Defending Everly (Mountain Mercenaries, #5)(16)

“Yes and no,” Meat said. “We can get phone numbers she texted and called, but the apps are different. We could probably subpoena each of the apps we know she used, but it will take forever to get the information.”

Sighing when she really wanted to scream, Everly nodded. She got it. They needed the phone.

But that was probably impossible. The police had already tried to track it, and it was either turned off or smashed to pieces by now.

“We’re headed over to Elise’s school this morning,” Ball told Meat. “Then we’re going to go talk to Everly’s contacts at the PD. We’ll know more after we talk to them and find out what, if anything, they’ve done to look into things further.”

Meat said, “I’ll be in touch if I find out anything more from the computer. Mrs. Adams?”

Everly turned to her grandmother. She was still standing nearby, listening.

“Yes?”

“I don’t know your granddaughter all that well—Everly, that is—but between her and Ball, and the rest of us back here in Colorado, we’re doing everything we can to find Elise.”

“Thank you.”

“If it’s okay, please don’t use the computer today. I haven’t finished cloning the hard drive yet.”

“I won’t,” Me-Maw said.

“Thanks,” Meat told her.

“I’ll call later,” Ball told his friend.

“Sounds good. Bye.”

“Bye.”

Ball clicked off the phone.

“So the rest of your friends are in Colorado?” Allison asked, though Everly guessed it wasn’t really a legit question, as Ball had already told her that. “Please tell me you’re not with the Mob or anything.”

Ball chuckled. “No, ma’am. We’re just an organization that helps find missing people.”

“Okay.” Then she signed to Everly. You okay?

I’m fine.

You look better. Like you got some sleep.

I did.

You two would probably sleep even better in the king-size bed in the guest room, rather than the full-size one you slept in last night.

Everly shook her head and knew she was blushing. Of course her grandmother knew Ball hadn’t slept in the guest room. Sighing, she couldn’t deny that she’d slept well the night before. She’d been exhausted, yes, but she had a feeling that a lot of the reason was because of the man who’d held her in his arms all night.

Maybe she’d simply give in and go for comfort tonight and stay in the guest room, after all.

Me-Maw didn’t mind. And obviously, neither did Ball.

Wondering what in the world she was thinking, she looked away from her grandmother and caught Ball’s eye.

“I really need to learn sign language,” he drawled. “I’d pay good money to know what put that blush on your face.”

“Nothing.” Everly looked at her watch. “School is about to start. Our appointment with the principal is in forty minutes. We should get going.”

Ball nodded and stood. Everly hugged Me-Maw and told her to tell Pop that she loved him, and they headed out.

On the way to Elise’s school, Everly told Ball everything she knew about the place. When it was founded, how many students there were, which grades, the fact that everyone was deaf or very hard of hearing, and how the test scores of the students were some of the highest in the state.

They pulled into a parking space when they arrived, and Everly hopped out, not waiting for Ball to come around and open her door. She’d grown up watching Pop do that for Me-Maw, and once upon a time she’d wished for a man who would do the same thing for her. Maybe she still did. Though she also wanted a man who’d be proud of her and the job she did, who wouldn’t insist on treating her as if she wasn’t capable of taking care of herself.

“Don’t be offended if people stare at you,” she told Ball as they headed for the front door of the school.

“Why would they stare?”

Deciding to be blunt, she explained, “One, because you’re hot. I’m sure you know that, so don’t think it’s me coming on to you. Second, because in their world, you’re the outcast. They’re going to talk about you, knowing you can’t understand them. Don’t take it personally.”

“I won’t.” He paused a moment, then said, “I’m hot?”

Everly rolled her eyes. “I knew you couldn’t not comment on that. Surely you know that about yourself.”

He shrugged. “I guess I don’t think about it much. I am who I am.”

Everly paused at the front door and stared at him. “Ball, you’re tall and muscular. Your blond hair and blue eyes are heart stopping. You have that square jaw, and enough swagger in your step that it just screams confidence. You might be ‘old’ to these teenagers, but you also have an aura about you that says ‘Don’t fuck with me.’ If you married any of their mothers, you’d be a total DILF. So yeah, you’re hot.”

“What the hell is a DILF?”

She chuckled. “You don’t know?”

“No.”

“Then that’s for me to know and you to find out,” she told him with a smile, then opened the door. She heard Ball hurrying in behind her, and she had to smile wider at getting the upper hand with him—for once.