Total pages in book: 94
Estimated words: 92043 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 460(@200wpm)___ 368(@250wpm)___ 307(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 92043 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 460(@200wpm)___ 368(@250wpm)___ 307(@300wpm)
Once we were making our way through the kitchen, he lifted my hand to his lips and kissed it. “It’s healed enough that you didn’t need a new stitch,” he said quietly. “You need to be more careful until it’s fully healed.”
“I will,” I assured him.
He stopped and picked me up at the bottom of the stairs.
“I think I can manage stairs,” I said against his ear as he carried me up.
“Why chance it when I like having you in my arms?” he replied.
I wondered if he was filled with as much anxiety as I was. There was a chance that the only thing on that memory card was porn or bank statements or a million other things that Zeke could’ve wanted to hide. He could’ve hidden that memory card years ago and forgotten about it. We wouldn’t know if it held anything until we opened it.
I wrapped my arms around Ambrose’s neck and slid my hand through his hair as he reached the top of the stairs.
Pausing, he set me gently on my feet and grabbed my hand.
When we entered Chance’s room, I was surprised to see that instead of a living room like the other brothers had, he’d turned his main room into a giant office. There was a huge L-shaped desk with four computer monitors set up, a thousand cords and wires, and other assorted tech stuff that was only familiar because I had no idea what any of it did. Everyone stood around waiting for us.
“How’d you get here so fast?” Ambrose asked Danny.
“I was already on my way home,” he replied. His light-brown hair was a mess, and his beard was scragglier than I’d ever seen it. “You found a memory card?”
“Lucy did,” Ambrose clarified. He looked at Chance. “You can read it?”
“We’ll see,” Chance said. For the first time since I’d met him, he seemed unsure of himself.
“You’re offline?” Beau asked.
Chance nodded. “Closed system.”
My brother had been leaning against the fireplace mantel, but he moved to my side as we grouped around behind Chance.
At first, nothing happened.
Then, all of a sudden, a little box showed up on the screen. Inside were smaller squares. There had to be hundreds of them.
Charlie’s hand found mine.
“Files,” Chance said grimly. “Should I just start at the top?”
I held my breath.
“Top left,” Ambrose ordered, sliding an arm around my shoulder.
I didn’t understand what we were looking at when the file opened, but by the sharp inhales around me, the Boucher brothers did. They didn’t speak as Chance scrolled down, reading through whatever it was. After a moment, he opened the second file. Then the third.
I was too far away to read whatever was on the computer, but I stood beside Ambrose for a long time as he read them over Chance’s shoulder.
Eventually, I moved over toward the fireplace and sat down on the floor with my back against the wall. Reese and Charlie followed me. We watched as the Boucher brothers scoured their baby brother’s files, discovering what he’d felt was so important that he’d hidden a memory card in the last place anyone would look.
“Is anyone else dying to know what they found?” Reese asked quietly.
I nearly laughed, knowing that they could hear everything she said and there was no reason for her to whisper.
“I’m cool waiting to get the CliffsNotes,” I replied.
I knew how Zeke must have died. I didn’t want to read any information that had anything to do with the people who’d killed him. Ambrose would tell me what they’d found when he was done, and I wouldn’t have to risk seeing something I couldn’t forget.
We sat there for hours. Beau and Danny sat down in kitchen chairs after a while, but Ambrose stayed on his feet, his hands on his hips and his eyes never leaving the monitor in the center of the cluster. Reese fell asleep, curled onto her side with her head resting on her arm.
Charlie and I just sat there quietly, pressed together from hip to shoulder, while we waited to hear what the brothers had uncovered. My thigh began to ache, but I ignored it.
And then they were done.
Chance pushed away from the desk with a curse. Both Danny and Beau turned to Ambrose.
“Baby brother was busy,” he said after a moment. “Get some rest, and then this afternoon we’ll split this up and go over it with a fine-tooth comb. Danny, you take the names. I want to know if someone had a cavity in one of their baby teeth. Chance, you and I will follow the money. Split it up however you think it makes sense, and then we’ll compare notes and see where things intersect. Beau—”
“I’ll start tracking down their families,” he said quietly. “If we’re looking for answers, there’s a good chance that they are too.”
“Before you get in touch with any Vampire’s family, we need to talk it over and decide what we’re willing to share and whose help we’re willing to take. Just because they’ve lost someone doesn’t mean we can trust them.”