Page 80 of Smitty

“Sorry so late.” I stepped inside and offered her the bottle of juice. “You should be in bed.”

“I couldn’t sleep if I wanted to.”

She carried the bottle into the kitchen and placed it in the fridge before returning to me. “Long day?”

“The longest.”

“You look exhausted.” I took her hand in mine, brushing the pad of my thumb over her knuckles. “I should get out of here and let you…”

“No, I don’t want you to go.” The answer came so fast it made me smile. “I’ll be fine.”

“Okay. Let’s at least get comfortable on the couch or something.”

She nodded, and I followed her into the living room. We sat down on the sofa, and at first, neither of us spoke. I wasn’t bothered by the silence. We both had a way of getting in our heads, but tonight was different. She kept twisting her silver ring around her index finger, and she was chewing on the inside of her jaw. It was something I’d seen her do whenever something was bothering her.

“You sure you’re okay?”

She nodded, at first. But after a moment, she shook her head and muttered, “No.”

“What’s going on?”

“Something happened at work today.” I could feel the tension radiating off her as she said, “But before I tell you, you need to understand something about my job.”

“O-kay.”

“There are strict rules about confidentiality. It’s not just encouraged, it’s mandatory. There are HIPAA laws and a hundred other things, and if I share the wrong thing with the wrong person, I could get fired and lose everything I’ve worked for.”

“I know how it works. It’s the same way with the club. There are certain things we can’t and won’t share. Not with anyone. It’s how we keep the family safe.”

“Then, you know I would be putting everything on the line if I shared something from a case with you.”

“Yes, Brooke. I get it.”

She looked at me for another long moment, then grabbed her phone from the coffee table. “I have something I need to show you.”

I had no idea what was on that phone.

But if the worried look on her face was any indication, it wasn’t good.

16

BROOKE

My stomach had been in knots since I walked out of Jimmy’s house, and they had only grown tighter since I’d pulled out my phone. I trusted Brayden. I knew he’d meant it when he said he wouldn’t put me or my job in jeopardy, but he hadn’t seen what I’d seen.

“Daniel and I did a home visit today.” I turned my phone over in my hands, staring at the black screen. “It was for a boy who’d caused some trouble for another case of mine. The specifics aren’t important.”

“Okay. Keep going.”

“We were there to make sure he was safe after everything that happened.” I looked up at him as I continued, “The house wasn’t good, but it was far from the worst I’ve ever seen. It was dirty and dusty with ashtrays overflowing with cigarette butts and empty beer cans strewn on the floor… It looked like only men lived there.”

I expected a reaction from him on that, but he didn’t even flinch.

He just sat there, silently listening as I went on, “There were two bedrooms with actual beds. Again, they were messy but livable. There was food in the kitchen and the fridge, and we didn’t see any weapons lying around, which was the reason for our visit”

“So, the place checked out.”

“For the most part.” I held my phone a little tighter as I told him, “Daniel was jotting down some notes in the kitchen while I checked out the basement. It looked just as I expected. It had an old, beat-up sofa and an old TV in the center of the room. There was a gaming system and tons of games, but nothing that stood out as a problem.”