Page 26 of Unleashed

Don’t fucking like that. I especially don’t like that I can’t tell where he’s coming from. It’s got to be one of the other trailers, but with only two cameras, I can’t even come close to identifying which one.

I’m gonna need more cameras.

Closing out of the app, I leave my office, going straight to Walker’s wing of the building. My plan to collect what I need and slide back out unnoticed crashes and burns the second I step through the door of the warehouse. Not only is Walker standing just on the other side, but so is Tobias. They’re having what looks like a relatively intense conversation that stops the second they see me.

Keeping my expression neutral, I join them, already running through any possible responses I could offer if my rendezvous with Maren has been discovered.

I wouldn’t be pissed if I found out one of my brothers used my bathroom for physical relations, but I live alone, so it would only be my space they tainted. Tobias has been in love with Brooke for over a decade. And while I’m sure he wouldn’t begrudge the sex part of the scenario, I can’t imagine he’d be thrilled I not only innocenced his wife’s bathroom, but also her best friend.

“Hey.” Toby tips his head at me in greeting. “Pierce just called. He managed to get us another opportunity to go through the files from when Aunt Donna died.”

I’m relieved it’s not me they were discussing, but I don’t love thinking about what happened to Aunt Donna. Or what happened to Toby and Walker the last time they tried to investigate it. “You haven’t told anyone else, have you?”

“No.” Toby shifts on his feet, taking a little of his weight off the leg damaged in the crash that happened on their last attempt to dig into the truth of the collision that killed Walker’s mom and one other person. “Only family.”

“That’s probably how we should keep things.” At the end of the day, my brothers and parents are the only people I know I can always count on. Always trust.

It’s why they will always come first.

“Do you have a time set up?” My schedule was packed before I decided to let the temp company go, and now that I have to fill all those recently vacated positions, I’ve got little to no wiggle room during the workday. But some things are more important. “I’m happy to go with, if you want an extra set of eyes and hands.” I know I wasn’t at the top of the list of best suited for the job last time—understandably, since I have absolutely no fucking patience—so I make a second offer. “Or I can send Ruth.”

She would actually be great for the fucking job. The woman is meticulous, careful, and doesn’t miss a damn thing.

I’m obviously not the only one with that opinion, because Walker and Toby look at each other. Walker purses his lips, tipping them into a considering line. “That might not be a bad idea.”

Toby chuckles. “It’s not a bad idea, but Tucker’s gonna lose his shit if he finds out we’re trying to take his beloved on a trip that resulted in both of us landing in the hospital last time.”

“He might have to fucking get over it.” Walker slowly smiles. “Especially if she wants to go. I guarantee you there’s no way he’s going to win that fight.”

Now I’m the one chuckling, because I know better than almost anyone what it’s like to go toe-to-toe with Ruth on a regular basis. The woman is nearly unbeatable. She’s smart, quick on her feet, and more than capable of holding her own ground. It’s fucking amazing.

She’s a whole lot like someone else I know.

“I think that’s actually a really good idea.” Walker dips his head at me in appreciation. “As long as you can survive a day without her.”

My ability to survive a day without Ruth here at the office is questionable at best, but I’m willing to try. Especially if it helps my cousin get closer to figuring out the mystery of what really happened to his mother all those years ago.

“I’ll be fine.” Fine is also relative, but I’m pretty sure everyone will survive.

Probably.

Toby looks me over. “Is there a reason you came over here? Do you need something?”

Technically, I do need something, but I don’t feel like explaining it to anyone right now. That includes myself.

“No. Just checking to see how things were going.” I look around the warehouse, making note of exactly where the items I need are so when I sneak back in later, I can easily retrieve them. “Everything going okay over here?”

Walker appears confused. “Of course everything is going okay over here. Do you think I can’t run my own division?”

Walker’s always been prickly. Leans toward my asshole tendencies more than any of my brothers ever could. On occasion, we feed off each other, making both of us even more dickish than normal. And I don’t have time for that today.

“I know damn well you can run your own division, prick.” I make another show of looking around the space. “I just know our switch from using the agency to hiring our own temporary workers could’ve left you in a tight spot.”

Walker shrugs. “My team can handle it for a short period of time.” Thankfully, he seems to be a little less offended now. “Have you found any good prospects?”

“Actually, yes.” I explain about the group I interviewed before lunch, telling him I intend to bring all of them on, and that most of them would be coming here.

Walker seems to be fine with my selections, and after making one more scan of the shelves containing the cameras I plan to collect, I make myself scarce.