Page 13 of Lethal Weakness

She glances at the sky like hearing that pulls her to look at the rising moon. “I’m an idiot and didn’t sign a lease. I’m afraid if I piss him off, he’ll kick us out. I don’t have very many options right now,” she admits meekly.

“Why?” Shit. Too soon.

She looks at me a moment, thinking the same thing. “Have a good night…” She hesitates, “What’s your name?”

Smith. “O’Connor.”

Fuck.

“That sounds like a last name.”

“It is.”

“What’s your first name?”

“Jack.”

Her eyes widen, and she slips inside without another word.

Nearly a decade of doing deep cover operations, and one set of innocent neighbors has me destroying the anonymity that I survive on.

Chapter Five

O’Connor

Right on cue, Avery’s giggles of delight cross the street as she and Linden walk back to their house. Monday, Wednesday, and Friday, they spend eight hours across the street.

I don’t need to check any of my logs. I’ve had their schedule memorized for weeks.

Avery goes straight to their backyard as I watch from the back door of my garage. Linden looks at her daughter, who is already busy blowing bubbles, and back into her kitchen through her back door.

“Stay right there, Avery. I need to turn the oven on and start your dinner. I’ll be right back.”

“Otay, Mommy.” She flings bubble solution into the air without producing a single bubble.

I step out onto my back porch and open the grill cover.

“Hi, Mr. Jack!” Avery yells across the fence.

I produce a hand in a small wave, only so she won’t yell my name louder to get my attention.

“What you doing?”

“Making dinner.”

“What are those?”

“Steaks.”

“What’s a steak?”

“It’s meat.”

“What’s meat?”

“Uh, from an animal.”

“Like a dinosaur?”