I drummed my fingers against the steering wheel. I needed a plan. And for that to happen, I needed more information. I grabbed my phone and started scrolling through my contacts, looking for a specific name.
Cain Hale. He was a friend of mine and Walker’s from college. He’d taken his law enforcement and programming degrees and created a tech empire that could rival just about anyone else in the world. But I needed him for his hobby. Hacking.
I hit Cain’s contact and waited as the phone rang. He’d come through in a clutch when Tessa had been kidnapped a few months ago, and I hoped he would again. If there was anything that pissed Cain off, it was men trying to harm women in any way.
“Tuck.”
That was all I got. I rolled my eyes. Always so serious. “Hey, Cain. I need your help with something.”
I heard a door close. “Anything. You know that.”
Walker and I had seen Cain through some dark days, and he’d always made it clear that if there was anything he could do to return the favor, he would see it done. “It’s about Jensen.”
There was silence for a moment. “Then why are you calling me instead of Walker?”
I swallowed hard. The three of us were brothers. No, not by blood, but by choice. And asking him to keep something from Walker flickered close to the edge of betraying that brotherhood. But Jensen had been right. If Walker knew that Cody had threatened her, he would lose his mind. “He’s not aware of the latest developments on the issue.”
“And why is that?”
I grunted. “Because Jensen and I don’t want him to lose his job. Or worse, end up in prison.”
A chair creaked. “Jensen and you, huh?”
I wanted to curse. Cain had always been too damn observant for his own good. “We’re friends. You know that.”
“I haven’t heard you mention her name much lately. That’s all.”
My hand clenched around the steering wheel. “We’ve been spending more time together.”
More silence. “Tuck. Are you sure that’s a good idea? You’re not exactly built for commitment.”
It sounded so similar to the things my dad used to say.Men aren’t designed to be monogamous, especially Harris men.I gritted my teeth. “We’re just friends.”
Cain, of course, read my subtext, which was something to the effect of “fuck off.”
“I didn’t mean anything by it. If you told me you were ready for a serious commitment and you were pursuing J, I’d be over the moon for both of you. But you weren’t exactly looking for that in the past. And I don’t think Walker would be too pleased about you going after his sister for your usual fix.”
My hand squeezed even tighter around the wheel, the knuckles going white. “We’re just friends. But none of that matters right now because her douchebag ex is in town trying to extort money out of her with the threat that he’s going to take her to court to get full custody of Noah. So, if you could stop your gossipy girl shit for two minutes, I’d really like for us to focus on that for a bit.”
“Fuck.” A chair squeaked again, and soon, I heard typing. “What’s his full name?”
My shoulders relaxed a fraction. “Cody Ailes.”
“You got a date of birth?”
“Hold on.” I put Cain on speaker, opened the notes app on my phone, and read off Cody’s birthday.
“This is my first priority. Give me a few hours for a preliminary, and a couple of days or a week for a deeper dive depending on what I find.”
I let out a long breath. “Thank you.”
“I’ve always got your back.” Cain paused. “And, Tuck?”
My jaw clenched, and I braced for more shit about Jensen. “Yeah?”
“If you want more, you should reach for more.”
My back molars ground together. “She deserves better than me. My family. My history. I’m not sure I’m capable of being what she needs.” I hated each and every word that came out of my mouth.
