Among the Echoes(20)

"Anything, Slate," Jimmy says, and I can envision him pacing around the room as he answers this late-night call from me.

"Hire a PI and find out absolutely everything you can about Dave or Leo Roberts. He lives in apartment 108 here. And when I say everything, I mean everything—right down to what he had for breakfast yesterday and the porn he jerked off to last night."

"Are you in trouble?" he asks in that fatherly way I’ve come to expect from him.

"Not me. But I think someone is."

"Maybe you should come back. Go down to the beach house or up to the apartment in Chicago."

"Nah, I’m good. I got into a scuffle tonight though and I just want to get his backstory. He’s got a woman with him. Her name is Riley. He says they are related, but I’m not so sure," I respond, heading to the fridge, desperate for a drink to dull my anger. I snatch out a beer and open it with a loud pop.

"You drinking at two a.m.?" he asks, and I have to laugh.

"It’s four here."

"Well thank Christ for that. I was starting to worry about you."

I laugh mid-sip, causing beer to spray from my lips. "Oh yeah? Is drinking at two worse than drinking at four?" I ask while wiping my mouth on the back of my sleeve.

"Hell yeah. Two a.m. means you haven’t stopped yet. Four a.m. just means you are starting early," he says without a single hint of humor.

"I’ll keep that in mind." I smile to myself.

"So, you have anything other than a name and address?"

"Nope."

"You want to explain any of this to me?"

"Nope," I repeat then take another pull from my beer.

"I’ll see what I can do, Slate. If you’ve been jeopardized, you need to get out of there. Don’t let people find you or you will never be able to go back."

"Damn it, I know," I curse, more at the entire situation than his reminder.

"Right. Well, I’ll let you know as soon as I find something. I’m assuming money isn’t an issue on this one since you’re asking me."

"Whatever it costs, Jimmy. I just want answers."

"Give me a couple of days."

"Thanks," I say, but in true Jimmy Douglas fashion, he hangs up before I even finish the word.

I let out a relieved breath, knowing that soon I’ll be getting some answers.

"Fuck." I shouldn’t have left her with him, but what the hell was I supposed to do? She wouldn’t listen to me, and he almost even convinced me that he isn’t who she's afraid of. Almost. I think back to our conversation while she was getting the ice.

"My name is Adam," I said adamantly.

"No. Your name is Slate Andrews. I’m just trying to figure out what the f*ck you are doing here," he said, sliding his body up onto the couch. "And better yet, why you told her your name was Adam in the first place."

"Don’t say anything. Please," I pleaded.

"Are you more worried about your little secret than the fact that I held a gun to your head?"

"Yes," I answered honestly.

"And her?" His swollen eyes narrowed slightly.

His question left me puzzled. I didn’t know what he was asking or what answer I could possibly give him. "What about her?"

"See, I walk into my apartment tonight to find Riley curled into a ball. You were sound-ass asleep, and so was she, but her hand—" He paused to shake his head. "She had one hand reaching out, holding the arm you were propped up on. Damn it. I should have killed you when I had the chance."

"Oh yeah? How’d that last attempt work out for you?" I asked just to be a dick while wiping the nonexistent blood from my bottom lip.

"You could have killed me if it meant that she was okay," he announced oddly, and it quite honestly floored me. Who the f*ck is this guy?

"Why the hell is she so terrified of everything? She was a f*cking mess tonight. I’ve never seen a woman so afraid in my life. I swear to God, if I find out you had anything to do with that fear…" I stopped only to step in close. I know the walls are thin, and she was right next door. "I won’t stop next time," I solemnly swore. "There is not an army in the f*cking world that could save you if I find out that you're responsible."

He cocked his battered and bruised head to the side with a sick sense of approval. But what really pissed me off most was the slight tip in his lips when he said, "I’ve never laid a f*cking hand on her."