Standing in the Shadows (McClouds & Friends #2)(96)

"Bite me, bonehead," he hissed. He flipped the phone shut and dropped it into his pocket. "Nothing yet," he grumbled to Barbara.

And Erin was no goddamn help at all. If anything, she seemed faintly amused at his torment at her mother's hands, though she tried to hide it. At nightfall he escaped onto the back porch for a few minutes of blessed peace. He collapsed on the steps, rubbed his cramped, throbbing leg, and fished in his coat pocket for his tobacco.

He abruptly remembered that he was now a nonsmoker. The recollection did not make him happy.

He pulled out his cell phone and dialed Seth, who picked up with gratifying swiftness. "Hey, Con. What's up?"

"I need your help," he said.

"You got it," Seth said promptly. "They tell me you're in love. With another girl who's being stalked by Novak. It's the hot new thing."

"Can we skip the bullshit?" Connor asked. "I'm having a nicotine withdrawal fit. I can't take it right now."

Seth was unfazed. "No problem. So?"

"A couple of things. I need you to check out Erin's mom's house. Weird things are happening with the TV, and somebody's breached the locks and the alarms and vandalized the place. More than once."

"OK. How about day after tomorrow?" Seth asked.

"Why not tonight?"

"We're up at Stone Island. Raine's mom and stepdad are here. Tomorrow we're taking them out to cruise the San Juans, and then to dinner in Severin Bay. We put them on the plane back to London day after tomorrow. If I bag out on this, I'm dead meat."

Seth's lack of enthusiasm for his in-laws' visit was glaringly evident. A commiserating grin spread over Connor's face. He'd met Raine's mother, Alix, at Seth's wedding. She was a force of nature, unstoppable, like a huge mudslide. He didn't want to wait for his answers, but, he also didn't want to subject the luckless Seth to domestic torture.

"I hope there's something left of you when she leaves," he said. "Alix will eat you alive and spit out your bones."

"Thanks for the encouragement. What else do you need?"

"I want to load X-Ray Specs onto my computer and get some of your transmitter beacons," he admitted. "For Erin."

Seth pondered this for a moment. "I thought you were sticking to that chick like white on rice."

"I am, but it's complicated. Erin's just humoring me. She doesn't really take me seriously. That makes me nervous. And I'm only one guy. I could get distracted, doze off, take a piss. I want technical backup."

"Gonna tell her?"

Connor hesitated, and peeked over his shoulder to make sure he was still alone on the porch. "Uh…"

"From personal experience? Women get pissed when you do shit like that. They think it means you don't trust them."

Seth's self-righteous tone made Connor laugh, knowing the guy the way he did. "Listen to yourself for a minute, you big hypocrite, and see if you can keep a straight face."

"I'm just trying to help," Seth protested. "I don't want you to f*ck this up, if you really like the girl."

"She'd never go for it. And it's just until Novak's back in the bag, anyhow. Then it's like it never happened. She never needs to know."

Seth grunted his approval. "Good man. That's what I'd do."

"I know. You're as suspicious as I am."

"Oh, way, way more," Seth agreed cheerfully. "When it comes to suspicious, I kick your lily-white ass, McCloud. Come to the apartment and pick up whatever you need. You know where I keep all my stuff."

"Thanks. One more thing. Would you take a look at Erin's place, and see what you could do about security? It's a dump, but it's too soon to move her into my house yet. The lock in the lobby is broken. The door lock you could do with a credit card." Connor gave him the address, and glanced back over his shoulder. "I've got to get the hell off the phone. I'm waiting for Sean to call with news of the missing sister."

"Yeah, I heard. Wish I was there. Hunting *s in titty bars with you guys would be more fun than fending off Alix in the middle of a hot flash. Hey, Con. Know what? It's good to hear you sound like this."

"Like what?" Connor snarled. "I just had the day from hell."

"Yeah, but you give a shit about it. That's what's different. You sound switched on." Seth was not given to deep analysis of emotions, neither his own nor anyone else's. He sounded surprised at himself.

"I'm glad somebody appreciates it. Later, Seth." He nipped the phone shut and stared morosely at the various picture windows up the length of the block. The screen door squeaked. He recognized Erin's light step, her scent. She sat down and scooted closer until their thighs touched. The contact sent a predictable stab of heat through him, as did her warm, tangy smell. The night breeze lifted a hank of her hair and blew it across his throat. He touched it with wondering fingers.

"Thanks for what you did for Mom," she said.

"For what? Getting my ass kicked around like a soccer ball all day? Thanks for sticking up for me, sweetheart. I sure appreciated it."

"Don't be silly. You handled her fine on your own. You didn't need my help. Besides, she's transformed. I don't know what you said to her, but I haven't seen her with this much energy since Dad was arrested."