got to talk was scared out of his mind.” He looks up into the rearview. “He hasn’t been able to get a hold of him in a couple days.”
My eyebrows raise. That’s not good. A guy like Cole probably doesn’t want anyone looking into his background. Though we really don’t have anything, we have more than we did before.
“Alright, tell me about this antique jeweler guy,” I say to Stone.
“He works for a university. He’s a special kind of scientist who analyzes artifacts to hopefully tell us what time period the ring was made in and where it originated. When I spoke to him on the phone, he told me that all artifacts usually have a style that’s derivative of one part of the world. The Spanish had different styles and ways of making things than we did and so on. He wanted me to send a picture of the ring, but I told him we weren’t going to do that. He’s already signed a non-disclosure clause that I sent to him this morning. We’re to be in a room without cameras and cell phones. I’m trying to make it as secretive as possible, so what we have doesn’t get out.”
I watch Stone through the mirror for a little while. He really knows what he’s doing. He’s taken all the precautions. I probably would’ve just shown up and asked the guy to take a look and not thought about the consequences. “Thank you,” I tell him.
“Aww, they like each other,” Wyatt coos.
Stone glares at him, but that doesn’t deter Wyatt from reaching over and ruffling Stone’s hair. Stone slaps at his friend’s hands. “You’re such a dick, Longhorn.”
Wyatt shrugs. “I don’t know. If you ask me, I think Dakota likes it messy.”
I lean back on the seat and cuddle in next to Lucas who is always there with waiting arms. “Actually, I think I like the variety.”
Wyatt laughs, whooping it up before flicking the front of his cowboy hat and turning to look at me. “I can be anything you want me to be.”
“How about on your back, cowboy?”
He tilts his head. “You know cowboys are pretty good at riding things, but I’m willing to do whatever you want.”
Stone rolls his eyes. I press my lips together to keep from smiling, and even Lucas chuckles.
Before long, we’re in Leedsville. The jeweler has agreed to meet with us at his home instead of the university because there are cameras all over the place in the school. When we all get out, I stand next to Stone while looking up at the one and a half story house. “Where’s the ring?”
He pulls a velvet bag out of his pocket. I open my palm, and he deposits it there.
“We can trust this guy?”
“He’s all vetted. He knows what he’s talking about. Actually, he’s one of the top guys in the country, and he happens to live nearby, so we lucked out. If we can’t trust him, he’ll be fucking ruined. He signed that contract, so he knows the stakes.”
That’s what I want to hear.
The four of us make our way up the front steps as a unit. Wyatt presses the doorbell and, like the gentleman he is, takes off his hat as we wait for our jeweler to answer the door. When he finally comes, he’s a lot younger than I imagined. He studies each of us. “Ronald Fleming?” he asks, his eyes lighting on the guys as if he’s not sure who’s who.
Stone steps up. “Yes, sir. We spoke on the phone. These are members of my team. They can be trusted.”