“Not even a little.”
She nodded. “Hold on.” And left the room, calling, “Erin! Can you come down here a second?”
Both sisters entered a moment later, Erin shocking in her state of cleanliness and youth. She wore no makeup, and was in jeans and a tame sweatshirt.
“Hi,” she said, sliding into the chair beside him. “Sam said you needed something?”
“Yeah, kid. It’s a favor, and it’s a big one, but it’ll really help me out if you can come through.”
She fiddled with the cuffs of her sweatshirt, glanced at her sister and earned a nod of encouragement. “Okay.”
“Can you give me Jesse’s number?”
She looked startled. “Um, why?”
He wanted to grit his teeth and shake her for being a teenager. Damn, had he been that way at sixteen? He felt extremely sorry for Mags, having to deal with him back then.
“A friend of mine,” he said, forcing patience, “my best friend since high school. My bro, you know?”
She nodded, growing solemn.
“He’s been abducted by some really bad guys.”
“Aid,” Sam said, just a breath. But she didn’t try to stop him. It was time Erin learned that there were more important things in life than eye liner.
Erin gulped visibly.
“There’s someone I need to talk to about this,” Aidan continued. “And the only way I can think to get hold of him is through your boyfriend.”
“Jesse?” Some of her distress eased and she curled her lip in derision. “He’s not my boyfriend anymore.”
“Good for you,” he said, and meant it. “But I tried going by his place and he’s not there. Do you know where I can find him?”
She nodded. “He likes to go to the pool hall with his friends.”
The pool hall that had once been converted into the Carpathians’ clubhouse, then burned, then been refurbished and reopened as a shiny new hangout spot for college kids.
“Awesome. Thank you. That’s a big help.”
Erin looked pleased. “What are you gonna do to Jesse?”
“Nothing too bad,” Aidan said, and gave her a wink.
She giggled.
“Erin, how’s the homework coming?” Sam asked, clearly trying to derail this line of conversation.
Erin got up from her chair and headed out of the room. “Working on it.”
Sam dumped a package of ground beef into the skillet and it landed with ahiss. “You aren’t actually going to do anything to Jesse, are you? I can’t stand the little shithead, but I don’t know if he deserves a beating.”
“I don’t care about Jesse,” he assured. “And I figure he’ll sing his lungs out the second I get hold of him.”
She snorted.
His business now conducted, there was nothing holding Aidan here. Except the way steam from the pan was curling the loose wisps of Sam’s braid. And the way his insides throbbed with warmth as he watched her work.
“What’re you making?” he asked, and saw a little tension steal across her shoulders. Helping out with Kev was one thing, but he guessed small talk made her nervous. It madehimnervous.
