Merry with a Gambler (Love Beach Holiday Collection)

Chapter 8

CHAPTER 8

Boots

“What happened,” Stack snaps.

From the look on his face, I can tell he has payback on his mind. I don’t want him doing anything drastic for me.

“He grabbed me and tried to pin me to the bed. I acted like I was going to give in, that I was receptive, then kneed him. Downstairs I flashed my phone at the bitch. Told her I’d recorded it and her telling me to go to him. I made her a deal she couldn’t refuse.”

“What?” Stack demands.

“I leave and take care of myself. They keep turning in reports like I was still under their care and collect their paycheck. No one looks for me because I’m settled in a loving foster care. Win win.”

He gives me a half smile. “Well played. I still want to take him apart.”

“I learned a few things from my parents.” I glance at my cup. “It’s why I can’t ignore his appearance today. I can’t let them have another kid to ignore or use as bait.”

“We’ll find him. And if there’s a sister… We’ll take care of her, too.”

I look at him. My parents showed me, taught me by example, who not to trust. How to look for the subtle tells that they were up to no good. That part of my education has served me well. The only time it failed me was with my ex. In hindsight, I should have seen his deceit coming, but I was tired of the games and wanted normal. I thought he was normal.

“What do you know about your parents?” Stack interrupts my thoughts. “Things like, where they’re from, full names, birthdates. Anything we can use to try to trace or track them. We can try to get the info from social services, but if you have it, it would be quicker.”

Nodding, I reach for my backpack. “I used to fill out my own school’s forms every time they relocated me, so I have some copies that I kept. I don’t know if any of the information is real, but it passed the schools inspection when I was growing up.”

Dumping the contents on the counter, I remove the false bottom in my pack.

He grins. “Beautiful and so smart. I’m surprised that they sent you to school.”

“It got me out of their hair. For me going to school was better than being left home alone.”

“If you’re okay, I’d like to send copies of this stuff and the pictures of the little girl to my office. See if they find anything. I also want this envelope and paper to see if we can lift fingerprints. That might be more accurate than the papers if they’re forged.”

“I don’t mind.”

He gathers the stuff and turns to leave. “Stack.”

Pausing he glances back. “I won’t let another child be hurt, raised like I was. It wouldn’t surprise me if they plan on leaving her with me.

“The two of them—they mean nothing to me.”

He nods and goes down the hall. Putting our cups in the dishwasher, I go take another shower. Talking about Blanche and Eddie gives me a dirty, smarmy feeling I have to wash off. When I’m done, I go to his office.

Glancing up he holds out his hand. I take it and he urges me onto his lap, then clicks a couple icons on his computer. “Good news, you do not have a sister. Those pictures were stock photos from an online site. Kalli pegged them almost immediately.”

“They’re sure?”

He hits a different link and I see the well-known name of the site and the same picture Eddie left for me.

“Who’s Kalli?”

“I-Tee’s woman. What the two of them together can do on the internet is frightening. I’m thankful every day they’re on our side.”

“Did they find anything on Blanche and Eddie?”

“A little on the names you know them as, but I-Tee suspects that’s not their real names.” He holds up the envelope Eddie gave me which is now in a bag marked evidence.

“Someone from the office will pick this up. We suspect they have more aliases you aren’t aware of. If you can think of any different names they called each other it might be helpful.”

“I don’t think Asshole and Bitch would count.”

He laughs. “Naw those are pretty common for a lot of people. Even some of my coworkers.”

He kisses my ear and whispers. “You’re not alone this time. Now go to bed. We’ll have a few things I want to check tomorrow.”

“We might have a problem.”

He raises an eyebrow.

“I’ll go to bed but you need to come with. It’s a king and there’s plenty of room for the two of us. If you won’t share the bed, then I’ll sleep on the floor in the living room and neither of us will get a good rest.”

“It’s not a big deal, Boots.”

“I know it isn’t to you. But it is to me. I won’t let you be the guest in your own home.”

He studies me for a moment. “I get the side by the door and if you snore, I’m leaving.”

I laugh. “If you snore, I’ll cover your head with a pillow.”

“Fair enough. Go to bed, I’m going to take a shower and I’ll be there in a few.”

Snuggled into the bed with my back to the door, I hear the shower then the silence. I feel his presence in the room before he climbs in bed. I know he took longer than normal giving me a chance to fall asleep before he came in. But I couldn’t.

I’m being needy and I know it. When he’s with me, near me, I feel safe like I’ve never felt before. Some part of my body knows if he’s next to me I can relax and truly sleep without having to keep my subconscious on guard. Although he’s not touching me his body heat engulfs me, warms me to my very core and shields me from the night. I listen to the easy cadence of his breathing. Lulled by the sense of security I drift into sleep.

Warmth surrounds me, a soothing stroke slides up and down my back, and a calming musky scent fills each breath I inhale. Rubbing my hand then my nose against the heated pillow beneath me I arch into the warmth. A rumble vibrates beneath my cheek, and I snap upward on my open palm.

My body is pressed half on and half off of Stack. “Oh shit!”

Ensuring I don’t accidentally knee his crotch, he wraps a palm around my calf holding me in place when I attempt to scramble off of him. He grins up at me.

“Morning, Boots.”