Johan's Joy (Heroes for Hire #22) - Dale Mayer Page 0,57

charger. “Yes, please, both chargers. One’s for my cell phone, and the other is for my laptop.”

As he gave them to her, he noticed a copy of a popular graphic novel had come out of the nightstand, so he picked that up too. Then she slowly retreated, trying to figure out if she even wanted anything else here.

Kai reached out for a bra but stopped midway as it was covered in paint. A stack of panties was off to the side, but they had been painted too all over. “Several paint cans were used here,” Kai said. “I don’t think you’ll want anything here.”

Joy shook her head. “Not really. I’ve got my laptop and phone, and I guess everything else is replaceable.” But her voice dropped as she realized the enormity of the cost to replace everything.

“Do you have renter’s insurance?” Tyson asked behind her.

She stared at him, realizing what he meant. “No,” she whispered. “I don’t. If I’m liable for all this, I’m really screwed.”

“You won’t be liable for it,” Kai said, “but it would help if you could get a few hundred dollars to replace some of this.” And she waved her hand at the clothing.

“That’ll take more than a few hundred dollars,” Joy said sadly. “I don’t spend much on clothes, but, to replace it all at once, well, it’ll be a few thousand for sure.”

“You brought some winter clothes with you too, I see,” Tyson said, motioning to the closet where coats had been dumped on the floor and spray-painted on top.

“I did a huge cleanup before I left Boston,” she whispered. “This is what I decided to keep because it seemed better suited for here. I was going to buy more clothes later, figuring Texas malls would have better options for the temperate weather here.”

“Did you buy more once you got here?”

She shook her head. “I didn’t get a chance yet,” she said. “I was just making do with my old clothes, trying to get a few more paychecks behind me.”

“Well, guess what?” Johan said. “I don’t think you can wait any longer.”

*

Johan hadn’t wanted to be brutal in his tone, but she could do only so much standing here. She groaned and turned away, walking into the kitchen. She checked in a few of the cupboards, found a bit of food, then opened the fridge. There she cried out because the milk had been poured out on the inside, and the eggs had been smashed. She’d just picked up extra groceries with Kai, and the steaks were long gone, as they’d been torn out of their containers, soaked in milk, and tossed on the lower shelves of the fridge.

She slowly closed the fridge and turned to look at Johan. “What am I supposed to do now?”

The bewilderment in her voice got to him the most. “Well, first off,” he said, “we have a hotel suite, so you can come stay with us. Kai and Tyson can grab a hotel room there as well,” he said. “The police will be here soon, and it depends on what they say, but no way you can stay here obviously.”

“Why are you both in a hotel, when I thought the compound was nearby, just on the outskirts of Houston?” Joy asked.

With a nod to Kai, Johan explained. “Kai and Ice both wanted us closer to you, considering the ketamine angle. Which has proved to be a good instinct, what with the threats to you and the murder of Barlow, plus finding out Chelsea may have been murdered as well.”

She looked down at her watch. “It’s Saturday, and I suppose it’s too late to shop, isn’t it?”

“No, depending on how long the cops keep us here,” Kai said. “The malls will be open until nine o’clock. You and I can hopefully go out and at least get you a couple outfits. If nothing else, some underclothes and a few pairs of leggings and shirts that you can wear to work.”

“Okay,” she said, staring down at her only a pair of jeans. “Of course I’m wearing jeans, the one thing I can’t wear to work.”

“Maybe,” Kai said. “But they sure look good on you, and they’re new, so better that they destroyed some older stuff, and you’ve got the new pair.”

She nodded slowly and took several steps back.

When a hard knock sounded on the door, she cried out. Johan immediately reached out to calm her down. “It’s all right,” he said.

She shook her head. “You keep saying that.” She watched